g^^ 
 
 .^SM 
 
 I 
 
 FU-SO MIMI BUKURO 
 
 JL BTJDO-ET 
 
 OF 
 
 JAPANESE NOTES, 
 
 BY 
 
 C. PFOUNDES. 
 
 REPRINTED FROM THE ''JAPAN MAIL.'' 
 
 1875. 
 
 Printed and Published at the "Japan Mail" Oepice, 
 
 YOKOHAMA, JAPAN. 
 
 m^^ 
 
't FROM ! 
 
 S F. K. Wetmore A Co <: 
 
 1 BOOKSELLERS, &0. f 
 
 'Z Yokohama, Japan. > 
 
FU-SO MIMI BUKURO 
 
 J^ BTJDC3-ET 
 
 OF 
 
 JAPANESE NOTES, 
 
 BY 
 
 C. PFOUNDES. 
 
 REPRINTED FROM THE ''JAPAN MAIL. 
 
 18 7 5. 
 
 PiilNTED AND PUBLISHED AT THE "JaPAN MaIL " OjfnCE, 
 
 YOKOHAMA, JAPAN. 
 
F4- 
 
 ■^f. 
 
 T 
 
 -rZ-U/ 
 
r 1! 1^: !■ A c K . 
 
 The "Budget of Notes, *' now ottered to tlie Public 
 in a collected shape, has appeared from time to time 
 ill the columns of the Japan Weekly Mail, and foims 
 a portion of the fruits of the compiler's research and 
 study during a residence in this country already 
 extending over more than a decade. 
 
 AVliile unable to (daim for them tliat they exhaust 
 the vast held of enquiry in which they have been 
 gathered, he ventures to hope that his notes may 
 suggest to the younger student a range of subjects 
 for deeper investigation, and that all may find in 
 tliein WW intei-esting record of a condition of things 
 already beginning to pass away. The compiler would 
 add that his information has been obtained from 
 native authorities of assured trustworthiness and from 
 actual observation. 
 
 It is intended to continue the issue of these "Notes," 
 should the first part meet with a fair measiu'c of 
 cucourageiiieiit. 
 
 Tukeij fJai)!!!!, 
 July, 1875^ 
 
 295831 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/fusomimibukurobuOOpfourich 
 
TAJU.K OF COXTENTS, 
 
 Pages, 
 
 Snpevsfcitions , 1 
 
 Charina 17 
 
 Household Altars and Gods 21 
 
 Musical Instruinents 23 
 
 Native Literature 27 
 
 Poetry 29 
 
 Names 30 
 
 Street Signs 32 
 
 Dress 34 
 
 Beggars, Strollers and Vagabonds 36 
 
 Conveyances 38 
 
 Afons, or Crests 40 
 
 Childrons Schools 41 
 
 Sports 43 
 
 Female Accomplishments ? 48 
 
 jNIan ly Acconi plish men ts y 1 
 
 Theatres u4 
 
 Pastimes G5 
 
 Music Teachers 73 
 
 Cosmogonj* 79 
 
 Religion 87 
 
 r.uddhism 99 
 
 Buddhist Obsequies 134 
 
 Future State of the Buddhist 140 
 
 Hahama and Kamlsldmo... 144 
 
 Suicide 147 
 
 Swords 158 
 
 Celebrated Swords and IMakers 164 
 
 Names of Japan 171 
 
 ]M^'t|4plogical and Legondar;y n?f 
 
^ ^ n m 
 
 FU SO MIMI BXJKURO, 
 
 Superstitions. 
 
 A full description of the superstitions of any nation 
 involves no easy task, and the delineation of those of such 
 a nation as this, in such a manner as to enable the reader 
 to realize their hold over the native mind, is more than 
 we can expect to accomplish. In giving a sketch of some 
 of the most common, we are only selecting exemplars 
 from a thousand forms that are either local, temporary or 
 of but slight consideration. An instructive and amusing 
 essay on this subject might be written, which would 
 throw no little b'ght on* the real depth of the reb'gious 
 feeling of the Japanese and of their capacity for entertain- 
 ing a higher form of faith than any they now possess. 
 There is a large class of young students growing up who 
 sneer at any thing and everything native ; but the great 
 majority still resort, as did their ancestors, to all kinds of 
 charms, prayers, incantations, amulets &c. to bring good 
 luck, or ward off evil. In Shintooism, as we term it, there 
 
FV SO MIMI 2UKUR0, 
 
 is but little room for superstition or ghost-stories, so that we 
 are thrown upon the conclusion that the Buddhist priest- 
 hood are more or less the supporters of the gi oss follies 
 which, in the form of superstitions, exist among all classes 
 in this country. 
 
 Fortune-telling is much practised, and two forms of it 
 are so common that they deserve a few words. 
 
 Oura-nai-sangi is practised with six pieces of hard 
 wood marked in a prescribed manner ; then with fifty-one 
 pieces of bamboo like knitting-needles, of which one is 
 laid down. The incantation is recited, the fifty are 
 divided at random into two lots, one for each hand ; these 
 are then counted out into lots of eight each, and the odd 
 ones left determine the order in which the sticks are to be 
 placed. This is repeated twice, and the third time the 
 standing needles (medogi) are counted out six at a 
 time. The means by which the solution is ultimately 
 arrived at is extremely complicated. 
 
 If a person, going to visit a sick friend or on otiier 
 business, determines that the first word he hears acciden- 
 tally of conversation between any strangers he meets 
 coming towards him in the direction in which he is going, 
 are to be omens of the friend's recovery or death, or of 
 the success of the business, this method is called tsujii- 
 oura. 
 
 Another kind of tsifjii-oiira is to have mottoes rolled 
 up in pastry, in little bags of comfits, sugared peas or such 
 sweet stuff", not unlike our style of bon-bon and cracker 
 mottoes. 
 
 Girls try to divine the future by dropping a long hair- 
 
SUPEnSTITTONS. 
 
 pin from their head into the matting, and counting from 
 the end of the pin, yes o» no, yes — no, alternately, like 
 Goethe's Margarethe as she pulls the leaves of the flower. 
 
 In building houses the lucky plan is to have the door 
 to the south-east ; the fire-proof store-room on the north- 
 east ; and the closets on the south-west, — the kitchen 
 alongside of the store-room. There are, of course, means 
 by which the necessity for this may be explained away 
 when it is not convenient that the house should be thus 
 built. 
 
 The best position for the Kamidana (shelf for the 
 gods) — the household Buddhist altar; — where to place a 
 temple to Inari Sama ; — on what day to send the bride 
 home ; — when to set out on a journey, and so on, all have 
 special rules to be observed, so that ill fortune may be 
 avoided and success and prosperity ensured. 
 
 Physiognomy and palmistry are universally practised. 
 These could not be described here without elaborate plates 
 and explanations, but they could not be omitted from 
 these notes. Launcelot Gobbo's "line of life " and " small 
 trifle of wives," thus find their counterpart in Japan. 
 
 A box containing one hundred slips of bamboo, all 
 numbered, is well shaken, and from a small hole in one 
 end, one of the slips is shaken out. The number on this 
 corresponds with the number of a paper on which the 
 drawer's fate is written, often, it must be confessed, in 
 the most ambiguous language. 
 
 Spirit-rapping in Japan has usually been practised by 
 women. Their stock-in-trade consists of a small box 
 (supposed to contain some mystery only known to the 
 
FU SO MIMI BUKUEO. 
 
 craft) of somewhat less than a foot square. It is said 
 that, in the south, a dog is buried alive, the head only 
 being left above ground, and food is then put almost 
 within its reach, expoising it thus to the cruel fate of 
 Tantalus. When in the greatest agony and near death, 
 the head is chopped off and put in a box. To return, 
 however. Only the craft know what the box really con- 
 tains. The medium has also a small bow made of soft 
 wood called adzusa, the string of which she twangs inces- 
 santly on the box, and a small cup of water placed in front 
 of her, which is at the same time splashed out towards the 
 enquirer. If the person to be * interviewed' is living, a 
 small piece of stick is used, and if a departed friend 
 is to be summoned, a leaf from a grave-yard offering called 
 shikimi is employed to splash the water out of the cup. 
 The only question asked by the medium is whether the 
 enquirer wishes to raise the dead or the living. Then 
 after a half prayer, half incantation, the spirit commences 
 to speak — through the medium. . The mediums may be 
 recognized by their invariably carrying, while out of 
 doors, a small bundle of a peculiar shape, and also a light 
 bark hat either on the head or in the hand. 
 
 Prayers for health or success in one's plans, for good 
 fortune and so on, either by the priest of some mit/a 
 (kan-nushi), or the Buddhist priest of some shrine or 
 temple, are still common, and innumerable as to form, 
 place, and occasion. 
 
 Pilgrimages to Shinto and Bnddhist shrines, from 
 whence amulets, always exposed for sale there, are brought 
 back, are very common. Such pilgrimages are made to 
 
SUPERSTITIONS. 
 
 numerous places, and every district has its own special 
 place of resort, frequented by the devout or covetous. 
 The places most generally visited by pilgrims from all 
 the provinces and islands of Japan are Fuji, Ise Dal Jin 
 Gu, SanuJci Komjjira, Musashi Suii Ten Gu in Yedo, Aid 
 Miyaj'ima, Shinano Zen ho jie, each of which places will 
 find mention elsewhere. 
 
 Men generally wear an amulet from Ise, besides those of 
 local or special favourite shrines — the hettoes' (grooms)and 
 servants' being suspended by a string round the neck. But 
 gentlemen are ashamed of doing this and conceal them in 
 some part of their dress, or in their tobacco-pouches and 
 purses. Women carry their amulets in a girdle specially 
 made for the purpose, and with which they never part for 
 an instant except in the bath-house. Night and day it is 
 on or near their persons. The most common amongst 
 numerous others which swell the bundle to the dimen- 
 sions of a good old-fashioned lady's bustle, are the Kaii* 
 non^ to give them ability and good fortune through life; — 
 the GozOf to bestow the gift of children and enable them 
 to rear them ; — the Suii Tengtt^ to save them from 
 drowning and other harm, and, if choking, to swallow the 
 paner of the amulet is a certain cure ; — the figure of 
 Kichiren and of Kobodaishi, to carry them to paradise;-— 
 Sei-shj'ko, for good luck ; — B enteric for the gift of beauty, 
 accomplishments and attractiveness to their lovers ; No 
 se no Kurofuda, to save them from the wiles of the 
 kitsune (fox) ; Chiriu Gongen — of San Shiu — to protect 
 them from snakes, the greatest aversion of the Japanese 
 woman ; — Aizen^ to cause her children to be loveable, an^ 
 
FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 a host of others, local or selected for some special gift or 
 power. Girls when very young liave some of these sus- 
 pended from the girdle in a small square pouch. Space 
 does not admit of our enlarging further on this subject at 
 present. 
 
 Ghosts and ghost-stories are innumerable and generally 
 believed in. The greatest and most generally known Ye- 
 do ghost-story is that of KoJiada Kohejie, an actor of the 
 last century. His wife was unfaithful to him, and she 
 and her lover wished to be rid of her husband. The lover 
 took advantage of Kohada being on a tour in a provincial 
 town, murdered him and returned to Yedo, to discover; 
 however, that the ghost of bis victim had preceded him, 
 the ultimate consequence of Kohada haunting the guilty 
 couple being, of course, the discovery of the crime. 
 
 An older tale than the foregoing is told of Oiewa, the 
 wife of Tameya lyemon of Yotzuya. lyemon fell in love 
 with his neighbour's daughter who was as be^/Utiful as she 
 was frail and criminal. By administering a potion which 
 destroys beauty, and makes wives repulsive to their hus- 
 bands, she contrived to disfigure Oiewa. lyemon then 
 treated his wife harshly and neglected her entirely now 
 that she had ceased to attract and charm him. She bore 
 him a child, but, after its birth, she became a maniac and 
 destroyed it by biting its throat and died raving mad. 
 Her ghost haunted the guilty pair, and killed the girl in 
 the same way as Oiewa had killed her own child. 
 
 Sakura mura no Sogo (Sogo of the village of Sakura 
 (cherries) in the province of Shimosa) is a tale well told 
 elsewhere, of a farmer devoting himself for the good oj 
 
SUPERSTITIONS. 
 
 his neighbours, and, by presenting a petition to the 
 highest authorities asking protection against the injustice 
 of his lord, incurring the death of himself and his family. 
 His ghost haunted the daimio until he died a maniac. 
 
 Stories are told of women returning to this vale of woe 
 to nurse the little ones they have unwillingly left behind. 
 
 If lovers are parted, and, while apart, are faithful, the 
 one who dies first visits the remaining faithful one. 
 
 If a man passes at night the grave of some girl he has 
 loved, and thinks of her, even though she had not recipro- 
 cated his affection, he is followed out of the grave-yard by 
 a beautiful woman carrying a lantern. He recognizes her 
 as his lost love, and she visits him every night afterwards 
 in secret, until discovered by any third person. Any other 
 living being than her lover can only see in her a ghastly 
 skeleton, and the gifts or ornaments presented by her 
 lover are afterwards found upon her tomb. 
 
 There is a story of a ghost appearing to an officer who 
 lived near the present Engineering College. One of his 
 favourite female attendants fell ill and was sent to her 
 family to be nursed and cured. Subsequently she was 
 reported to be hopelessly ill, and, on the very next day, 
 to the surprise of her master's family, she made her ap- 
 pearance in the house, and reported herself as fit for 
 duty, to commence which she said she would return on 
 the morrow. On that evening the family heard of her 
 having died at the hour when she was seen in her master's 
 house. The master, a noted .scoffer at ghost-stories and 
 superstitions, became a firm believer in all at which he/ 
 had previously mocked — so, at least, the story goes, aa 
 
8 FU SO MIMI BUKUJiO. 
 
 told us by our informer, a hearty believer in all such 
 stories, though once a man in a very influential position. 
 A story is told of a hatamoto who had to exhibit his 
 skill as an archer before the Shogun, but who, being poor, 
 arranged to borrow from a neighbour a quiver of arrows 
 handsomer than his own. Just before the great day of 
 the trial he sickened unto death, and, as his friend was 
 deploring this misfortune, the supposed sick man called 
 and borrowed the arrows, explaining away his unnatural- 
 ly rapid recovery. A few days afterwards the lender 
 heard that the borrower had died on the very day of the 
 trial, and, upon visiting the grave, he found his beautiful 
 and valuable arrows laid unharmed upon it. 
 
 Haunted spots are known and avoided. There is a 
 tree on the moat opposite the Confucian College, there was 
 one where the School of Languages now stands, and one 
 near the spot where Iwakura was attacked about a year 
 ago, all bearing a bad name, and on which the natives are 
 said to have often found some of their countrymen hang- 
 ing dead. In the last gasp before death, a green ball of 
 fire is said to leave the body and take a wavy path, leav- 
 a track behind it like a comet. If this is met with it 
 may at times be caught by taking oflP the over-coat and 
 throwing it over the ball of flame. The article of dress 
 thus used for ever retains a strong and unpleasant odour. 
 The act does not stay death, but only stays the passage of 
 the soul. 
 
 When people die, the flattering of birds, heard but 
 unseen, in impossible places, and other peculiar sounds^ 
 re spoken of. 
 
SUPERSTITIONS. 
 
 There is a way of raising a ghosf, by putting into the 
 lamp a hundred rush-lights, and, while reciting an in- 
 cantation of a hundred lines, taking out one of the rush- 
 lights as each line is finished ; then go in the dark to a 
 distant spot where a light is left burning and puff it out, 
 when the ghost will appear. 
 
 Bake 7nono are ghosts of another kind, and not human, 
 restless spirits. A girl named Okiku, the servant of a 
 hatamoto living in the official quarter,' about two centuries 
 ago, accidentally broke a saucer, one of a valuable set of 
 ten, made of some rare material and pattern, and said to 
 have come from China in former times. Her master's 
 anger, and his demand that she should replace the broken 
 saucer, which she knew to be impossible, so frightened 
 her, that she threw herself into a deep well in the garden. 
 Ever afterwards her ghost came to count the saucers. 
 
 A ghost that appears to seamen always comes to borrow 
 a dipper. If one with a bottom is given, the ghost bails 
 water into the boat or junk and swamps it. One with the 
 bottom knocked out is thrown overboard to prevent this 
 catastrophe, and to be rid of the ghostly importunate. 
 Gnomes, ghouls and goblins are as numerous in Japan as 
 in all other countries where there are children to be 
 frightened into quietness and obedience ; and lazy, igno« 
 rant and worse than incapable and superstitious nurses 
 or mothers to frighten their little charges, when they have 
 lost control over their own patience and temper. 
 
 Mikosld nmdo is an immense bald-headed monster that 
 lolls out his tongue, looking dowu over the tall folding 
 screens. Kakure zato is a blind man with a staff 
 
lO FU SO MIMI BUKUnO. 
 
 » 
 
 who comes to carry bad people off to Hades. Shitotsume 
 kozo is a one-eyed ghonl wearing a large hat, carrying in 
 the hand a small sieve containing a ball of fire, the sight 
 of which strikes terror into the beholder. 
 
 JRokuro-Jcuhi. Some women aie liable, while sound 
 asleep and dreaming, to have their head leave their body, 
 still slunbering, and roam about, the head only attached 
 to the body by an almost imperceptible film. It is dange- 
 rous to arouse them till the head returns to its original 
 position. 
 
 Gambari niudo is a ghoul that only appears on the 
 new year's eve. When called thus, Gamhari nindo hoto 
 to gisUy a hairy hand is thrust forward, and if this can be 
 seized and cut off it will bring wealth to the possessor. 
 
 Bake-mono tofu-uri (ghostly bean-cake seller) who 
 goes about between midnight and morning. If met with, 
 to speak to him brings evil consequences. 
 
 TJbume is a female spectre met with on river and 
 canal banks and roads through marches, carrying a child. 
 If met, she asks the traveller to favour her by holding tlie 
 child for a few moments while she is absent. But after 
 long and patient waiting the child becomes heavier and 
 heavier, until it can be carried no longer, and then drops 
 from the arms, a ponderous boulder which no man could 
 lift. 
 
 Toovi akuma. A story is told of this demon, that when 
 a certain man was drinking sake on his verandah and 
 enjoying the prospect before him, this hideous object 
 appeared with a naked sword beyond the garden fence, 
 and gradually seemed to float over it and towards the 
 
SUPEBSTITIONS. H 
 
 the bibulous lord of his own house stretched at his ease. 
 He hid himself under some carpetino-, and from a sly- 
 corner spied the baffled demon making for his neighbour's 
 house. The confusion next door soon attracted attention, 
 and he discovered that his neighbour had attacked the 
 demon with a naked sword, but had made the trifling 
 mistake of chopping up his own wife, family and 
 servants. 
 
 Hi no kuruma. This is a flaming wheel propelled 
 by three demons, one green, one red and one black, all 
 enveloped in flames, who come from Pandemonium for 
 the bad people. These are seized when the measure of 
 their iniquity is full, to ride on this fearful vehicle with its 
 terrible charioteers, back to their home of raging fire. 
 
 Tengu is a demon who does not molest good people or 
 his worshippers ; but scofi'ers and scoundiels, beware ! 
 He is said to guard certain sacred places from sacrilege, 
 especially some mountains and shrines consecrated to 
 Kompira. He is invisible, but is represented in oflerings 
 to temples by a ruddy countenance and an enormous 
 nose, and is generally accompanied by another mask, black, 
 with an enormous beak ; this latter is called karasu tengu. 
 These two are called, first, the great nose is the Dai Tengu^ 
 representative of the male principle; the second, Sho 
 Tengu f or beak, the female principle. 
 
 A celebrated writing-master of the early days of the 
 century, went on a holiday trip to Nikko. Here he re- 
 mained overnight at a place called Kobuga Hara, the 
 house being the only one within some distance, occupied 
 
12 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 by Zenki Hayato. Now tliis Zenki was, as were bis an- 
 cestors before him, the custodians of the Nikko Tengu. 
 Our caligraphist saw with surprise "an immense boiler of 
 rice being emptied hot into an enormous tub, and taken 
 to a room separate from the other apartments of the 
 house, and, of course, his curiosity being excited, he asked 
 why this was done. A little exercise of patience was re- 
 commended by his host, and, before long, loud and 
 strange noises rather perturbed him, it being a lonely 
 spot. A peculiar munching, crunching, smacking-of-lips 
 kind of noise was next heard for some time, and then the 
 scratching and scurrying he had first heard ; then, dead 
 silence. The host then took him to the room where the 
 tub was, and not a single grain remained. The tub was 
 scraped clean, and, with a solemn face and a warning sign, 
 in a tone of awe, the host whispered " Temmangu has 
 been to eat." The pedagogue durst not ask or say more. 
 The Fox and his pranks form the common and every- 
 day burden to the tales of the marvellous, some of 
 them no older than to-day or yesterday. Master Kitsune 
 (fox) takes upon himself all shapes aind forms, generally 
 that of beautiful women, arrayed as occasion may require. 
 In whatever shape, however, it always follows its victim, 
 who coMeqttently often falls into danger, such as over 
 precipices, into rivers, wells, &c. Firm belief in the 
 vagaries of this animal is not confined to any class, and 
 no doubt he is painted blacker than he deserves, for he 
 rarely troubles the fair sex. 
 
 A fox's wedding is a sight seen once in a life-time. It 
 19 conducted with all the pomp of the highest nobles of 
 
8VPEBSTJTI0KS. 13 
 
 the land, and generally by torch-light and when there is 
 no moon. 
 
 Foxes are supposed to steal away the senses of people, 
 and to play practical jokes on them by no means amusing 
 to their victims. For instance; to make them believe that a 
 field of buck-wheat in flower is a river, and get them to 
 strip and wade through it under that impression. — A 
 young gentleman on a dreary wet day met a beautiful 
 lady without an umbi'ella. Struck with her charms, he 
 offered his own, and plied her ear with complimenta. 
 But he observed that her elegant robes were not in the 
 slightest degree either damp or soiled, and were more 
 suited to a fashionably assembly than to a walk on such a 
 day. With a sudden effort he gathered himself together, 
 and, with a prayer, drew his sword and made a fierce cut 
 at the beauty. He then ran home and brought some 
 followers to the spot, only to find a fine female fox badly 
 wounded. While relating his story, he was asked how 
 he knew that it was a fox, and he then told how he re- 
 marked the unsoiled robes, and became certain that the 
 fox was trying to tempt him, when he saved himself by a 
 huge effort. He subsequently made a pilgrimage and 
 many votive offerings to protect him from farther attempts 
 of the family of the deceased. 
 
 The Tanuki (badger), unlike the fox, goes before his 
 victims and these are generally women. He has the 
 power not only of taking the shape of handsome loveable 
 young men, bat also of inanimate objects. A family 
 formerly living near the Imperial College of Yedo was 
 tormented by badgers, who frequently played jokes on the 
 
14 FV 80 MIMI BUKUBO. 
 
 females of the household, sometimes appearing to the new 
 serving-maids as an enormous tea-kettle. 
 
 A badger was once for a long time priest of the tem- 
 ple of Morinjie. 
 
 A waste-paper dealer once bought an iron pot for boil- 
 ing water for tea, which ho again sold, and on the purchaser 
 placing it on the fire, a long tail and four legs appeared 
 and away scampered the pot. This is the story Bum- 
 buku-cha-maga. 
 
 Referring to the fox, we have overlooked some curious 
 instances of this superstition. A story is told of a man 
 who had trapped a fox being met by a poor man, who ran- 
 somed the beast and set it free. In the course of time, a 
 beautiful girl appeared to the ransomer, and told him she 
 was the fox whose life he had saved. "Wishing to make 
 him some return, the only way to do so would be by 
 some pecuniary reward, which, for a fox, was an impossi- 
 bility, but if the kind-hearted man would take her to one 
 of the houses of public women and sell her there, he would 
 be rewarded by the price without sin to himself. The 
 poor man acted on this advice, and receiving a handsome 
 sum in cash, returned joyfully to his home in the moun- 
 tains. The fox after playing many tricks on the people 
 of the house and practical jokes on her admirers, disap- 
 peared in the garden as a fox. Of course the people of 
 the house never recovered the money. Thus the good 
 were rewarded and the wicked got their deserts. 
 
 About fifty years ago, a fox, notorious for its mis- 
 chievous propensities, lived in one of the suburbs of 
 Yedo called Hon jo, and an ofiicer of the Tokugawa 
 
SUPEJiSTITIONS. 16 
 
 household boasted that he was smart enough to fool the 
 fox. Seeing a large fox, as he thought, asleep one day 
 in the locality reputed to be frequented by our sly renard, 
 the officer cried out "Oh, sister, don't sleep there, you will 
 catch cold; come along !" The fox awoke, and following 
 the officer, took the shape of his sister. He then invited 
 the former to a restaurant where they had the best of every- 
 thing spread before them. On some trivial pretext the officer 
 left the room and sent the attendants thither, when they 
 were horrified to see an enormous old fox greedily attacking 
 all the edibles. A general assault was made on him, but 
 he escaped. The officer returned and told the joke he 
 had played on the fox, hoping that it bad been killed, or 
 at least caught. But the fox had the best of it, for the 
 officer had to pay the reckoning ! 
 
 Many stories are told about cats. The following is a 
 fair specimen. 
 
 In a certain high officer's residence in Yedo some thirty 
 years ago, a female attendant named Osode (sleeve) was 
 sowing one evening and heard her name called two or 
 three times. Looking round she only saw a cat well 
 known in the house. Again and again she was called, 
 and at last concluded that the voice must come from the 
 cat. Pussy then asked for the loan of a kerchief, a re- 
 quest with which Osode complied, out of curiosity to see 
 the result. In thanking her, the cat told her that 
 if she \vould look out of one of the closet windows 
 into the garden where the moon threw its brightest 
 rays, after the rest of the household had gone to 
 rest, she would see an amusing sight, Osode, as well as 
 
16 FU SO MJMI BUKURO. 
 
 the other members of the household, having retired, she 
 cautiously stole out to the spot named, and, to her as- 
 tonishment, saw the cats of the neighbourhood collected to- 
 gether, holding what is called in Australia a " Corroboree," 
 each cat dressed in a kerchief and dancing away at a fine rate. 
 Next morning she privately informed the master of this, 
 and was ordered to let him know the next time Puss asked 
 for anything. In a few days the cat wished again to 
 borrow a kerchief, when Osode, by a preconcerted signal, 
 called her master, who rushed into the room with a lance. 
 But too late ; Puss had vanished ! In spite of all search 
 along the road of escape she could not be found. The 
 only peculiarity observed was a patch of plaster on one of 
 the roads as if lately repaired. The master struck at 
 this with his lance, and behold Pass impaled ! A horn 
 was found on the cat's forehead and was cut off and 
 preserved. 
 
 Another story is told of a hatamoto family during the 
 early part of the present century. 
 
 While the master was away on official business, his 
 wife was taken ill. He had some time previously adopted 
 a young man as his son, and in honour of this son's 
 approaching marriage a feast was arranged. On the day 
 of the feast the sick woman recovered. Just before the 
 fish and other good things were spread before the assem- 
 bled guests, certain fish were missed under such suspicious 
 circumstances as to draw attention to the till now sick 
 woman. The result of strict search was to find the body 
 of the sick woman under the verandah partly devoured, and 
 the apparently recovered patient was dispatched with a 
 
CHARMS, 17 
 
 rapid sweep of the young man's sword, leaving only the 
 carcase of a cat. 
 
 Kappa is a monster inhabiting certain rivers, and takes 
 upon itself either the form of a child or some article likely 
 to drop into a river. In trying to recover this object the 
 Icapyta steals the victim's soul. 
 
 Otters take on themselves the forms of hobbledehoys and 
 appear to women and play pranks. 
 
 Charms. 
 Every country has its peculiar superstitions which cling 
 with a force that even educalioii fails coinpletelyto remove. 
 It can therefore furnish no matter for surprise that 
 they shoukl he all-powerful among a people so peculiarly 
 susceptible to their influence as the Japanese. Pilgrim- 
 ages to certain well-known localities are very commonly un- 
 dertaken by believers for purposes of prayer and of making 
 offerings, be it at ancient trees, stones or shrines, of pic- 
 tures, sprinklings of salt or old sandals, each possessing its 
 reputation as a specific for some physical or mental malady. 
 If, on the 8tli day of the 4th month, a certain grass known 
 as jt)e;i jje?i ^?f5« be gathered and hung within the paper 
 lanterns, it is said to protect the possessor from insects. 
 An incantation is also used which, however, is untrans- 
 lateable. If the dew on the grass be gathered on the 
 1st day of the 5th month it will cure sores on the feet. 
 Farmers believe, that if they attach a namaho (beche-de- 
 
18 FU SO MIMT BUKURO. 
 
 mer) to a string and draw it ronnd their fields the moles 
 will desert them. Seven of the small red beans named 
 azulci for males, and double that number for females, 
 if swallowed W'tli water on new year's day, are 
 a prophylactic against disease. If a small spot above each 
 ear be left unshaven on the heads of young children they 
 Avill be secured against a scrofulous disease of the scalp. 
 If a traveller before undertaking a journey, be it on 
 horse-back, ship, vehicle or chair, writes the character 
 shin (red) on the palm of his left hand and 
 licks it off he will be preserved from harm. If a 
 tiresome visitor causes inconvenience by the length of 
 his call, the broom is inverted, a towel thrown over it, 
 and the supposed effigy is energetically fanned. Should 
 this charm fail to effect its purpose moxa is applied to the 
 visitor's clogs or sandals. In order to produce dreams 
 of an absent friend or lover, it is recommended to turn 
 the sleeves of the bed-quilt to the foot of the bed. 
 
 The rice boiler is said to vibrate with such violence at 
 times as to give forth a loud humming noise. If this begins 
 faintly and grows afterwards stronger it is said to indicate 
 good luck ; if loudly, the reverse is predicted, but in such 
 cases it should at once be stopped by enveloping it in the 
 nnder-clothihg of a female, a virgin if possible. It is be- 
 lieved that a bean dropped into the well for each day a 
 journey is supposed to last, will preserve the traveller's 
 feet from foot-sores. In order to secure fine weather for 
 any proposed journey, girls make a figure of paper known 
 as teri-teri-boz, which they suspend by a piece of thread 
 to a tree of the belladonna species, called naruten. After 
 
WITCHCRAFT. 19 
 
 making offerings of rice and tlirowing saZr^ over it, tliey 
 set it adrift in the nearest stream. 
 
 To prevent an offensive odour from cesspools, it is re- 
 commended to fill a tea-cup with water, and placing a tray 
 over it, to invert both. If in this movement none of the 
 water is spilled, the charm sliould have taken effect. 
 
 It is believed that if «we (candy) be rubbed upon scro- 
 fulous sores on the body, and then placed upon a yeiiohi 
 tree, a cure may be depended on. A horse's tooth, if 
 rubbed upon pimples on the face, is thought to remove 
 them. The gridiron used for broiling fish is held above 
 the head and thrice turned^as a charm to prevent the fish 
 from adhering to the metal. Good luck at lotteries is 
 thought to be obtained by removing the tops of the laths 
 from graves, or the pumice-stone employed at the public 
 baths for rubbing down the horny parts of the feet. 
 
 Witchcraft. 
 
 Jealous women employ this charm to avenge the infi- 
 delity of their husbands or lovers. Dressing hcrsolfin 
 white, her hair hanging loose behind, a tripod (usually 
 one of those used in cooking) on which three lighted can- 
 dles are placed, on her head, Avhile in her mouth she holds 
 a torch of bamboo and pine roots lighted at both ends, and 
 round her neck a mirror, the slighted fair rises at the 
 hour of the Bull (about 2 a.m.) and taking an effigy of the 
 faithless one, or, as the casemay be, of his fi'ail companion 
 or of both, nails it to a tree within the grounds of some 
 
20 FU SO MIMI BUKUnO. 
 
 shrine. At whatever part of the effigy the nail is driven, 
 there will injury be inflicted upon the original in the flesh, 
 but if she should meet the ghost of an enormous bull and 
 exhibit terror at the apparition, the potency of the charm 
 is lost, and can only be revived with incantation and impre- 
 cations on the offending pair. The common mode of 
 bewitchment is to form a lay figure of straw, pierced with 
 nails, and to bury it beneath the place where the person to 
 be punished usually sleeps. 
 
 Amulets and other charms are very numerous, and the 
 entrance gates of private residences or the fronts of towns- 
 people's houses are covered with numerous specimens. 
 Each family has its patron saints and favourite Jiami, for 
 whom labels are periodically provided for a trifling fee; but 
 the members of the family who make pilgrimages, which 
 are as a matter of fact mere excuses for holiday excursions, 
 return provided with tickets from the places they have 
 visited. These are for Yedo : Tomioka, Hacliiman; 
 Fugilco ; Naritano Fonda; Hori no TJchi Soshi ; Dai 
 SJii; Nikko Gongen; Aki Ha, to which a host in- 
 numerable of others may fairly be added. 
 
 A piece of paper bearing the impression of a black hand 
 is employed to Avard off" an attack of small-pox. This is 
 the hand of Chinsei-hachiro-tami-tomo. A piece of red 
 paper with three of the characters for * horse ' serves a 
 similar purpose. A rice spoon is also used. Garlic is 
 hung up to protect sufferers from chills and colds. 
 
HOUSEHOLD ALTARS AND OODS. 21 
 
 Household Altars and Gods. 
 
 Every house, be it poor or i-icli, possesses a Kamidafia, 
 or shelf for the gods. On tliis is placed the Tens/ioko- 
 daijingu, a small box containing i\\e,miya (temple) which 
 is brought each year from the province of Ise. The box 
 is formed of thin chip and paper and contains the Oo-hei 
 together with a small piece of bamboo. The Go-liei 
 is a religious symbol, and is formed of strips of paper 
 cut in a particular shape and bearing the inscrip- 
 tion "Ten Thousand Prayers." Besides these, each 
 family holds its especial divinities in honour and 
 brings home from the mit/aSy or from other pilgrim- 
 ages, tickets which are placed upon the same 
 shelf. These are innumerable. Fixed days are assign- 
 ed for offering up the fiida, when paper ornaments and 
 rice cakes are deposited with them. These days are the 
 1st, loth and 18tli days of each month ; the five great 
 holidays viz. the 3rd day of the 3rd month, oth day of 
 the 5th month, 7tli day of the Ttli mouth, 9th day of the 
 9th month and the Toshi-koshif or last day of winter, an 
 uncertain period before the revision of the calendar. 
 
 A Butzu-dana, (or Buddha shelf) is to be found in 
 every house, notwithstanding the remarkable growth of 
 religious scepticism among the student class. This is the 
 household altar, and the memorial tablets of departed re- 
 latives are deposited thereon. A record is kept of the 
 anniversaries of decease of members of the family, and on 
 these days special prayers in their favour are recited. A 
 priest is frequently employed for this purpose* In addi- 
 
22 FU SO MtMI BUKURO. 
 
 tion to the figure of Amida-nuirai, the Tendai sect place 
 a representation of Gan-san-dai-slii, their founder, upon 
 their household altars. 
 
 The Sliin-gon join the representation of Koho-dai- 
 slii to that of Ami da. 
 
 The Iko-sliiu honour in like manner their founder 
 Shin -ran-slw-n in. 
 
 The Zen-shiu add Daruma-dai'shi, their founder, to the 
 figure of Amida. 
 
 The Nithi-reii-shin have Amida and Talw-nuirai^ 
 separated by a pillar \vhich hears the prayer Na-mu-mio- 
 no-ren-gei-kio, written thereon in seven Chinese characters, 
 and in addition to these NicJiircn-dai-hu-satzu, the founder 
 of this sect. 
 
 The Joodo sect honour their founder Eiiko-dai-shi. 
 
 The Ko-ji?i-dafia, or shelf for the god of the kitchen, 
 may also be found in the kitchens. In honour of this god 
 offerings of pictures of poultry and pine-branches are 
 made at the end of every mouth. At all of these shelves 
 oil lights are lighted during the period of family devo- 
 tions, morning and evening. 
 
 The owners of land formerly dedicated small temples in 
 their domains to Inari, god of the soil. His chief 
 temple is situated at Kioto (now Sai Kio), and as the hill 
 upon which it is built formerly sheltered large numbers 
 of foxes, we find this animal commemorated at every tem- 
 ple, however small, by figures of foxes carved in stone 
 and placed on either side. 
 
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 23 
 
 Musical Instruments. 
 
 The instrument most commonly met with in Japan is 
 the saniisen (**the three ])leasant-sounding strings,") and 
 no girl is considered educated who does not possess 
 some knowledge of it. There are three methods in which 
 this instrument is tuned : the hon-choshi, or true ; the 
 ni-agari, or second-raised ; and the san-sagari, or third- 
 lowered. There is also the tnka-ne or sound raised, 
 used when more than one samisen is heing played in com- 
 pany, thus constituting in fact first and second. The pupils 
 are instructed according to a variety of methods known 
 as Joruri. These are the Gidaiya; Tomi-moto ; Toki- 
 wazn ; Kiyomoto ; Kish isniva ; Nagauta ; ItcUiuhushi ; 
 Katobiishi ; 0-satzuma ; Sonohacliibushi ; Outazaiva ; 
 Haouta and Shumai. Of these a few of the last-named 
 are now seldom taught nor is instruction usually imparted 
 in more than one school, the formation of the voice neces- 
 sary for any one of the methods rendering it difficult to 
 follow others. Copious notes on this subject will be found 
 elsewhere. 
 
 There is a considerable difference in the sizes in which 
 this truly national instrument is made, and most makers 
 possess certain peculiarities which distinguish their manu- 
 flicture. The Joruri samisen is larger and thicker than a 
 Sagauta samisen. The maker of highest repute is named 
 ICoomi, and his finest instruments are made of karin and 
 shUan. They are covered with catskin, its special adapt- 
 ability for the purpose being determined by the number 
 of nipples on the skin which mark the animal's age. The 
 
24 FU SO MIMI BUKtJRO. 
 
 three strings are of various sizes, depending upon the 
 description of the instrument, and are made of silk which 
 is spun hard and coated with ghie. The instrument is play- 
 ed with a bachi, or piece of shaped ivory, and the bridge 
 is made of bamboo, though frequently also of ivory, horn, 
 or tortoiseshell. 
 
 The Koto, which corresponds to the European harp, is a 
 long box over which thirteen strings about five feet long are 
 stretched. The styles of playing are known as Yainada, Yu- 
 mase, and Ikuta. It is tuned according to the Hira-cho- 
 shiy which is the more common method, or the Kiimoi, 
 the latter being taught only to the more advanced pupils. 
 This instiument is rai-ely played by men, but a class 
 named kengio (blind men) used formerly to perform upon 
 it, and blind instructors may even now be occasionally 
 met with. The koto is made of a light and soft wood 
 named kiri. The bridges — of which there is one to each 
 string — are formed of hard-wood and ivory, and the strings 
 which are of silk, are of an uniform length but varying in 
 thickness. The tuning is effected by shifting the position 
 of the bridges from the end of the instrument at the right 
 hand, farther'for the low notes and nearer for the high 
 Serai-tones are obtained by pressing the string with the 
 left hand behind the bridges as it is struck. The right 
 hand thumb and first and second fingers are armed with 
 long artificial nails with -which the strings are sounded^ 
 The singing accompaniments are the omote (or outside) 
 naha (or inside) ohu (or retired) and t4ie sakumono. 
 
 The Biwa resembles a flat mandoline with four strings. 
 tt is commonly employed to accompany the Hei'hi-mono- 
 
MUSICAL INSTRUME]SfTS, 25 
 
 gatari and is more used by priests than by women. Mura- 
 kami Tenno, one of tbe former Emperors, was extremely 
 partial to this instrument on Avhich be was an expert per- 
 former. He received from Morokosbi (China) tbe Ken-jo* 
 Sei-zan, and Sbisbi-maru, these three being pre-eminently 
 fine instruments. 
 
 The Kokiu is a small samisoi, played with a bow, and 
 is generally used to accompany tbe latter and tbe koto. 
 It is, however, not much played by the lower classes. 
 
 Of the Fiiye, or flute, there are many kinds, known as 
 tbe otcki, nokan, shinobuye and husabiiye. 
 
 Of drums there are kayen no tyco (war drums), hagu- 
 ra (large and small varieties) and shime-daiko. These 
 are played with sticks of dimensions varying according 
 to circumstances. 
 
 Tstidz'umi is a kind of drum. The KakJco is played with 
 long thin sticks. JVo and Shibai (old and new) are 
 played, one held up in tbe left hand and one under the 
 same arm, in whicb position they are beaten witli tbe 
 right band. They are employed to accompany tbe 
 samisoi, 
 
 Sho is an instrument of eight reeds, played witb four 
 fingers of each hand. It is but little used, and only as au 
 accompaniment to other instruments, 
 
 Shak-hatchi and Shitoyogiri consist of a straight tube, 
 usually of bamboo, about eighteen inches in length and 
 one and a-balf inches inside diameter \ one half of 
 tbe Upper edge being cut off sharp. It is weak iu tone 
 and possesses but a slight range* One of its most 
 
2^ FiJ SO MIMt BUKUno, 
 
 elaborate morceaux is styled TsurU'iio-sugomori, This 
 instrument Avas used by the komoso class. 
 
 Ilichiriki resembles our clarionet and is used to accom- 
 pany other instruments on such occasions as Shinto Fes- 
 tivals or a Court Fete. 
 
 Odori (Dancing or Posturing.) 
 
 By Odorl may be understood the arts of jwse and 
 gesture to the accompaniment 'of musical instruments. 
 Its riugij or distinctive modes of execution, are known as 
 Fujimay NisJiigaioa, Ilanayagi, Midzuki, Nakamura^ 
 Iwaif Saivamura, and at theatres when the posturing is 
 unaccompanied by music, Furi-tslce. The accomplishment 
 is usually imparted to girls at a very tender age, and 
 children of only four or five years old may be observed at 
 their lessons, with rouged lips and a streak of beni at the 
 corners of the eyes and on the lobes of their ears ; head 
 partially shaved, and the remaining locks tortured into 
 fantastic shapes by the aid of hair-pins and gold or coloured 
 ribands. 
 
 They subsequently receive lessons in posture from sing- 
 ing girls of reputation in their art, and when more advanced 
 Bre instructed by skilled actors. 
 
JStA TIVE LITER A TUBE. 2i 
 
 Native Literature. 
 The Japanese possess a copious literature and have as a 
 nation a strong predilection for reading, which the ample 
 time at the disposal of most classes affords abundant oppor- 
 tunity for indulging. Their catalogues of published 
 works are both numerous and vohiminous and class the 
 native books in the following subdivisions : 
 
 Kan-gakUf or Chinese Classical Literature and works on 
 the subject. In this class may be included books upon 
 Buddhism (Butzusho) written in Chinese, as well as the 
 commentaries on these and the form of verse known as 
 shi by native authors. 
 
 Wa-gaku, or native works upon exclusively Japanese 
 subjects, such as liistory, geography, books upon subjects 
 of local interest, art and old poetical tales fi/omi iita), 
 &c. 
 
 KesakUf or novels, tales, and historical events worked up 
 into romances. Of this class they possess a boundless 
 variety, and many of their circulating libraries are princi- 
 pally formed of these books. Among the older of their 
 staple writers are Kiosan, the Japanese ** Swift"; Kioden, 
 the *' Smollett " ; Ikku, the liumourist who wrote the 
 Hisa-kure-ge } Samba, a comic writer whose works re- 
 semble our Thackeray in his *' Book of Snobs "; Hokuba, 
 a writer of Ghost-Stories, Fairy Legends, Tales of 
 Bewitchment and of inanimate objects being endow- 
 ed with life and speech, &c., &c. 
 
 The writers of later times are: Bakiu, whose 
 tales embody real names and descriptions, and who 
 
28 FU SO MIMi BUKURO. 
 
 professed to render them vehicles of moral teaching. 
 The scene of some of his stories is laid in China. 
 He may be styled the "Scott" of Japan. Tanehiko, 
 a contemporary of Bakin, flourished during the last 
 generation. ^-His chief work ^^Inaka Genjl'' a story 
 pourtraying the times in which he lived, and which 
 was written not long before the opening of the country to 
 foreign intercourse, furnishes an admirable description of 
 the mode of life of the various classes at a recent period. 
 Tanehiko was a small hatamoto, and the composition of 
 the work we have nametl procured him his degradation 
 by the Government. He was reputed to possess consider- 
 able ability as author of tales from the native stage which 
 are known as Shohon-jitate. The works of Tameiu\ga 
 Shiusui, which chiefly consist of novels and love tales, are 
 held in considerable estimation by his countrymen. Being 
 modern compositions they afford fair specimens of the pro- 
 duction of writers of this class at the present day. The 
 Authors of Legends, Travels, Tales of Folk-Lore &c. 
 swell the list of litterateurs to no mean length. Each 
 year sees copious additions to the monstrous catalogue of 
 literary productions, and gives much cause to wish that a 
 judicious censorate were in existence. One class of this 
 garbage, which we can only here allude to, is happily dying 
 out, but it is said that one volume of it at least is reputed 
 to confer good luck wheu kept among the dresses of 
 femaUi. 
 
POETRY. 
 
 Poetry. 
 
 The long poetry is formed of sentences of seven and 
 five syllables alternately. Short poetry consists of 
 thirty-one syllables only in hami-no-hu, the first sentence 
 comprising five syllables, the second seven, the third five, 
 and the fourth and fifth seven syllables each. These are 
 frequently written on long and narrow slips of ornament- 
 ed card-board, 14 inches long and 2 "o inches in breadth, 
 which are called tanzaku. 
 
 Honka is another variety, the syllables following in 
 the same order, but read differently. Zootoka has the 
 same number of syllables. These are, however, so form- 
 ed as to demand a poetical reply of the same order. Sei- 
 dooka possesses a similar sylhibic order and formation, 
 but the beginning and end consist of words or characters 
 of like meaning. 
 
 Kioka are the ordinary poems of thirty-one syllables in 
 the same order. ' 
 
 Ormigayashi is similar to zootoka with the exception 
 that the two verses, question and reply, have only one of 
 the thirty-one syllables different. In the change of this 
 the merit of the performance consists. 
 
 Oriku are acrostics of thirty-one syllables, dividect in- 
 to lines of five and seven syllables twice alternating and 
 ending in one of seven syllables. The first syllable or char- 
 acter of each line is given arbitrarily. 
 
 Haikai is of the same number and order of syllables, 
 
30 FU SO MIMI BUKUBO. 
 
 but is simply a poetical play on words, or, it may be, a 
 proverb. 
 
 Renga is the kami-no-ku or verse of five, seven and five 
 syllables answered by the shimo-no-hu of seven and seven 
 syllables, the whole forming a poem of thirty-one. Ilai 
 kai is similar to renga, though commonly employed upon 
 more trivial subjects. Both are called tzuheai (or joining). 
 
 Hohhu is the five, seven and five, or seventeen syllable 
 poem. 
 
 Sen-riu has five, seven and five syllables. It is a jeu 
 de mots. 
 
 Names. 
 The Japanese tradesman, unlike the Chinaman, is not 
 accustomed to adopt high-sounding titles to denote his 
 place of business and, until recently, tradesmen were de- 
 signated by the names of their respective stores to which 
 their own surnames were added. Their business signs, or 
 trade-marks, as we should style them, reproduced in many 
 cases the names of the province from which the family 
 originally came, to which frequently their former trade 
 was added. Thus, presuming Kane-Ko (metal child) to 
 be carrying on business in Mito Ya (Mito's shop), 
 his trade designation would be Mito Ya Kane-ko. 
 Of late all classes are permitted to use a surname, a privi- 
 lege confined in former days to the ofiicial class. These 
 surnames evidently derive their origin from the names of 
 the landed property of those who bear them. We find 
 
NAMES. 31 
 
 among them the names of woods, forests, underwood, quick- 
 river, hill-town, cliff-bridge, cliff-cape, front field, small 
 stream, virtuous river, river-mouth, or other words usually 
 compounded of two Chinese characters, names of one or 
 three forming the exceptions. It is permitted to families 
 to bestow their surnames on persons not related to them, 
 and in this manner the nobility was accustomed to honour 
 its retainers, and the samurai the servants and tradesmen 
 who lived under their protection. 
 
 Besides the surname, or family designation, the Japan- 
 ese employ the common name which corresponds with our 
 baptismal title, and a preference is shown by some families 
 for names possessing certain peculiarities, as, for example, 
 Yoshitaro, Yoshigiro, Yoshisaburo, Kitchi-(or Yoshi-) 
 noske. The eldest son's bestowed name frequently ends 
 in Taro, the second son's in Gi and the third in Saburo. 
 Grandsons who use the same name as their fathers and 
 grandfathers embody the character mago (grandson) and 
 great-grandsons the character Mko. The son, on 
 reaching manhood, has a name chosen for him which 
 usually expresses some hoped-for quality or good fortune. 
 This is the name used by officials. 
 
 Azana is a nom de pluvie, employed by students or li- 
 terary men. 
 
 Go is a fancy name, adopted chiefly by those who re- 
 tire from active life, or who prefer to be known among 
 their friends under some other than their ordinary 
 title. 
 
 Kai mio is the posthumous name which is engraved 
 lijpon the tomb-stone, This is usually selected by the 
 
FV 80 MIMI BUKUBO. 
 
 priests, and is determined by certain rules varying accord- 
 ing to tlie sect and rank of tlie deceased. 
 
 Women have no surnames. They are known by a name 
 (yohi na) wliich is selected by the parents about a week 
 aftfer the birth of the infant. The names of fruits, trees, 
 flowers, colours, birds, certain animals, or some other fancy 
 name selected arbitrarily, usually furnish this designation 
 which, except when the person is addressed by a parent 
 or superior, is generally used with the prefix 0. The 
 names of singing and dancing girls are frequently elabo- 
 rated by the addition of qualifying words, as, for instance, 
 Ko yoshi (the little fortune), while those of the public 
 women are still more fancifully adorned, thus : Fujinami 
 (the waves of the wisteria blossom.) 
 
 The daughters of the upper classes usually receive a 
 name on their betrothal which consists of one Chinese 
 character. It is chosen by their friends, but is very rarely 
 used. 
 
 The Kal mlo is the only other name given to women. 
 This is posthumous as in the case of males. 
 
 Street Signs. 
 
 Although the gorgeous ornamentation which charac- 
 terises the street signs of the Chinese tradesman are 
 not met with in this country, each trade is nevertheless 
 represented by its distinctive and peculiar symbol. 
 
 A cluster of cypress, trimmed into spherical shape, and 
 varying from one to two feet in diameter, furnishes 
 the ancient sake-shoi^ sign. It is also customary to 
 
STREET SIGNS. 33 
 
 place the young twigs of this tree in the hnng-holes 
 of the kegs or in the mouths of the bottles, the spines 
 being downwards. The prickly spines are said to 
 ward oif insects and to keep the saJe sweet. The hat- 
 ters suspend a long string of hats from their shops, and 
 the [maccaroni-dealers affix to their shop-fronts a large 
 paper lantern which enumerates the name of the house, 
 the edibles it will supply and their price per bowl. The 
 original price was two pieces of 8 inon or .008 parts of a 
 Mexican dollar. 
 
 Hosiers employ a sign which represents one side of a 
 stocking, which is so made as to allow of the great toe 
 being separate from the others. Beni Ya, the sellers of 
 crimson cosmetic for painting women's lips, exhibit a small 
 crimson flag. Sushi Ya, the purveyors of small rolls of 
 rice and fish, furnishing each about two mouths-full — the 
 Japanese sandwich in fact — use a flag with their house 
 name, and an enumeration of the various articles they pre- 
 pare : matz (pine) ; misago, so called from a fishing-bird ; 
 kenuki (boned fowl) and inarl are a few of these names. 
 
 Wrestlers write their names on a board. Theatres ex- 
 hibit representations of the most telling scenes in the piece 
 being played. Herbalists and druggists display monstrous 
 bags, resembling in shape the small ones used in infusing 
 the medicines. Makers of rosaries suspend a large rosary 
 from their shops. Gold-beater's signs, unlike the enormous 
 gilt arm which indicates the craftsman in European coun- 
 tries, are pairs of large square spectacles, the space for the 
 glasses being filled up with sheets of gold leaf. 
 
 A sign may be observed composed of two tai (Serranus 
 
84 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 M.), the fish being coloured red and represented as if 
 tied together by the gills with straw. This is usually ex- 
 hibited by dealers in dried and salt fish, eggs, &c., and is 
 employed to denote that the shop can supply the usual 
 presents to betrothed persons. Sellers of cut-flowers 
 plant a willow tree at one corner of their houses. Retail 
 tea-dealers exhibit a sniall jar, and lacquer men a chip 
 box, used to contain lacquered- ware. Tobacconists dis- 
 play their names and trade-marks on a reddish-browu 
 strip of cloth hung up in front of their shops. Workers in 
 hair show a small octagon box with a fringe of hair 
 hanging from it. Kite-makers use as a sign a cuttle- 
 fish, both kite and fish being known as tako. Ama, or 
 sweet-sai/ dealers exhibit a painting of Fujiyama. 
 
 Many other signs, as may be imagined, are employed 
 by the Japanese shopkeepers to illustrate the nature of 
 their occupations. To explain a large number of these 
 would require the use of Chinese characters and a literal 
 full-length interpretation, and this would demand much 
 time and much space. 
 
 Japanese Dress. 
 To each class of the Japanese population a special des- 
 cription of clothing is assigned, varying in material ac- 
 cording to season. These may be divided into the ordi- 
 nary, festive, mourning, professional, ofiicial, state and 
 other special fashions of dress. The labourer, farmer and 
 handicraftsman do not overburden themselves with cloth- 
 
JAPANESE DRESS. 35 
 
 ing : — a loin-cloth forms their light summer raiment, 
 while their cold-weather costume is usually comprised in 
 wrapper and short girdle. Tlie better class of artisan and 
 shopkeeper wear ahaori, or short dress, over all, when out 
 of doors, and from the thinnest gauze Avhich they wear 
 in the heat of summer tliey change in succession to single 
 cotton cloth, to lined cotton, and finally, to cotton-wadded 
 garments in winter, silk clothing Toeing reserved for 
 festivals, visits, or great occasions. 
 
 Firemen wear thickly padded and qnilted dresses with 
 mittens and caps which match them. Small ofhcials and 
 many of the better class of tradesmen use the hakama, 
 or split petticoat, the dress being tucked into it and 
 the haori worn over all. On special occasions, and in 
 place of the haori, an upper dress, resembling a pair of 
 wings, hangs from the shoulders. It is formed of a mate- 
 rial resembling the hakama worn with it, but is seldom 
 seen at present. 
 
 The hakama and haori are worn by the samurai class, 
 and on special occasions the Icami shimo, or winged jacket. 
 The ordinary dress of the Daimios resembled the fore- 
 going somewhat. To describe it worthily will demand a 
 special chapter. 
 
 The dress of females of the lower and middle classes 
 differ only in the quality of material, the fashion of all 
 being alike. 
 
 In the national mode of di'essing the hair, now falling 
 into disuse, the locks are gathered to the crown of the head, 
 tied there, and the queue carried over to the forehead, a 
 patch being kept clean shaven on which it rests. 
 
36 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 Beggars, Strollers and Vagabonds. 
 
 Beggars may usually be seeu in large u umbers in the 
 approaches to the temples on the chief festival clays. Here 
 may be met the lame, halt and blind, lepers, and deformi- 
 ty in some of its most hideous phases. The beggars ac- 
 company their prayers for the charitable with a hideous 
 noise, which they make by striking little metal discs or 
 battledores of raw hide that they carry. The beggar 
 frequently takes his stand on bridges, or near running 
 streams, where he impoitimes the passer-by to purchase 
 live eels or other fish, and to perform the devout work of 
 releasing them as prescril)ed by Buddhist doctrine. 
 
 Among strollers we find the sinshi (or lion.) Tliis is 
 a representation of a lion's head, with a moveable under- 
 jaw and a flowing mane, fitted on to a capacious skirt 
 beneath which the man is concealed who works it. The 
 "lion "is accompanied by two men, one performing on 
 a small cylindrical drum and a triangle, and the 
 other playing a flute from which they extract excruciat- 
 ing music. The capacious mouth of the lion is supposed 
 to swallow the evil spirits who may be attracted by his 
 gambollings and the accompanying music. Saru maivashi 
 are a class of strollers who take about with them perform- 
 ing monkeys. Saru-ya machi (monkey-shop-street) is 
 their head quarters in town. It is related that in years 
 gone by when the favourite horse of a famous warrior fell 
 sick and was about to die, it was restored to health by a 
 monkey who possessed a curative charm. Since this in- 
 cident occurred until a few years ago, it was customary to 
 
BEGGARS, STROLLERS & VAGABONDS. 3f 
 
 amuse the horses iu the government stables on new year's 
 days by a visit of the performing Court monkeys, an ex- 
 ample which was generally followed by the nobility. Fe- 
 male monkeys only are trained to perform. 
 
 Street tumblers and athletes are, with one exception, 
 unworthy of notice. This exception is the wrestler, who, 
 nearly naked, represents a wrestling bout, appearing to 
 be struggling with an invisible opponent, and assuming 
 the attitude of overcoming or being overcome by him. 
 
 The Sai-mon were originally travelling preachers. 
 They are now begging story-tellers. They hold in their 
 hands a jingling toy upon which they strike. The Tsuji- 
 go-shaku are the lecturers who may be observed seated 
 on some vacant piece of ground, sheltered by mats. They 
 relate the deeds of prowess of the popular heroes, and may 
 be always seen surrounded by a crowd of listeners. The 
 Koioaiero recites scenes from famous dramas, imitating as 
 far as possible the tones of celebrated actors. The Shinnai 
 accompany their stories with aperformance on the samisen, 
 
 Yashi include sellers of quack medicines, dealers iu 
 spice and incense, ballad singers aud sellers and hawkers 
 of the latest express news, recounting the last reported 
 murder, fire, robbery or scandal. Onna daiyii are women 
 of the Yeta class. They wear large sun-hats aud earn a 
 scanty subsistence by playing and singing at the house 
 doors. Blind women {goze^) may also be met singing to 
 a samisen. They used formerly to be supplied by tho 
 Government with passes which insured them a night's 
 lodging when on their travels* 
 
 In the early days of the Tokugawa dynasty, it is 
 
38 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 related, four priests arrived in Yedo from the south 
 bearmg a petition to the Government. Their prayer 
 was not granted nor was its tenour made public, but 
 a ward of the city known as Hashimoto cho was 
 assigned to them as a residence, and they were 
 placed under the protection of the Ouyeno-no-mia-sama. 
 It has been supposed that their object was to originate a 
 new Shiumon (religious sect) and to this day their follow- 
 ers are known as Gan-nin-boz (priest-petitioners). Ad- 
 mission to this sect is often sought for l)y very poor per- 
 sons. The sect is not recognised and possesses no tem- 
 ples, but it holds itself aloof from all others. 
 
 Pilgrims, who during the period of their pilgrimnge are 
 known as Jun rei, are to be met on the roads at all 
 seasons clad in white cotton. They are chiefly of the 
 farming or artisan class who hope to earn dispensations by 
 their pilgrimages. They have to visit sixty-six of the 
 numerous shrines of Kuannon (known to Europeans as 
 the Buddhist goddess of mercy) which are scattered 
 throughout this Empire. 
 
 Conveyance. 
 The mode of conveyance formerly employed by the 
 Court at Kioto was the bullock cart. They also used a 
 chair of state, hung on two poles' and borne upon the 
 shoulders of four carriers. The Daimios used a form of 
 palanquin slung on a long pole and carried by several men 
 who walked before and behind. Physicians travelled in 
 Jdagos, smaller vehicles than the foregoing, but borne by 
 
CONVEYANCE. 39 
 
 means of long poles. Townspeople used the Ampotsu kago^ 
 which was shaped like that of the physicians but with 
 sliding doors and a shorter pole. The usual pack- A oi^o for 
 hire in the streets was furnished with a mat, hanging down 
 on either side. Yam a kago (hill chairs) were made of 
 bamboo basket-work and were so light when laden as to 
 be borne bj two or three men. 
 
 Boats of all descriptions are in use, ferry, river, and 
 seagoing, and pleasure boats, roofed or otherwise. To 
 these and to the passenger boats of the Inland Sea we 
 shall take some future opportunity to recur. 
 
 Sledges are furnished with wooden runners and are 
 drawn up or eased down hill by ropes. They are usually 
 only employed in the hilly country in winter. Fordable 
 rivers are crossed on wooden platforms, borne on men's 
 shoulders. Prisoners are conveyed about in bamboo cages. 
 Only entire horses are used for the saddle, mares being 
 never ridden and but seldom employed for packing pur- 
 poses. They are rarely seen in the towns, and geldings 
 are absolutely unknown. The Government had formerly 
 its breeding establishments at Kogane in Shimosa and 
 at Ashidaka in the neighbourhood of Fujiyama. The 
 Sendai (Northern province) horses have always been held 
 in excellent repute in Yedo, and large numbers of them 
 are bred and brought to the metropolis for sale in the 
 autumn. 
 
40 FV SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 MoNS (or Crests.) 
 
 The Bushi originated the custom of using crests. Of 
 old each bore his device upon his banner, armour and 
 other property ; and as it was deemed a high honour for a 
 retainer that he sliouid be permitted to wear his master's 
 crest, the practise extended in course of time and has 
 finally become general. 
 
 The Kiku (chrysanthemum) and a leaf named Kiri 
 (Paulonia) are appropriated exclusively by the Imperial 
 family. 
 
 The Mitzu aoie (somewhat resembling the shamrock and 
 consisting of three leaves in a circle), forms the blazon of 
 the Tokugawa family, and is said to have been adopted by 
 them when Chikuami retired to the province of Mikuni, 
 where, at the village of Sakaimura, he was presented with 
 cakes laid upon three similar leaves. In honour of the 
 event the family adopted this as tlieir cognisance. Mat- 
 zudaira Tarozaiemon, who adopted Chikuami, lived near 
 the village, and when his family and that of Sakai were 
 subsequently incorporated as one, the name Tokugawa Avas 
 selected and the hata-bami-kiisa became the crest of 
 their descendant,^. 
 
 Family crests are innumerable, each family using several 
 in addition to their hereditary devices. Women vary the 
 mode of wearing their crests according to the dictates of 
 taste, placing them between the shoulders and at the back 
 part of the sleeves of their garments. Sometimes the first 
 of these alone is worn, sometimes all three, and in some 
 
MONS OR CBESTS. 41 
 
 cases two more, one on each sleeve in front, are added. 
 The device worn hy members of the family is usually of 
 a size smaller than a florin, the retainers, on the other hand, 
 using a crest larger than a crown-piece. Chair-bearers, 
 bettos and other menials commonly wear some portion of 
 the crest or other well-known family cognisance to distin- 
 guish them ; while houses, gateways, roof-tiles and all the 
 miscellaneous paraphernalia of the family — from its rain- 
 coats and umbrellas to the finest lacquer-ware — are invari- 
 ably marked with the distinctive family badge. Mer- 
 chants add their trade marks to other distinguishing de- 
 vices. 
 
 Children's ScnooLs. 
 
 Children are rarely sent to school bofore their seventh 
 year — according to Ihe Japanese mode of reckoning age — 
 (between the fiftli and sixth year according to ours) and 
 boys and girls in the infant-schools receive their instruc- 
 tion together. 
 
 A lucky day is chosen — the usual time is the beginning 
 of the second month, — the scholar takes a present to the 
 teacher, and also cakes for his school-fellows, his parents 
 or relatives providing the usual pencils, paper, desk, 
 inkstone &g. The first lesson is the I, Bo, Ha, in the 
 vulgar hirakana, tlie numerals, the names of persons, 
 countries, cities &c of Japan, in the order imparted. This 
 is the introductory Tel narai (hand learning) or writing- 
 scliool course. To this succeeds the study of the slio- 
 solni-Qi-ai. The studies of girls generally conclude witl) 
 
42 FU SO MIMI BUKVBO, 
 
 the Onna-Ima-Gatoa, and Hia hL-Nin-L Shiu — a verse from 
 each one of a hundred poets. 
 
 The Onna Dai Gahii (Female Great Learning), a work of 
 greater pretension prepared for young ladies of more 
 advanced powers and greater capacity, follows this, and a 
 few kindred works which can hardly be called school- 
 books. Boys are taught to write the Chinese characters 
 from the S an-ji, o^nd combinations of three characters ; 
 then the Dd-ji-kio, a child's book; next, the Dai Oaku 
 (Great Learning) of Confucius. The Chinese classics 
 follow and the boys' memory of the eye for Chinese 
 characters is fully exercised, but no more. 
 
 'School holidays in the olden time, and before the 
 introduction of foreign professors ad libitum, were on the 
 1st, 15th and 25th of each month. Before the latter day, 
 called Tenjinho, the pupil brought the monthly con- 
 tribution to the teacher, and a copy, to show 
 by comparison with the last, the progress made. 
 Then there is the quarterly copy written without the Te 
 lion (original hand-guide) or copy. 
 
 The half-yearly exhibition is a great event, a day for 
 the display of best clothes, and the enjoyment of good 
 things in the form of cakes, fruit &c, paid for of course by 
 the friends of the pupils, who have also to make donations 
 to the teacher in winter for providing charcoal to warm 
 the school-room. 
 
 The boys and girls are separated, the girls remaining 
 near the teacher, while the boys are placed nearer the door. 
 Or, if there is an up-stairs room, the bigger boys are sent 
 there in charge of the assistant teacher or pupil-teacher. 
 
CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS, 43 
 
 School parties and picnics generally demand that the 
 pupils be dressed alike, especially the girls, who, in addi- 
 tion to the writing-school, attend singing, dancing and 
 music teachers. The wealthy alone can afford to have 
 their daughters taught sit home, 
 
 Children's Sports. 
 
 Girls in Japan have their dolls, doll-houses, and toys 
 and toy kitchen utensils, from the simplest and cheapest, 
 to the most expensive and elaborate, according to the 
 extent of their pocket-money. Little ladies are to be seen, 
 as in other countries, mimicking their elders. Toy 
 theatres, usually painted on paper, cut out, and glued 
 into the proper shape, with gaudily dressed actors repre- 
 senting favourite scenes from popular plays, are universal. 
 
 Soft balls made of rush pith, wound round with coarse 
 cotton thread, are made to bound from the ground to the 
 palm of the hand, and rebound to keep time to strings of 
 verses, which, however, are little more than repetitions of 
 words. The new year is the time when ball-play is most 
 common. 
 
 Battledore and shattlecock also comes in on the new 
 year. A crowd of boys and girls in a ring, each with a 
 battledore, drive the shuttlecock from one to the other, 
 and a forfeit is paid by whoever misses it — sometimes by 
 a blotch of ink on the face — which does not stain, as with 
 us, it should be remembered, though it smears very 
 readily — or a smart slap with the battledore from the 
 other players on the lower part of the back. 
 
44 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 Kishago is a game of filliping shells with the thumb or 
 fore- finger-nail and making cannons. Other games with 
 small shells, beans or pebbles are numerous, and little 
 bags of small beans are thrown into tlie air from the back 
 of the hand, others are swept up and tlie descending ones 
 are caught — our game of knuckle-bones, in fact. 
 
 Grames common to boys and girls are so numerous that 
 a mere enumeration of them would occupy no small space. 
 
 Toys of pith, coloured and dried, when put into hot 
 water, tea or sa^e, expand into flowers, groups of flowers 
 or figures. Fans are thrown at targets. There is 
 wrestling with feet, fingers and hands, from the head, ears, 
 teeth and so on ; — games of what we call " French and 
 English " &c. 
 
 Kite-flying is exclusively a boy's game, though men 
 amuse themselves by helping boys at it. The kites are of 
 various shapes and vary from six inches to as many feet 
 across. The common shape is square, the kite usually 
 bearing some painting on it, mostly a face like an American 
 Indian brave, hideous in war-paint. Some of the smaller 
 kites are like shields, fans, butterflies or figures of men 
 with large sleeves, the larger ones rising to a great height 
 and having ' messengers ' or ' travellers ' sent up the 
 string. Parachutes ai'e not uncommon. 
 
 Folding paper into various curious shapes is mostly a 
 girls" amusement, as. is cutting out figures whicli are 
 painted in colours on sheets. 
 
 ' Cat's cradle,' puzzles, writing" on paper with sake and 
 burning it, leaving the design drawn unhurt, or writing 
 lyith the preparation used for blackening the teeth which 
 
CHILDREN'S SPOETS. 45 
 
 when dry is invisible: when the paper is moistened the 
 writing becomes visible again. 
 
 Shadows on screens or paper-slides, either with cut 
 figures or with the hands, are common and amusing. 
 
 The game known in Europe as mo?'o, where one player 
 calls a number, showing at the same time certain fin- 
 gers, the other player making up the balance, and varia- 
 tions of the game, are common, and is called Honken. 
 
 Kitsune ken is played by two or three, and then 
 certain positions of the hands represent three things — the 
 two hands held to the ears for the Kitsune, or held as if 
 presenting a gun, as the Tcppo (gun), and held on the 
 hips as the Z)(tw/i<3! (master.) The forfeit is to drink a 
 cup of sake. When ready at the call, one, two, three, he 
 who presents the gun at the fox wins ; the fox is shot and 
 loses. If the gun is presented at the master the gun 
 loses ; gun to gun, fox to fox, master to fox or vice versa. 
 Master to master does not count, and so round goes the 
 game and the sake cup, often to the tune of geyshas^ 
 songs, almost always in their hired companionship. 
 
 A similar game is one where the snake, toad and slug 
 are substituted. 
 
 Fireworks are of many kinds, rockets, wheels, squibs, 
 crackers and so on, and every autamn sees some new kind 
 produced for the amusement of the boys, and the Convet*- 
 Bion of their pocket money. 
 
 ' SolitairCy aud a similat game called Jiu^rokti* 
 ttiusashi, are common. 
 
 Drawing lots, writing names on paper and drawing 
 tlaem blindfold, also writing the names of the young girla 
 
46 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 and young men present and folding them as we do paper- 
 lights, then throwing the bundle down, those falling to- 
 gether being singled out into pairs and the names after- 
 wards read, are common enough. These and such like 
 games afford much amusement to the young folk. 
 
 Infants are amused or quieted in many ways by their 
 nurses and frightened into being good by threats of Onie 
 (ghosts.) 
 
 Hide-and-seek, Blind-man's-buff, &c., are well known. 
 
 A boy, with a kerchief over his eyes and his companions 
 round him, throws a tea-cap at one whom ho calls by 
 name. Should he bit the one he calls, they change places. 
 
 Who stares longest without winking, is a boy's game, 
 and girls surreptitiously try to brazen each other out in 
 the same way. But woe betide them if mamma or nurse 
 catch them and tell papa ! 
 
 Bamboo stilts are very common among boys in Japan. 
 
 Birdlime is much used to catch sparrows, bats, dragon- 
 flies and locusts. 
 
 Dragon-flies are caught by tying a female to a switch 
 with fine thread. The male comes and is easily taken. 
 
 Mantis-fights are got up by putting two of these insects 
 under a glass. 
 
 Pitch-penny is played. Tops, humming, peg and whip, 
 are frequently made of shells and are much in use. 
 
 Boys may be seen blowing bubbles through reeds, the 
 water consisting of an infusion of the tobacco stem with 
 alum in it. 
 
 Pop-guns, apring-guns, squirts, cross-bows, traps of 
 many kinds, slings, games of racing and jumping, games 
 
CHILDREN'S SPORTS. 47 
 
 similar to draughts and chess, of many varieties, are 
 universal. 
 
 Toys are very numerous, from cup-and-bnll to hobby- 
 horses. Pumpkins are scooped out and a candle is put 
 inside. 
 
 Puzzles are very numerous and ingenious ; sticks with 
 rings to be taken off, or of thin wood to be put together in 
 some design, may be seen. 
 
 Chains of flowers, shells, or pressed flowers, the leaves 
 being pressed between folds of soft paper, leaving their 
 form and colour on the paper, are common. 
 
 The list is far from exhausted, but the foregoing is 
 enough to give a fair idea of the amusements and pastimes 
 of the native children. 
 
 The third day of the third month is the great annual 
 festival for all girls, great aud small, and of all families in 
 which a girl has been born during the previous twelve 
 months. For days previously white sahCf cakes, cockle- 
 soup &c , are prepared and new robes and girdles are in re- 
 quest. Cherry, Peach, Keria Japonica, and some other 
 flowers are used to decorate the house. Formerly figures 
 were made to be launched aud sent adrift on a stream on 
 this day. Now, shelves decked with gay covers are set 
 up, on which are laid out dolls and toy sets of furniture, 
 complete marriage trousseaux &c. Cakes, tea and food at 
 meal times, are prepared and laid out on miniature table 
 services. 
 
 GosekUf or the 5th day of the 5th month, is the 
 boys' festival, and those who have had a son added to 
 their family during the yearly term make right merry on 
 
48 FU SO MIMI BUkunO. 
 
 this occasion. The common people have a large fish of 
 paper, the mouth distended with a hoop, from which it 
 hangs to a long pole. The wind, blowing into the month, 
 distends these fish-shaped balloons, and all over the city, as 
 they flaunt gaily, they present a strange sight. 
 
 Officers exhibit in front of their houses a stand holding 
 war-banners, lances, &c, and inside the lionse a room is 
 decked out with toy armour, dolls in fighting costume, 
 representing the ancient heroes, such as Taiko, Yoshitsune, 
 Benke, Taraetomo, Asaina &c. Offerings of food are not 
 made, as on the girls' festivals, but a good feast is set 
 out for the boys, at which good wishes ai'o expressed 
 for their success in life and future bravery. The 
 merchants of late years have adopted many of these 
 and other customs formerly practised alone by the 
 BuM or officers. The full-grown children and even old 
 men enjoy much of the pastime of the younger people, and 
 have many ways of amusing themselves not open to their 
 offspring before maturity. 
 
 Female AccoMPLisfl3i£jfT3. 
 
 We give these in the order of their importance. 
 
 fVritlng. This is done in the female style of running 
 hand, in the Hiragana, and embraces a few Chinese 
 characters. It differs from the classical style, and from 
 that generally used by men, and involves a syntax varying 
 from that of the commonly spoken language, besides con- 
 taining many expressions and abbreviations not used by 
 
FEMALE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 49 
 
 men. A special size and quality of paper is used, and the 
 characters employed are large, and curved with an especial 
 gracefulness of form. 
 
 Reading is restricted only by the fancy, taste, and talents 
 of the indiTidual, but rarely extends beyond the current 
 literature of the circulating libraries or book-lenders, 
 written in the easiest style, the Chinese characters having 
 the Hiragana alongside, to assist the reader in decipher- 
 ing them. Tliese books are generally love-stories, novels, 
 or accounts of ancient heroes and heroines, dressed up to 
 suit the public taste. Needle-work in this country is 
 unlike that of the fair sex in our own native land, and is 
 little more than what we call tacking, basting, and her- 
 ring-boning ; the cutting out of flounces, skirts, gussets, 
 sleeves, bodices &c., is exceedingly simple, nor do the 
 shapes and fashions change, panniers and crinolines, 
 flounces and trains, being unknown. 
 
 Embroidery is the only ornamental needle-work done, 
 and few but tradesmen do much of it. Portions of the 
 underskirts of dresses are frequently embroidered with 
 flowers or simple designs, and the family crest is worked 
 on the upper portion. The elaborately embroidered dresses 
 of the ladies-in-waiting at Court and at the residences 
 of the daimios are almost invariably done by tradesmen. 
 Hair-dressing is supposed to be learned, but never acquired 
 to perfection, as it is held to be almost derogatory, and is 
 certainly very difficult, 
 
 Cooking is nominally essential to a native lady of ac- 
 compliahments ; indeed, the name of the Shogun's (Tycoon) 
 and great daimioa' wives was Mi'dai-sama {mi Uououra- 
 
^0 JFU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 ble ; dai, kitchen ; sama, honourable lady). But few are 
 really expert, and men are usually employed as cooks by 
 all above the inferior classes, and at hotels and eating- 
 houses invariably. 
 
 Fencing with a short sword, or a halbert with a staff of 
 some four feet in length, was sometimes taught to the 
 daughters of officers, also the throwing of a weapon like a 
 reaping-hook. 
 
 Music. The Koto (harp), the samisen (guitar), espe- 
 cially the latter, is taught to all classes who can afford it, 
 and, of course, to those who are to get their living by it, and 
 perhaps support idle relatives, as is, alas ! far too often the 
 case. The Kokiu, Fuye, Taiko, Tsuzumi arc extra ac- 
 complishments rarely found combined in one individual. 
 The national fe male musical instrument, the samisen, has 
 many styles, one of which only is usually taught.* Last, 
 though not least, is the Odori, or posturing, learned from 
 the third or fourth to the fourteenth or fifteenth year. 
 
 In the provinces girls learn to spin cotton, rear silk- 
 worms, reel off* the silk, and weave the thread. Household 
 work is a matter of course, and sometimes manly amuse- 
 ments are learned, such as arranging flowers, go (draughts ) 
 shojie (chess), folding paper iato shapes of birds or other 
 objects &c., &c. 
 
 • The gi'eat difference la the styles readers it diffi-iult for the majority 
 of learnera to acquire more than one method. 
 
3IANL Y A CaOMPLISHMENTS. 6i 
 
 Manly Accomplishments. 
 
 Gei Jitzu (Faculty of Accomplisliinents) may be divided 
 into two great classes. 
 
 Bun Gei or Literary ; and Bit Gelov chivalrous. Eight- 
 een divisions or classes were originally brought over 
 from the Continent (China), but the following is what 
 was taught till the present decade, and is still affected by 
 the conservatives or Kiu-hei. 
 
 The Bun Gei or Gakumon^ the literature, or rather 
 " Chinese letters " or characters, may be subdivided into 
 Kan Gaku, or classics of China ; and Wa Gaku, or native 
 iterature. 
 
 Kan Gakuy or classics of China, and works written in 
 the same style include Gmi Galen, or ' War Teachings,* 
 which had several Riugie or styles, the principal being 
 Yamada^ Takeda, Togunrm, Echigo, Kurama, and iVa- 
 ganuma. 
 
 Ba jitsu (horsemanship) is divided into Otsuhot Ogasa- 
 wara, Kisha. 
 
 Jilt jitsu (wrestling) is also taught, but not much 
 practised by gentlemen. 
 
 The use of the following weapons is taught : — Yumit 
 archery ; it has also its riugie, Ogasaivara and Heiki 
 being the best known. 
 
 Kama is a weapon like a bill-hook and is thrown at 
 an enemy. It has its riugie, the Shosetsu, Shinkage 
 and Kusare. 
 
 Bo a staff of hard wood a fathom in length, more used by 
 
^2 FV SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 farmers than by samurai. Nag'a maki is a yard long staff 
 to which a sword is tied, as onr rioters would a scythe. 
 
 Exercises with the Tsnkii ho satsumata, the Mojiri, 
 and other weapons which were to be seen at the guard- 
 houses in older timses, used to lay hold of dangerous 
 characters, and the methotls employed to tie up prisoners 
 with the Tori nawa, are also practised. 
 
 Shiu-ri-Jcen Avas a piece of iron about three inches long, 
 thrown from the hand, a dangerous missile when used by 
 the expert marksman. 
 
 Yari (lance) there are many forms of this weapon and 
 styles of using it, such as Taneda, Hozoin, &c. 
 
 Ken jitzu or Fencing. The principal styles taught are 
 Shin kage, Shinto^ Vaghi, Ono-ha-itto,2i\n\. Ni-to-riu, ov 
 two swords, one for each hand. The Nagifiata, a short 
 lance with a large curved blade, although considered more 
 as a woman's weapon, was taught in the Shin-kage and 
 Shidzuka systems. 
 
 Rojitsu, or the art of handling fire-arms, has numerous 
 riugie or styles, of which the most common are Liouye, 
 Ttitsuke and Ojieno^ the latter, introduced with the use of 
 foreign weapons, demands peculiar modes of handling the 
 weapon and is somewhat complicated. 
 
 The teachers of fencing, and the use of these weapons 
 after the various styles, most jealously conceal the peculia- 
 rities of their methods from all but their pupils, who also 
 are discreet, but the secrets are mainly confined to holding 
 the swords &c., and aiming with the fire-arms. 
 
 Under the heading * weapons ' further notice will be 
 takeu of details now omitted. 
 
MANLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 63 
 
 BiDi-gei'i Polite letters. We will for convenience divide 
 these into Wa (native) and Kan (classics of Cliina.) 
 
 Shin gakii is divided into the Yoshida kei, Suiega ha, 
 and formerly there existed some other sects, worshipping 
 at the same shrines, but with somewhat different ceremo- 
 nies necessary to be studied by the accomplished man. 
 
 Wa galcu. The native literature, history and poetry, and 
 the more admired native authors must be known to the 
 Japanese gentleman. 
 
 Kan gaku. (Classics.) The standard works of the 
 Chinese classics must be somewhat famihar to assist in 
 composition. 
 
 Sanjltsu. (Arithmetic), is not generally much studied, 
 and many native gentlemen and officers are unable to use 
 the soraban (abacus) with facility. 
 
 RbIov Shitzukegata. Politeness, good behaviour, is abso- 
 lutely essential, and is studied from the earliest age. The 
 Tokugawas followed the Ogasawara style of polite obser- 
 vances. There is also the Iseriu. 
 
 SJily,Q.on?\si^ in composing verses in Chinese. 
 
 Oida or native poetry, renga haihai, &c., have their 
 admirers. In reciting these verses the voice rises and 
 falls somewhat after the tones of the Chinese. The scho- 
 lars in the capital may be heard frequently reciting in 
 til is, to us, mournful tone. 
 
 Taka-JOf Hawking, was anciently an Imperial pastime: 
 latterly the Tokugawa family and subsequently the great 
 Daiuilos practised it. It is a sport rarely to be met with 
 now. 
 
64 FU BO MIMI BUKUHO, 
 
 ShmJdhu or Kemaivari; Foot ball. ToJciu (small bows). 
 
 Fishing, Hunting, Shooting, with the cross-bow, fowl- 
 ing piece or other weapons, boar-spearing, &c., are all more 
 or less affected by the daimio^s retainers. 
 
 The practice of musical instruments also forms part of 
 the accomplishments of a finished gentleman ; he under- 
 stands too the N'o dances, the arranging of flowers, gar- 
 dening, &c., and unfortunately many less innocent accom- 
 plishments are studied by the young samurai. Each had 
 his peculiar hobby, many of them coming under the head 
 of 'Pastimes' or of some special avocation. Men reared in 
 the city or in the provinces had their special and peculiar 
 tastes and experiences, and many of the poorer classes of 
 the samurai filled np their time and supplemented their 
 scanty incomes by working at some trade, {Nai Slioku.) 
 
 J 
 
 he province of Idznmo, 
 
 Theatres. 
 
 Okuni Kabuki, a woman of the 
 obtaining the assistance of Nagoya Sansal)uro of "t)wa- 
 ri, thought of collecting money to rebuild the Oya^ 
 shiro of her native province which had been razed during 
 a local disturbance, and about the year of Onin (A.D. 1467) 
 proceeded to Kioto, and erecting a shed in a place 
 called Go-jo-kawar,i, gave the first public perforniance.s, on 
 the grass, hence the name Shibai, now commonly c:ille<l 
 Shihaija. There are various other stories told as to the 
 origin and the date of the first theatre or performances. 
 About a century later Onono 0-tsu, the maid of Otano- 
 
THEATRES. 66 
 
 unaga, composed a piece on the loves of Joruri Hime, at 
 noted beauty of Sanshiu, and hence comes the name for 
 subsequently composed pieces of the same class, Joruri, 
 Chikamatzu Monzaiemon was the next great composer of 
 these pieces, and his compositions are still in favour with 
 the public. 
 
 Uji Kadaiyu introduced the ftisM, the peculiar jerky 
 tones introduced into the readings, so striking to the 
 foreign ear, the exaggeration of which by coolies 
 in the streets at night, sounds as if some one had given 
 the vocalists an unexpected blow. Takemoto Kaku-taiyu 
 and Toyotake Wakataiyu, and Takemoto Gediyu are 
 telebrated as composers of Qidaiyu ; from the latter came 
 bo called which requires the lower notes and the chest 
 voice, and is more fatiguing. 
 
 After the establishment of the rule of the Tokugawas 
 he peaceful state of the country permitted of greate 
 improvements in acting, and players were encouraged 
 in Suruga. Afterwards when Tedo Castle was being 
 built on the site of Ota Dokwan's Oshiro (now Nishi 
 Maru), a celebrated actor called Saru-waka Kan-saburo 
 was presented with a * baton' (saihai) of gold, and sent 
 from Suruga to Yedo in the timber vessels bringing 
 material for the castle. He danced on the piled-up 
 timber and flourished his baton as the ship came into port. 
 
 Since then actors have become popular, and as a con- 
 sequence numerous ; and although they have hitherto been 
 looked upon as a degraded class, of late this disability, in 
 common with those of the tjetas and others, no long- 
 er exists. One family of actors formed an exception to 
 
66 FV SO MIMT BUKUBO. 
 
 this degraded state, that of Ichikawa Danjuro, now existing 
 in the true line of descent, a rare tiling in Japan where 
 adoption is so general. He possessed special qualifications, 
 great ability, and was very accomplished. His descendant at 
 present performs in the principal parts at the new theatre 
 near Shiba, Tokio. 
 
 The arrangements of the st^ge, ov biitai, avetlie mawari- 
 hiitai, or turu table, serl-dashl or trap, serl-agi or ascent 
 from the stage, and gando-gaishi or tops3''-turvey scenes. 
 The passage through the pit by which the actors enter is 
 called hana-mlchl (flower-path.) There are curtains 
 or maTau, some to drop, others that are rollcded up, and the 
 ten-maku, or ceiling-hanging. These are invariably pre- 
 sents from admirers, and inscribed with characters, Chi- 
 nese and hlragcuia, stating by whom presented, or in case 
 ofanonynious gift, gozonji-yori, also shinjo, (or presented.) 
 Quaint figures are mixed with the characters, and al 
 dyed in various colors, presenting a curious appearance. 
 
 The audience is accommodated in the sajikif or boxes, 
 the tfdzura or ground-tier, taka-doma or raised pit, 
 hira-doma or level pit, and shlkl-fime or gallery. The 
 latter fronts the stiige and is apportioned to the " gods " 
 of the native theatre. There is also the ^official' box. 
 The baud, gexHf is placed on the stage, as also the gidai- 
 yu in a stage-box (choho). The prompter is called hin- 
 gen'Sahusha, and follows the piece with the 21 SS, iu 
 hand. 
 
 In night performances men with candles fixed on the 
 ends of long sticks hold them so as to throw light upon the 
 actors' faces, in order that the audience naay observe 
 
TffEATnES, 57 
 
 their grimaces distinctlj. The dressing-rooms consist ge- 
 nerally of three stories : the upper for tlie actors who take 
 the female parts ; the second for the superior actors ; and 
 the lower, or ground-tier, for the common herd. The 
 principal * star ' is called Za-gashiray and the men who 
 come on the stage as horses' legs and such like are called 
 pc'pe or inarimachi. 
 
 Authors, Kio-gen Saku-sha, if successful, are looked up 
 to, but the unlucky ones can sometimes find employment 
 only as hioshigle — men who rap two pieces of wood on a 
 board at the " points." The faritsuke looks after the cos- 
 tumes and general conduct of the piece, scene-shifting &c., 
 the todori announces before the rise of the curtain the 
 names &c. of the actors, is in fact a living play-bill. 
 There is a warm bath in the gahi-ya (dressing-room), 
 and at each change of character or costume, the actor 
 washes off the paint and cleanses himself preparatory to a 
 new coating. 
 
 On the 18th day of the 5th month the actors hold a 
 festival in honour of Soga, a piece founded on the 
 revenjre of two brothers of that name on their father's 
 murderer, a popular play. It is invariably the opening 
 piece at every theatre at the commencement of the 
 spring season. All respectable playgoers first go to a cliay a 
 (tea-house) whence they are conducted; seats, refresh- 
 ment and attendance being guaranteed by the chaya 
 people. The " sandwich" of the theatre, called mahi-no- 
 ouchi, consists of handfuls of rice squeezed, nigiri-meshi, 
 and a vegetable stew, nlsliime — as a relish. But although 
 it is not thought correct to bring one's own luncheon, sake 
 
68 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 and any delicacies may be ordered from the cook-sliops in 
 the vicinity. 
 
 From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. are the usual hours in order to 
 avoid necessity for artificial light, as in the case of outbreak 
 of fire, the panic would be alarming and accidents numerous. 
 The Maye Kiogeii is an introduction before the piece com- 
 mences. Some of the inferior actors, dressed in the an- 
 cient court-costume, go through some droll antics, &c. 
 sometimes in the characters of the seven lucky beings 
 Sichi'fukujin, &c. or as at Bai-ko-shi'ten-do-o-jie. 
 
 A portion of a piece, or only the popular portions, or 
 pieces from several plays — an act of each perhaps — may be 
 given on the same day, or a play may stretch over several 
 days. Yezoshi are play-bills in book form, and bants ke 
 the same in sheets. Hand-books of the parts are called 
 o-?mt-5eii (parrot-books, i.e. speech without action or feel- 
 ing). 
 
 Females were prohibited to act with men by the Toku- 
 gawa government, but there are companies of females 
 who l)ring out pieces without the aid of men ; they 
 do not seem to be popular or numerous, and it is only in a 
 certain class of play that they are at all successful. To-zai, 
 East and West, is the " Oyez " of the native theatre ; 
 7/erai or mai are the expressions of approbation the au- 
 dience use when pleased, and sometimes Nljyon-ichL There 
 are no " claqueurs," and nothing like oar applause or his- 
 sing, and there are no encores nor calls before the curtain. 
 The approbation of the audience is testified by inviting 
 the popular actor to a feast after the theatre is closed f 
 
THEATRES, 69 
 
 Geyslias and Kakoie-mono vie in their endeavoursto attract 
 the actor's attention, and make him liberal presents. 
 
 The popukir plays of the Japanese are very numerous : 
 we give a few of their names : — 
 
 Soga is a tragedy based on the revenge of two brothers 
 of the murder of their father: the scene is laid in the 
 days of Yoritomo about A.D., 1186. 
 
 ChiU' Shin- G lira. — The story of the Fovij-sevenRonins 
 who in Yedo about 1699 revenged their master's judicial 
 suicide, so well known to all. 
 
 Sendai Hagi. — Founded on a story of the attempt to 
 poison the heir of the Sendai Prince, his nurse's devo- 
 tion and her success by the substitution of her own boy 
 who is poisoned and dies: this is a tale of the early part 
 of the seventeenth century. 
 
 Imo Se Yama (The hills of Imo and Sei in Kioto), a 
 story relating the loves of a frail beauty called Hinadori 
 (young-bird) and her sweetheart Koganoske in the be- 
 ginning of the 16th century. 
 
 Kagaml Yama. — About the year 1740, in the palace 
 of Matzudaira Simosa no Kami there was a lady in waiting, 
 a pawnbroker's daughter named Onoye. Another of the 
 ladies of the p.ilace named Iiuafajif a samurais daughter 
 hokling the rank of Otsnhone, was jealous of the 
 influence and style of Onoye, whose father supplied 
 her witii ample pocket-money and robes. The latter 
 had amongst her own waiting maids the daughter 
 of a samurai, who being heavily indebted to' the Shichi-ya 
 (pawnshop) begged to have his daughter OhatZM taken 
 into Onoye's service, Iivafajl, proud of her chivalorus 
 
60 FU SO Mim BUKUKO, 
 
 ancestry and her own ability to fence, challenged 0)ioije, 
 whom as a chonin (townsman's) daughter she knew to be 
 unpractised in this accomplishment. OJiafzu over- 
 heard the scoffs and jeers Iwifaji poured upon Onoyflf and 
 being Iwafujl's equal by birth, stepped forth as her young 
 mistress's champion and vanquished Iwafuji at her own 
 weapons. In the subsequent absence of Ohitzit, Iwafuji s 
 further insults to Oiioije ended in the latter committing sui- 
 cide and Ohatzu finally kills Iwafuji, and then attempts gi- 
 gai (the female mode of judicial suicide by cutting the throat) 
 but is stopped by the ofiicers of the palace and is finally 
 promoted to Onoye's position with the name of ^' The 
 second Onoye,'' and is rendered happy. 
 
 Oem-Pei-Sei-Saie-Klf the wars of the Oengi and Heiki. 
 Tailco-kl) the wars between the days of the Ashikagaand 
 the Tokugawa, are full of warlike incident, a little illicit 
 love and much murder and rapine. The incidents are taken 
 from the books of the same name, which are standard 
 works. 
 
 Te)i'jln-lcl. — A story about Tenmangu-Sugawara michi- 
 za7ie who was banished through court intrigue. A woman 
 sacrifices her own child to save his, which was left in 
 charge of one of his former retainers, now a writing- 
 master. Another former servant hears that there is a 
 plot to murder the child and induces his wife to substitute 
 their own child for Hugawara's. 
 
 Nl-jiii-sld-ko, is a story about Yaegaki-hime, who, 
 while her betrothed Katzuyori is at the wars, treasures 
 his portrait, and, while gazing on it, sheds tears of 
 ^rief at his absence, his dangers and the hardships which 
 
THEATRES. 61 
 
 she is unable to share ; and ^vhen slie hears of his 
 death hangs it up and performs her devotions before it* 
 
 The fathers of Katzuyori and Yayegaki become enemies, 
 and after many adventures, the former determines to see his 
 betrothed wife, who, he hears, is a great beauty, and enters 
 her father's service as gardener, bat is discovered. Even- 
 tually by the assistance of foxes he escapes, and they 
 further help the lovers to come together in returu for 
 some kindness shewn to the kitsune family, but that are 
 never married and Yayegaki soon dies. 
 
 Safomi-hak-k en-den. — A famous dog called Yatzubusa 
 was requested by a celebrated warrior to fetch him 
 his enemy's head, and, if obtained, his daughter, the beauti- 
 fid Fnse-hime, was to be his reward. The ,dog was 
 successful and brought the head, a great victory being the 
 result. The lady is claimed, she flies to the hills, but, in 
 going to a pool for water, sees herself mirrored on its 
 surface as a dog. Placing her judzu (rosary) over her head 
 she recognises her own features ; the ^wcZzw slipping off into 
 the water beyond her reach, she sees again herself reflected 
 as the dog. It seems Fuse-hime had been promised in 
 marriage tea young cavalier before this, and he, in searching 
 for his bride, met the dog Yatzubusa and shot it. Fuse- 
 hime, although then enceinte^ committed suicide, and the 
 ft^tiLs became a spirit, flying to the eight points, entering 
 eight unborn children, who became brave men. Their 
 
 adventures are contained in Bakkin's book of the same 
 
 name as this play. 
 
 Tnaka Oenji is a play adapted frotn Tanehiko's book of 
 
 that name, Mitxu^uji^ a Japanese Adouis ov Don Juaiij 
 
62 FU SO MIMI BVKURO. 
 
 lias many adveatures and love passages, the ground- work 
 of the piece. 
 
 Hizd-kuri-ge, (shanks' mare,) a comic story of a 
 tramp on the Tokaido by Yajirobei and his friend, full 
 of coarse fun, comical incidents and "tricks upon travel- 
 lers, " much of which is quite unfit for translation. 
 
 Mlage-no'shuiohiif an eldest daughter sold to be au 
 Oleran (courtezan). After her father's death, the young 
 sister goes in search of her elder sister, and is entrapped 
 by A!6^e;i (procureurs); eventually however, the sisters meet 
 and are rescued from their dc'jjradino: life. 
 
 Yao-ya-oslchL Osichi, the greeu-grocers's daughter, goes 
 to pray at the family temple and sees there her fate, A7- 
 chlsa, with whom she becomes so enamoured that when 
 the gates of the city, dividing the wards, were closed and 
 she could not pass, she, knowing they would be thrown 
 opeu incase of fire, sounds the alarm-drum, and thereby in- 
 curs the penalty of being burnt alive. She is rescued 
 by the discovery that she has been induced to raise the 
 alarm by robbers, who are burned iu her stead. 
 
 Odhau'Danihei, a piece called after two young lovers who 
 commit suicide locked in each other's embrace, the love 
 portion being tediously spua out to the length of 
 several scenes. 
 
 O'hcDi GhoyGinoiu^'0'han, a girl of fourteen, and Oho' 
 yemoHy aged forty, love not wisely but too well, and, like 
 the foregoing couple, die together. 
 
 Kid. ik.i- J ciio.t. lCli/ohbin3, the daughter of a hotel keep- 
 er, falls in love \Vith Aiiok'Hf a priest who periodically 
 stops at the Yadoja (hotel). Her importunities frighten 
 
THEATRES. 63 
 
 the priest, who flees across the river that gives its 
 name to the piece, and hides himself under a temple bell. 
 The girl is, by the power of her love, transformed into a 
 Ja (a kind of supernatural serpent), and tracks the object 
 of iier desire. Passing round the bell several times it be- 
 comes a molten mass by majiiiai (witchery), and con- 
 sumes both. 
 
 Ishikawa Goyemoii is a robber of the days of Taiko wiio 
 is sentenced to be boiled to death in a large pot full of oil. 
 
 Kuzu-iio-lia, the wife of Abe, when she bears him 
 children, proves to be a fox. 
 
 Koku-sen-yay in 1640, wished to restore the Ming dyn- 
 asty in China. Kin-sho-jo, his wife, becomes the pro- 
 perty of Kanki by capture, and wishing her present 
 master to fight with, and not against, her former lord and 
 master, an-anges this, by signal — assent being signified by. 
 pouring crimson water from her balcony into the stream be- 
 neath, dissent by ink-water. She finally succeeds, and 
 the closing scene of the drama shews her on the balcony, 
 pouring out the crimson fluid as a signal of acquiescence. 
 
 San-koku-yo'/u- doi, is a Chinese novel of tales of three 
 kingdoms, foxes and women, from which incidents are 
 taken and worked up for the stage. Kiuhi-no-kitsune, the 
 nine-tailed fox is the mischief-mal^er, taking the form of 
 beautiful women, and disturbing the peace of nations. 
 
 It would be as difficult to expunge the Chinese element 
 from Japanese literature as it would be to write about that 
 of Europe without introducing something that had its origin 
 in ancient Kome or GilBoce. There are no greater literary 
 pirates than the Japanese, who iu this respect are even 
 
64 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 worse than the American re-publishers. The latter some- 
 times acknowledge the rights of the author which the na- 
 tives of Japan repudiate. There are other classes of theatres, 
 something between the /io)i-shibal, or true theatre, and 
 the bahob-slilhal or street performers ; these are called 
 yoself assemblies principally open at niglit, most of them 
 similar to the "Penny G-aff" of a seaport-town at home. 
 At these may be seen or heard the klojeii of the 
 larger theatres mutilated and murderel, gidcU-yu and 
 jororl^ recitations with musical accompaniment, ^osh'iJ^u, 
 stories of the wars, otoshl-hiinashi (dropping-down-talk) 
 stories that carry the hearers interest to the sublime, and 
 wind up with a sudden anti-climax. 
 
 Tsutsuki-hanashI, continuous talk-stories ; tedzama, 
 sleight of hand ; kage^ shadows and rudely-made magic- 
 lanterns, illustrating practical jokes or stories ; hatohi-ningeif 
 eight-men's parfs, one man rapidly changing his character 
 and voice solely sustaining the piece. Teri-ha-klogen is an 
 imitation of no. Chahan are comicalities, and sometimes 
 " Pepper's ghost " is attempted. Ayatsuri-niugio is a pup- 
 pet show. 
 
 Marionettes were first introduced by Haku Taiyu, 
 the Kannushi of Nishi-no-miya. Taiko-kl, the wars 
 of Taiko in ten acts, is a favorite piece for these 
 puppet-shows. Latterly an additional attraction called 
 ehin-hun, news, has been introduced by those story- 
 tellers who cater for the poorer class: current events, 
 items from the daily papers, foreign matters, scandal &c., 
 are given, more with regard to the amusement of the au- 
 dience than to truth oi' morality. 
 
PASTIMES. eS 
 
 Baha Shlhai (open air performances). The parts are 
 frequently tike 11 by young girls and boys, and morcetULC of 
 favourite scenes are attempted for the amusement of the 
 crowd, who are expected to throw in a shower of cash at 
 each telling point in the performance. 
 
 % Pastimes. 
 
 Music, studied as a pastime by men, includes the 
 harp. The GaAu or Band, composed of several instru- 
 ments used on Shinto festive or ceremonial occasions, or 
 on official ceremonies of the court, is rarely heard in per- 
 fection by the people. The separate instruments are 
 occasionally seen. These we have already described : 
 they are the s/io, sichirihi, taiko, koto, hiwa. Some practise 
 these instruments singly for pleasure, also the sJiakuh ichi. 
 
 Chess is played in Japan, also go, a kind of draughts, 
 deserving a special description, and we merely note them 
 here as the most common games of skill played by both 
 sexes. 
 
 In-door pastimes are such as are common to both sexes, 
 though some of them may be but little practised by the 
 gentler half of the nation; yet none of them are exclusive- 
 ly monopolised by men. Indeed, their united participa- 
 tion in these pastimes, here as elsewhere, constitutes at 
 least half their fascination, both at home and in places of 
 public resort. Little beyond a mere enumeration of these 
 games will be attempted now ; though, hereafter, a fuller 
 desci^iption of the more important of them will be given. 
 
 It was not foi'merly fashionable to have the female 
 
• 
 
 66 FtJ SO MIMI BtlKUBO. 
 
 members of an upper-class family exert their musical 
 abilities for the amusement of the head of the house, ex- 
 hibitions upon the samisen being particularly objection- 
 able, as it is the instrument of the common people, and of 
 the less respected chisses even of these. On special oc- 
 casions, however, the daughters were permitted to exhibit 
 their proficiency on the koto. This rule has been some- 
 what relaxed of late, and in addition to the female members 
 .of the household, geyshas (gei-no-arii-mono or " persons 
 of pleasing accomplishments "j are called in to wait on the 
 guests, but in reality to add life to the entertainment. 
 
 Place aux dames: — When tlie ladies have finished their 
 share of the household dnties, which vary in importance 
 with the means of the head of the family and their actual 
 respective positions in the house, have bathed, had their 
 hair dressed, been painted, and have pnt on their robes 
 and tied their girdles, there is little time left which they 
 cannot wile away over the hibashl (charcoal brazier) ge- 
 nerally with a tiny pipe and a little tobacco, or their sing- 
 ing or music lessons, if young, for their own benefit, other- 
 wise for that of a young member of the family. Pro- 
 fessional needle-women go to each house, so that Lidies do 
 little work upon their own clothing, or that of the family. 
 Occasionally a group of young girls may amuse themselves 
 for a while by catting up scraps of paper and silk which 
 they paste together into prett'y shapes, such as flowers,' 
 pouches and fancy articles, as presents to their friends, 
 though not to their sweethearts. And here I should re- 
 mark that the Japanese girl does not have lier room and 
 toilet-table covered with those little odds aud ends which 
 
PASTIMES. 67 
 
 seem so precious to the European maiden, Some few 
 girls play the nativ^e chess, but, as a rule, women in Japan, 
 as elsewhere, love nothing so much as a little gossip or 
 scandal, under the guise of a social chat. If alone» reading 
 a love story is the favourite amusement. 
 
 The great resource of men is the game called go, played 
 with 1(S0 white discs or counters, cut from the shell of a 
 species of cockle, and 181 black, made from a pebble found 
 near Nachi-no-take (Nachi- waterfall) in Kishiu. The 
 board is divided by lines crossing each other at right 
 angles into .361 squares (19 x 19), the original idea being 
 one square for- each day of the year. Each player endea- 
 vours to enclose a certain space and. prevent his opponent 
 doing the same ; they play alternately, laying down one 
 disc at a time. Underneath the go-hmi or table on which 
 the board is set, there is a square hollow called cUi-tamarl 
 (blood collector). The ancient laws of the game state 
 that if a third person interferes in the play, or tenders his 
 advice or opinion to either party, the intermeddler's head 
 may be chopped oflf and placed in the hollow of the re- 
 versed table which will collect the blood dripping from the 
 severed head. Women often play at go together, and 
 sometimes elderly women with men j young men and 
 girls rarely. 
 
 Shoqi, chess, is common to all sexes and ages, but re- 
 quires more skill and is much more complicated than any 
 game of this cla'^s. The Shogi-ban is divided into 81 
 squares, 9 long and 9 broad— (not 8 x 8 as with us). The 
 ^owa, or chessmen, are, for each player, one o-sAo kingj 
 two kln-shoi gold chiefs} two gin-shof silver chiefs J 
 
68 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 two kGi-7na, diagonal moving horse ; two hio-sha, per- 
 fume-carriages ; one /i/^/iflf, jumping carriage ; one kaku- 
 gio, corner-mover ; nine ho-hci, foot-soldiers ; in all, 
 twenty, or forty for both sides, which are placed as fol- 
 lows, commencing on the first line of the board next the 
 player, and with the right hand corner: The Ho-sha, 
 kei-ma^gin-sho, kin-sho, o-s/io, hin-sho, gin-sho, keima^ 
 kio-shch ; in front of the right hand corner, kei-jna, shisha; 
 in front of the left hand corner kei-ma, kakujio, and on 
 the third row of squares nine /u-hei. The following are 
 the moves of the respective pieces : — 
 
 The o-sho, one sqnare in any direction. 
 
 The Ichi-sho, the same. 
 
 The gin-sho, one to the front diagonally, to right or left. 
 
 Kei-ma to right or left and two forward, hopping over 
 pieces. (Next but one of a different colour ; our knight.) 
 
 Kio-sha, straight forward, but not backward, so far as 
 the board is open. 
 
 Hi-sha in a straight Hue in any open direction. 
 
 Kakii-gio, diagonal, as far as the board is open. 
 
 Ho-hei, one square to the front only. 
 
 When any piece has been pushed into the enemy's lines, 
 i.e. into those originally occupied by his men, the piece is 
 turned over and becomes a Icin-sho ; except the the hi-shaf 
 which becomes riii-o (dragon-king), and kakn gio which 
 becomes a riu-ma, (dragon horse). Before opening the 
 game the player of the first move is decided by the throw- 
 ing up of a pawn, as We should a throw up a coin, the other 
 calling fu or kin^ as we should * head ' or * taih' 
 
PASTIMES, 
 
 In giving pieces to a weaker player, one kio-sha taken 
 off counts one point, two kio, two points, one kahu-sho 
 three points, and so on. The pieces taken may be placed 
 on any part of the board at the pleasure of the captor, and 
 subsequently played. This game would require a separate 
 chapter to itself in order to describe it fully. 
 
 Gha-no-yu, Drinking powdered tea is performed with 
 many ceremonies, which differ for the usuie (thin) and the 
 hole or thick. The utensils used are few in number, and 
 freqiiently of great valne, not perhaps always intrinsically, 
 but bearing some special worth in the eye of the native 
 virtuoso ; special invitations are issued to the guests, the 
 usual hour named being noon. The guests assemble in an 
 ante-room, and o-yu (hot- water) is presented them in 
 small cups to drink from. They are then escorted into 
 the cha'dzashkie (tea-apartment) when the host enters, 
 and, bidding welcome to his guests, prepares to treat them 
 to his tea. Meanwhile certain articles of food are brought 
 in, and the host only attends upon these guests in accordance 
 with minute rules laid down from time immemorial, after- 
 wards the guests withdraw to another apartment leaving 
 the host to complete his preparations. When ready, he 
 strikes a gong and the guests again assemble in the cha- 
 dzashkie, and are served with the thick tea in a large 
 bowl from which all drink in turn, each person taking 
 three sips, and passing the bowl to his neighbour. All 
 then retire to the adjoining chamber, where those who 
 smoke are permitted to do so, and the severity of the cere- 
 monial attending the drinking of the o-cha is relaxed, 
 'i'lie thin tea is then served in cups, one to each guest, 
 
70 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. . 
 
 and this is replenished as often as may be desired, nntil 
 the most important person present declares himself satis- 
 fied and begs the host to * forbear,' when the others take 
 the hint, thank the host, and retire with profonnd mutual 
 compliments. The number of mats {i.e. the area) of the 
 apartments and other details are all strictly laid down by 
 minute rules, and here various riwjie or styles come in, 
 each of which has its advocates. Women and servants 
 are always excluded from this form of entertainment. 
 
 Ko-takif incense burning, is a pastime of a very aristo- 
 cratic kind, depending chiefly upon the power of recol-- 
 lecting perfumes. There is quite an elaborate set of 
 instruments, or perhaps, rather toys, used, amongst which 
 the principal is a box containing little tickets numl)ered 
 from one to ten. vSeveral kinds of incense are burned, 
 one after the other, and labelled, after which minute 
 pastilles of the same being burnt, each player has to guess 
 the number it bore, depositing a ticket to represent his 
 guess. He who guesses best is first, and so on. This is 
 more a pastime for ladies than for gentlemen, l)ut either 
 may with propriety practice it. 
 
 Hana, flowers. Ike-hana is the art of arranging flower- 
 vases or holders. The methods and ceremonies are so num- 
 erous that a class of men make it their profession, and often 
 in former time made a competence by going from house to 
 house and teaching the art. There are numerous illustrat- 
 ed works on the subject. The chrysanthemum is tlie pnuH 
 asinorum of learners. 
 
 No, native opera, studied by the higher classes, 
 and practised as we do charades or di'awing-roon) 
 
PASTIMES. 71 
 
 theatricals. Masks and gorgeous dresses are used. The 
 pieces, chiefly tragedies, of which there are some two 
 hundred, are based upon stories of the civil wars 
 between the Genji and the Heilii, commonly called 
 Gempeif commencing about A. D. 1,150 and continuing at 
 intervals to the end of the century. Between the acts a 
 sort of farce is introduced caWed no-k log e7i, which is said 
 to have had its origin in the following story. 
 
 A gentleman sent his servant to buy him a fan. The 
 man by mistake bought an umbrella and a series of 
 lauorhable incidents occur, from the ignorance of the man 
 of his master's dialect. As the whole amusement of the 
 piece depends upon a play on words, it is difficult to under- 
 stand and impossible to reproduce it. The end, however, is, 
 that the servant dances about with the result of forcing 
 his master to his legs, and and a grand pas de deux winds 
 up this comedy of errors, called Stiie-hiro-gari. 
 
 Musical instruments are a source of amusement to many, 
 but few attain any proficiency on them. 
 
 Hon-su/ ro/tu, is a game played with two dice upon a 
 board divided in half and again sub-divided into eight 
 parts. A black and a white disc, one for each player, is 
 moved according to the number of the dice thrown. 
 
 Odori, posturing, is almost exclusively practised by 
 little girls, though ' fast ' young men amuse themselves 
 with it when unusually elated. 
 
 Painting, writing poetry, making collections of coins, 
 swords, and various other articles, and exhibiting them to 
 friends, are among the numerous modes of passing the 
 dull hours of the well-to-do idle people, such as daimios 
 
72 FU SO MIMI BUKUJiO. 
 
 and retired officers. Exceptional bobbies, collecting birds 
 or animals, botany, horticiiltnre &c., are sometimes turned 
 to profitable account now tbat tbe revenues of idle people 
 bave been diminislied. Horseraansbip takes tbe first 
 place, altbougb it is only a few years since tlie liigber 
 classes alone were permitted to ride in public. Of games 
 on borseback, daklu, or ball-tbrowing, is played witb 
 small balls like tbose used in racket- courts, wbieb are 
 picked up off tbe ground witb a stick on tbe end of wbicli 
 tbere is a small loop or net, and tbrown tbrougb a bole in 
 boarding at tbe end of tbe course. Tbe players are divid- 
 ed into sides, for instance, tbe Gem and tbe Pei^ and a 
 certaiu number of balls is decided upon. Tlie side wbicb 
 succeeds in lioleing tbe greatest number of balls of course 
 wins. 
 
 Kisha is arcbery on borseback, witb a small target at 
 one end of tbe course. 
 
 Tori Awasft, was formerly practised at Kioto by tbe 
 kuges (nobles), but, being probibited, it is now not mucbseen. 
 
 Shamo, Cocbin Cbina fowls are secretly matcbed in 
 figbt. Tbis is also called iea/ (met-to-kick). Exbibitions 
 of birds, flowers, plants &c. are numerous and common. 
 
 Pic-nics and musbroom-gatberings, pleasure ])arties in 
 tbe bolidays to tbe sbrines, temples or gjirdens, tbe 
 special occasions of tbe blossoming of tbe plum, eberry, 
 8 hohit (Acoruo Calamus) and cbrysantbemum, or tbe special 
 festivals of tbe more noted places of pilgrimage, are 
 amongst tbe amusements of tbe year. Ccx^kle-gallieiing 
 is eminently tbe sport of girls and cbildi'en, as is also 
 Uerb-gatberin g, 
 
PASTIMES. 73 
 
 Fishing witli rod and line, or spearing, fishing with 
 casting nets and trawling, are favourite sports with men of 
 all classes. 
 
 Shitb-klkiL is an aristocratic game not much prac- 
 tised now. Archery has also been little practised of 
 late. There are other sports of which we shall treat, but 
 they will fall under a different heading. 
 
 Young men often have amusements not always of a 
 kind to bear description in this place, the mildest form of 
 these taking the shape of "sprees" or entertainments 
 with their friends, plenty of sahe and the company of 
 singing; and dancincr trirls the leadiiijgr features. 
 
 Besides the manlier sports and accomplishments des- 
 cribed elsewhere there is the usual round of dawdling 
 pastimes for hours hanging dull and heavy ; some of 
 these we note to give an idea of their general character. 
 Many are only known to the officers, and the retired and 
 old ofRcial, daimio, and wealthy trader devote much time 
 to the study of one and all. 
 
 Music Teachers. 
 ShisJio, or Teachers of Music in its higher branches, 
 are generally men ; but female teachers, though not con- 
 sidered such perfect musicians, are more commonly em- 
 ployed as instructors to girls and young women. If greater 
 proficiency is subsequently desired, a male teacher is 
 employed. The j^oto is most frequently taught by blind 
 men. Teachers who devote themselves to other instru- 
 ments than the J^oto and the samisen are very rarely 
 
74 FU 80 MIMI BVKURO, 
 
 met with in every-day life. Geyshas, wlio»are noted as 
 good musicians, when tliey become elderly and less attrac- 
 tive to guests, frequently marry, and adopt the profession 
 of teachers of the simisen. Each instructor devotes him- 
 self exclusively to one of the hereafter-mentioned styles, 
 and although some pupils attempt several riugief little, if 
 any, progress is made under these circumstances, the 
 teachers being opposed to the blending of diiferetit styles, 
 while the difference between the methods of playing and 
 of toning the voice, cause confu-^ion. 
 
 With young children the teacher is obliged to hold the 
 pupil's hands and place the fingers for each note, and 
 when some progress has been made the pupil and teacher 
 squat down vis-d-vls, the pupil watching the teacher's 
 fingers and endeavouring to imitate each movement of 
 them until a simple tune is learned. No scale or ideas of 
 musical notation are attempted ; the lesson is learned by 
 simple imitation and memory. Some books have been 
 printed to facilitate music teaching and self-instruction, 
 but they are scarce and rarely used, and do little more 
 than shew the position of the fingers on the finger-board. 
 Sometimes the teacher plays the accompaniment while 
 the pupil sings. 
 
 Samisen--p]iij in g alone is rarely taught, singing and 
 recitation with samisen accompaniment being much more 
 usual. Those pupils who desire to become teachers re- 
 ceive a name from their teacher after having attained a 
 certain proficiency ; without this they cannot teach 
 publicly, being without musical reputation. 
 
 With the exception of Naga-outa^ all singing and re- 
 
MU8I0 TEACHERS,- 75 
 
 citation witli samisen accompaniments, is called Joruriy 
 after Joruri Hime,* whose loves and sorrows are said to 
 have formed the snbjects of the first compositions of which 
 Otsu is the reputed author (Vide Section TheatresJ. 
 
 Gidai-yu-buschi : In 1575 lived Takemoto Gidaiyu, who 
 was the originator of this style, and his music is written 
 for male voices in the lower tones. The samisen used 
 is of the largest size, the strings are thicker, and the hat' 
 chi is heavier than customary, and the playing stcLC- 
 cato. The subjects are usually tragic and warlike, and 
 more frequently draw tears from the audience than any 
 other class of music. It forms the ordinary accompaniment 
 to the native stage, and is mixed up with the actors' 
 parts, joining broken links in the dialague, or explaining 
 the soliloquies, motives of the characters, &c. which the 
 words and action of the players may fail to convey. 
 
 Tokiwazu. Komoji daiyu introduced -this style at 
 the beginning of the present century, and it is now very 
 common among children. The falsetto is cultivated for 
 this style, and the subjects of the songs are love-stories, 
 nor is it in any way strange to hear innocent little girls 
 straining their voices to the highest pitch, unconsciously 
 
 * Joruri Homi, whose love adventures are related by Otsu, and con- 
 aidered as the first of the now innumerable imitations and vaiiations. 
 She was a native of Yahagi-no-hashi of Sanshiu, the daughter of Ki- 
 ichi. Her lover was Ushi waka maru, who afterwards became Yoshi- 
 tsune, brother of Yoritomo, A.D. 1177 (about). 
 
 Ushi Nvaka was fond of flute playing, and very clever. One moonlight 
 night he wandered, playing his flute ; when he approached a house where 
 some one was playing the koto. Presently the player changed the tune 
 to match the flute, to the mutual delight of both; there was a meeting be- 
 tween the unconscious and unknown duet players, and mutual love at 
 first sight. The sequel is a long life of fruitless love, that forms an iw 
 exhaustible fund for the story-tellers. 
 
76 FJJ SO MIMl BUKURO, 
 
 reciting the most indecent love passages, stories of run- 
 away matches, the joint snicide of lovers &c. The strings 
 of the 5«/?ii5e/i- used are' of medium size, and tlie accom- 
 paniment to the Tokiwazii songs is called kishi-i^awa. 
 
 Kiyomoto, was brought out by Yenjiu-daiyu, also early 
 in the present century. The liead-voice is cultivated for 
 this music, and the subjects of the songs are mostly love- 
 stories, more lively and amusing as well as comparatively 
 more decent than the Tokiwazu. This style is very po- 
 pular with young girls, and is the style generally learned 
 by the geyshas. The samisen used is of medium size. 
 
 Tomimoto. This style was introduced about fifty years 
 ago by a teacher named Bungo, and somewhat resembles 
 the Gidaiyu style, softened down, interspersed with love- 
 stories, of a more sober character than the Tokiwazu 
 style. The chest-voice is chiefly employed, the middle 
 voice occasionally, i\\Q Jalsetto rarely, and a medium-sized 
 instrument is used. The accompaniments are called 
 Sasaki. 
 
 Kishisaioa was originally the accompaniment to the 
 Tokiioazu singing ; but about 1860 the teachers quarrel- 
 led and were brought before the magistrates, who, being 
 unable to decide who was most to blame, permitted a divi- 
 sion and the establishment of a new style. There is little 
 diflference between Kishisaiua and Tokiioazu worth noting 
 here, and but slight regard is paid to it now-a-days. 
 
 Kato, (East River) ; called after the music teacher who 
 introduced this style. The stories are mostly founded 
 upon heroic actions and celebrated occurrences mixed up 
 with a few love-stoiies. The natural voice is used. The 
 
MUSIC TEACHERS. 77 
 
 Samisen used is of a special size and form, smaller than 
 the medium size. This style is not nuicli taught at pre- 
 sent. It has always heen fashionable and is patronized by 
 amateurs exclusivel3\ A play called Otokodate-no-Ske- 
 roku requires a A' «^o accompjuiiment, when amateurs must 
 be obtained. They play with masks on, and, as they do 
 not take payment, are entertained in return with feasting 
 and fun. This is the only instance of amateur per- 
 formances in theatres. 
 
 Ichi-chiyu-biishi was introduced by Ichi-chiu, a teacher, 
 some sixty years ago, and resembles the kato, but is more 
 plebeian in style and more entertaining. Although most of 
 the scenes are laid in the Yedo yoshl-iuara, yet, as a rule, 
 they are tolerably decent. Each song has some quaint name, 
 These are of two classes, miako and ujl. There is a 
 special form of samisen of medium size for these songs. 
 
 Naga-outa was improved and brought into notice by 
 Kineya Rokuzaimon early in this century. It consisted 
 originally mostly of accompaniments alone, but songs were 
 composed to suit them. These songs are called Uta-utai, 
 There are various styles in singing, called Yoshimiiray 
 Matzunaga, Fujita and Okayasu, in which the highest 
 notes of tlie falsetto predominate. The burden of the 
 songs is generally decent. One of them called Oie-matsu 
 (old piue-tree) ruus literally thus. 
 
 Shln*no-shi»ko 
 Mikari no toki 
 Ten niwakani kaki kitmoi'l 
 Tai yu ahikii'ini f uri shikaba 
 ^ Mikado ame wo shinogan to, 
 
78 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 Ko matsii no kage ni 
 
 Tatchi yoreba 
 
 Kono matsu tatchi machi 
 
 Tai boku to nari 
 
 Yeda wo tare ha wo kasane 
 
 Kono ame wo morasa zari shikaba Mikado 
 
 Tai yu to iu shaku wo 
 
 Kono matszu ni okuri 
 
 Tamaishi yori 
 
 Matsu-wo Tai yu to mousu to kaya. 
 
 • TRA.NSLATIOX. 
 
 Shin-no-shi-k6 
 Once a hawking did go ; 
 But the clouds they lowered 
 And down the rain poured 
 Ho ! the Emperor must not get wet. 
 
 That old pine tree 
 Good shelter will be, 
 And under it he did go ; 
 When the branches bent so 
 Through the leaves the rain could not get. 
 
 The Emperor's whim 
 Was to have the tree giv'n 
 A Shaku with Tai-yu writ thereon, 
 And immediately thus it was done. 
 For the pine tree's named Tai-yu e'en yet. 
 
 The samisen used is the smallest, the sawa the 
 thiunest, the strings the finest, and the batchi the lightest. 
 This is the most difficult style to acquire perfectly, and is 
 taught to all young ladies of good family. Whatever 
 style may afterwards be taught, the gentry always desire 
 that their children should begin with this. 
 
 Shinnai, introduced by Tsuruga Sliinnai, fifty years 
 ago, comprises songs about courtesans and tlieii* patrons. 
 At night men and women may be met with, their faces 
 
MUBIC TEACHERS. 79 
 
 concealed ly the rag of the towel which answers so many- 
 purposes, twanging their samisens. Those who wish to 
 hear them sing, call them, but do not admit them into 
 their houses. A favourite piece is called Ahegarasu — the 
 story of a courtesan Urazato and her guest, Tokijiro, of 
 whom she became very fond, so that when all his money 
 was spent she still enticed him to visit her. Her 
 master finding this out, put Tokijiro into a cask, tied up 
 the girl and beat her ; Finally, they escape together. 
 There are two styles ; the Okamoto is considered respect- 
 able, but the Fajimatsa is very coarse and indecent. The 
 samisen used is small ; the voice falsetto with a nasal 
 twanor. Children are not often taught the shinnai. 
 
 Ilayari outa. Outazawa Nourokusai, during the last 
 generation, was the first and great composer of this variety 
 of music, consisting chiefly of short verses. The 
 fjeyshas entertain their patrons with this class of singing, 
 and often improvise their own verses for the occasion. 
 The words and accompaniment to the Odori are usually 
 Hayari'Outa» Teachers of geyshas study this style of 
 composition. Respectable families prohibit it. 
 
 JaPANE8B CoSJtOGONY. 
 
 Kontofiy chaos, like an egg or embryo, was the normal 
 condition of all things before the separation, according to 
 the Chinese philosophy, of the two 'principles,' iw, the 
 female, and yo, the male. The ethereal ascended and 
 became the heavens, the sediment was precipitated, from 
 which the ashi (Ereyanthus japonica) sprang up like a 
 
80 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 yoaiig shoot. Tliis shoot grew until it bccamG the first of 
 the kaml, now called Kuni-toko-tachi-no mikoto (the first 
 behig of the country) followed by the appearance of Kuni 
 sazu clii no mikoto (the being who pushed his way into a 
 circumscribed space), and Toyokunnu no mikoto (the 
 being who made the land pleasant and lively), who re- 
 presents the first fruits of the earth after chaos. Then 
 successively appeared the following: — 
 
 Takami-musubi-no-mikoto (offspri-ng of heaven and 
 earth.) 
 
 Kami musubi no mikoto, (offspring of llie gods.) 
 
 Uji hi ni no mikoto (offspring of the ground.) 
 
 Ama no toko tatchi no mikoto (ofi^spriiig of the hea- 
 vens.) 
 
 Kuni no soko tatchi no mikoto (the kami like unto 
 kurai toko tatchi. 
 
 Toyukumuno kami (God of plentiful vegetation.) 
 
 Uhi chi ni no kami (God of the earth). 
 
 Sui chi ni no kami (God of sand). 
 
 Sahi no kami (God of useful timber). 
 
 Kahi no kami (God of unfelled timber). 
 
 Oto no chi no kami (God of harvests). 
 
 Oto no be no kami (God of husbandry). 
 
 Omotaru no kami (God of primeval habitations). 
 
 Aya kashi ko ne no kami (God of primitive dwelUng 
 places). 
 
 Up to this period the male principle yo being para- 
 mount, the sexes had not appeared. The foregoing 
 represent the creation. 
 
 The five elements, wood, fire, metal, earth, water, were 
 
JAPANESE COSMOGONY. 81 
 
 now divided, and in due order fulfilled their respective 
 uses. Isanagi, tlie produce of the male, and Isanami that 
 of the female, come next, and these constitute the first 
 couple. The names are derived from the meaning of the 
 first words spoken upon earth, the woman beckoned 
 to the man, he nodding assent and going. They stood on 
 the celestial bridge which spans the ethereal vault (amano 
 uki hachi), the man waving the Tama hoko (matchless 
 falchion). The thought arose that there may be sub- 
 stance beneath the fiice of the unstable waters, and he 
 plunged the mighty weapon into the watery depths, 
 and the drops which trickled from it when withdrawn 
 formed tiie dry land, called Onokoro shima (the incon- 
 siderable island). To this they both betook them- 
 selves, designing to make it the pillar of a future conti- 
 nent, and started to make the circuit of it, the woman 
 turning to the right, the man to the left. They met at the 
 other side, wiien the woman spoke the first words uttered 
 upon earth. Ana ^liyashi mashi otoko ni ainu (Oh joy to 
 meet a lovely man !) But the man was displeased that the 
 woman spoke first and insisted that the journey round the 
 island should be repeated, and when they again met, the 
 man said Ana niyashi mashi ootone ni ainu, (Oh joy to 
 meet a lovely woman !) Thus was the creation of man 
 perfected, and the island grew into Oyamato toyoakitsusu, 
 (the everlasting great Nipon.) 
 
 The woman Isanami conceived and brought forth a 
 female child, either as a punishment for having spoken be- 
 fore the man, or because the female principle, in, was more 
 powerful. The man was greatly disappointed that a sou 
 was not born I 
 
82 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 This female child became Tenshoko dai jiii. Isanami 
 brought forth a second female child called Tsuki yomi no 
 mikoto, (the goddess of moon — the moon itself), and again 
 a third child, a male, named Hiro ko (leech). At the age 
 of three, being still unable to walk, his parents made for 
 him a boat o? kusunoki (camphor-tree) in which he was sent 
 adrift, and he became the first fisherman. He is called 
 Yebisu, and is worshipped yearly by fishermen and by 
 traders — catching fish and selling th^m being considered 
 the first commercial transaction. 
 
 A fourth child was born to them, Sosa no no mikoto, a 
 goodly-shaped boy, who was doubly welcome after the 
 former female children and the cripple, and their hopes 
 rested on their last-born to populate the country. But 
 they were fated to disappointment as the boy proved most 
 unruly, and the older he grew the more intractable he 
 became, murdering his countrymen, and tearing up trees 
 and destroying vegetation. His parents were therefore 
 compelled to condemn him to banishment and decided to 
 send him to a distant land Ne no kutii, whither he went. He 
 returned, however, and continued his wild career, on one 
 occasion turning a wild horse loose into the field his sister' 
 Tenshoko had planted with rice; the plants were trampled 
 down and the fields destroyed. Again, after she had erected 
 a dwelling in wliicli to prepare the new rice for her 
 food, he defiled it so that it could no longer be used ; and 
 on another occasion, when she was sitting at her loom 
 weaving, he threw a reeking horse's hide violently upon 
 It, and prevented her working further. This repeated 
 miacouduct became to her so unbearable that she took 
 
JAPANESE COSMOGONY. 83 
 
 refuge in A?na no iwato, the celestial cavern, and drew 
 a huge rock to the mouth of the cave to close her- 
 self in. Rikugo, i. e. Ten Chi Shi-ho, heaven, earth and 
 the four quarters, became enveloped in darkness, and 
 there was no distinction between day and night, and the 
 Yaso yoro%u no hami, eight hundred thousand gods, as- 
 sembled at Amano yasio no kaiuara (the heavenly river- 
 plain of Yaguj, to discuss what was to be done to res- 
 tore light to the world, and procured from Tokoyo> 
 the country of perpetual day, a number of miga naJd 
 niwa tori (continuously crowing domestic fowl) which 
 were plentiful there. These irrepressible chanticleers 
 were brought before the mouth of the cave, and Tatchi 
 kara-o-no-kami, the strong-handed god, stood there wait- 
 ing. From Ama-no-kaku yama, Futodamano mikoto 
 (exceeding beauteous god) uprooted and brought a large 
 tree of the kind called Sakaki, from the top branch of 
 which were hung five hundred jewels (tamo) ; from the 
 centre branch was suspended a yixdi no kagame (a star- 
 shaped mirror), and from the lower branch were hung 
 green and white slips of paper (nigite) and this tree was 
 also brought to the entrance of the cave. The gods now 
 implored Tenshoko to show her face, but she was deaf to 
 their entreaties. Then Ama no usume no mikoto (the 
 heavenly glossy-countenanced goddess), advised their 
 dancing before the cave to excite the curiosity of the self- 
 imprisoned goddess, and she took the branches of the tree 
 brought by Futodama, and decking her hair with the 
 ornaments suspended from it, she took a bamboo, to the 
 end of which some chikaya (a grass) was tied, to look like 
 
84 ^U SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 a spear, tying up her long flowing sleeves with tendrils 
 of ivy. These preparations conipleted, bonfires were 
 lighted, and Araa no usume danced before the cave 
 with all her might, to the music of fifes, drums and 
 cymbals. Tenshoko, hearing tlie music and dancing, 
 wondered what it was that could cause such joy since 
 Toyo ashiwara had become Tokoijami (darkness) by lier 
 entering the cave, and that there was therefore more 
 cause for grief than joy ; thus her curiosity led her 
 to move the great rock slightly to peep out on the ill- 
 timed scene. Tatchi-kara immediately seized the stone 
 and drew it away, and grasping her hand drew out Ten- 
 shoku, when Waka tomi-no-kami and Imbei no kami (the 
 god of shades), made a rope of rice-straw, which they 
 twisted the contrary way, from left to right, and which they 
 drew across the mouth of the cave. Then all was glad- 
 ness, and the rotation of day and night was established 
 again for evermore. As a punishment to Sosano, the 
 cause of all this trouble, instead of death, his hair was 
 pulled out hair by hair, his finger and toe-nails extract- 
 ed, and he was again banished to a far distant land. 
 This story contains the first accounts of music, where the 
 gods play to the dancing. It is the original from which the 
 Kagara (dancing and music before the miyas) was copied. 
 It is also the first instance of a female receiving anything 
 from the hand:^ of a man to adorn her person, and this 
 was used to place in her hair— whence the first hair-phis. 
 We also have the first allusion to back*handed straw-i'ope 
 (ahiri kiime-nawa^ a rope to prevent return) being usedj 
 and although with some modifications, the origin of straw- 
 
JAPANESE COSMOGONY. 86 
 
 rope round trees, shrines, houses &c., often seen at new- 
 year time and at Shinto festivals. Tiie taske (sleeve- 
 binder) is also first mentioned, although then ivy-tendrils. 
 The adornment of the branches of the tree finds its 
 counterpart to this day in tlie magatama, (waving jewels), 
 small willow trees with numerous trinkets suspended 
 from them. 
 
 Isanami brought forth a fifth child, a male, called Hino- 
 kamikaku tsuchi (god of wild-fire) and on that day she 
 was consumed by fire. In the ngonies of death she 
 brought forth Tsutchi no kami hani yama hime (the god- 
 dess of the earth and hills) also Midzuhanome no 
 kami (goddess of water). Kaku tsuchi took Hani yama 
 to wife, and in due time she bore him Wakamusubi, 
 the first produce of man and earth, on whose head 
 grew the mulberry and silk- worm, and from whose 
 navel sprung the five cereals {go koku), rice, wheat, beans, 
 millet and sorghum, the Siindamono, or purer principle, 
 rising to the upper extremity as the silk-worm ; the Nlgorii, 
 mono (sediment) sinking into the produce of the ground. 
 There are many versions of these accounts, differing 
 somewhat in detail, and some of them have been translat- 
 ed and printed in Europe long ago. 
 
 Isan ami's tomb is in Arima no mura, in the province 
 of Kishin, and when the blossoms appear on the trees flo- 
 wers are taken to the tomb. Isanagi, finding the country 
 he had created subject to thick fogs, wished to dispel them, 
 and dispersed them with the force of his lungs, his breath 
 becoming Shina tobe no kami (the god by the sea). Be- 
 cause his partner was consumed by the fire of Kaku tsuchi, 
 
86 FU SO MIMI BUKUnO, 
 
 Isanagi cut him into three portions ; the upper portion 
 hecame Ika tsuchi no kami (the God drummer, the god 
 of t^hunder) ; the centre portion O yama tsumi no kami 
 (god of abundant water) ; and Taka wo kami (the god 
 of storms). Isanagi then ordered that his children 
 should divide their duties properly between them. 
 Tensho should control Takamanohara ; Tskiyomi should 
 assist Tenshoko ; and Sosanono should control Awo 
 una bara (the plains of green sea, by which is meant 
 the world.) Tenshoko then enquired for the god of food 
 and sent Tokiyomi for him. He appeared, and facing the 
 land, breathed and his breath became li (boiled rice). He 
 then faced the sea and breathed and his breath became fish, 
 broad and narrow. Then, facing the hills he breathed 
 again, and beasts with coarse hair appeared (boar, deer 
 &c.) and beasts with fine hair (rabbits &c.). Collecting 
 some of these he placed them before Tski yomi, who 
 was enraged at being presented with what had come from 
 the mouth of the god of food, and slew him, and reported 
 this to Tenshoko who degraded Tskiyomi from joint 
 rule and condemned her to appear only by night while 
 Tensho slept, Ama no kuma hito was sent to see what 
 had become of the slaughtered god, and found him dead, but 
 his head had become horses and oxen ; from his forehead 
 grew millet ; from his eyebrows crawled silk woi-ms ; 
 from his eyes sorghum ; from his bosom sprang rice ; from 
 his loins, wheat and beans. These were taken and presen- 
 ted to Tenshoko and she apportioned them as human food. 
 
RELIGION. 87 
 
 Religion. 
 
 The two principal religions of this country are Shin- 
 toism and Buddhism ; and, besides these, Confucianism 
 lias been rapidly gaining ground of late years. 
 
 Shintoism — from Shin (gods) and To (road) or Kami 
 no michif deserves the first place as the ancient cultus of 
 the country. Little more than a bare outline of it can be 
 sketched here, though some interesting matter connected 
 with it will appear subsequently. 
 
 The Shinto idea of creation is that out of choas {kori' 
 ton) the eartli (in) was the sediment precipitated, and the 
 Heavens {yo) the ethereal essences which ascended ; man 
 (jin) appeared between the two. The first man was called 
 Kuni-toko tatchi-no-mikoto, but five other names were 
 given to him, and then the human race appeared, male 
 and female. Isanagi and Isanami begat Tenshoko daijin, 
 the first of the five gods of the earth. 
 
 Jimmu teuno, the sou of Fukiawasezu no mikoto, was 
 the first Mikado (B. C. 660) and from the date of his 
 accession the Japanese kl gen commences, 2,535 years ago. 
 The present Mikado, Mutzhito, is the 123rd of the line. 
 
 The Kami, with one exception, are historical person- 
 ages who have been deified, and petitions are ofiered to 
 them, as will be presently explained, although in the 
 prayers offered up at the Shinto shrines called Miya, Gti, 
 Yashiro or Jinska, there is nothing indicative of a 
 belief in a future state, or of the p3ssession of a soul by 
 the petitioner. 
 
FU SO MIMI BVKURO, 
 
 Formerly the priests of the Buddhist creed amal- 
 gamated their doctrines with the petitions of the Sliinto 
 faith, and supplied this deficiency, but the scepticism 
 of the men of the day induced them to taken advan- 
 tage of the low state of morality among the Buddhist 
 priests to bring about a separation of the two systems of 
 worship and belief, and Shintoism is once more the estab- 
 lished religion of Japan. 
 
 The Japanese Kainl (gods) number 13,730, of which 
 about 3,700 are known to have shrines; to the more celebrat- 
 ed of these slirines have been erected throughout the 
 Empire ; those to Inari, for instance, may be found in every 
 town and district and in every land-owner's residence, 
 noble and peasant. 
 
 Each province has its Ichi-no-miya, and each district, 
 sometimes each hamlet, may have one or more local Kami. 
 
 The petitions offered up at the Miija (shrine) are called 
 Roku-kon--no-harai{\)Qi\i\o\\i>> of six origins). Anger, Grief, 
 Kindness, Protection, Dishonesty and Avarice or Selfish- 
 ness. 
 
 Sai-morif or thanksgivings for favours granted, or 
 successes attained, are offered up. 
 
 Notto, or songs of praise are used by i\\e KiUL-nushi, 
 or guardian of the Miya. 
 
 Each Kami has an annual festival, and mnuy liavc par- 
 ticalar days in each month, on which it is usual to visit 
 the miya, besides which petitioners visit the shrines at all 
 times, but rarely after sundown. The ceremonies and 
 observances are most minute and vary for each Kami. 
 AVe sul)join one of the more common prayers offered up 
 
REimiON. 89 
 
 by the devotees at the Miya. Generally, however, the 
 hands are clapped twice and the genuflexions are made in 
 silence. Both sexes may use the harai or prayers. Books 
 are not generally used, nor are prayers learned by rote for 
 the occasion. The Kami is supposed to read the prayer 
 while yet but in thought, and before it rises to the lips 
 in the form of words. Not being intended for human ears, 
 eloquence is not needed. Females are rarely to be seen 
 praying at Shinto shrines. 
 
 (A prayer of the first importance.) 
 God that in the high celestial plains exists ! gracious 
 monarch I godlike in substance and godlike in intellect ! 
 heavenly w^ords of praise are offered up: therefore give 
 protection from guilt and its punishments, banish such 
 and purify uncleanness. Host of Gods ! give ear and 
 listen to these our petitions. 
 
 Sai Yo no harat. 
 
 (Tal-a ma no hara ni knini toclomari-m^asJii'masUf 
 Slime mutzn, kami roji kami rami no mikoto, ivo mofte, 
 Hova tsii no/ to no Futo notto no koto, nor^,-kaku, noraha 
 fsumi to iu tsumi toga to iu toga loa araji mono v;o to 
 harai tnmaye hiyome tamafa to mousu, koto no yosJd wo 
 moro moro no kami tatcM, sawo sltikanoyatyAC no on mimi 
 wo furi tatete Jciko shimi^se to mousu.) 
 
 The world is often called in poetry, Toyoashi war a (the 
 fruitful rush-plain) from the AsJd (Ert/anthus Japonicus) 
 the first-fruit of the earth after chaos. 
 
 Takama-no-hara are tlie high plains of heaven, where 
 the gods dwell, but from which mortals are excluded, 
 
90 FU SO MTMT BVKURO. 
 
 Drums (taiko) are beaten on festive occasions, and at 
 some temples the devotee calls the attention of the kami 
 by shaking the suzuy a thin metal globe suspended above 
 him containing several pellets which rattle when so shaken 
 by the long tassel which is fastened to it for the purpose. 
 All miya have a mirror on the altar, as an emblem of 
 purity ; therefore it is said that the word kaml is a modern 
 name for the gods represented l»y the Chinese character 
 shin, and is derived from kagami, a mirror, omitting the 
 repetition of the first syllable. 
 
 All Miya have one or more Tori-i (bird-perches), which 
 are usually offerings by devotees or petitioners as 
 thank erections. He who approaches the Miya must pass 
 under the Tori-i, and then the Hai-den or place of 
 prayer, is reached, at the rear of which is another building, 
 the Eon sha, or true Miya. Wilh few variations the 
 same style of architicture prevails throughout the Empire. 
 Sometimes a gateway with a porch on each side is to be 
 seen, and in each porch a figure seated or mounted, called 
 the guardian of the right and the left, * called Yw/'/and 
 Suki. 
 
 The Go-hei, made of paper cut in a pecularform, inserted 
 in the split end of a piece of bamboo, is an emblem of 
 purity, and is enclosed in a box, thus forming the Shiufai 
 which is placed in the innermost sbrine. 
 
 To be fiijio, unclean, precludes worship at the Miya ; 
 on the death of a parent for fifty days ; of a child, twenty ; 
 
 * Columljus' Account of the CemieSj and the worship of ancestors in 
 the ishinds of the West Indies bear a striking resemblance to the forms 
 of the Kmni worship. 
 
RELIGIOJ^. 91 
 
 women after child-birth, twenty-one clays, &c.; eating flesh 
 or shedding blood, nntil the next day ; at the expiration 
 of these periods, bathing and change of raiment are re- 
 quisite. 
 
 The Kantiti^-tJiL, keeper of the Miya, also called Shinsho- 
 ku (or Shinkan in correspondence) was an hereditary 
 position, bnt of late the Kiohuslio (Department of Religion) 
 examine candidates. The subordinate positions vary in 
 duties and titles with each Miya, men only being employ- 
 ed to read the Notto and keep the Miya in order. 
 
 The Kaqura is the music and dancing on the annual, 
 monthly and other special days, offered up to the gods, 
 but intended also to amuse the visitors at the Miya. The 
 Tiilko (large drum), Fakko (small drum,) and Fuye (flute) 
 form " the band," while performers with special dresses 
 and masks go through various antics in silence. There is 
 no design, and no set pieces, merely changes of dress. 
 Some of the characters represented are predecessors of 
 Jimmu fighting with evil spirits and defeating them ; but 
 a little comicality is introduced, practical jokes are tra- 
 vestied and the fox is not forgotten — the fox and the 
 monkey have a trial of wit, and so on. This is generally 
 preceded by the appearance of the Mlko (childof the gods), 
 a female dressed in white, with a necklace of flax, bearing 
 a Gohei in her right hand, and jingling in the left a susii. 
 of peculiar shape. This is the only part taken by females 
 in the Shiiitc') riles. 
 
 The offerings, Sonayc-moiin^ are Miki or Onaake in t\vo 
 Vases with paper inserted in themj Arai-yone cleaned 
 rice in unglazed pottery; Mocldy cakes of boiled and pound- 
 
92 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 ed rice; and, on special occasions, Koiva meshl or seki-han, 
 rice boiled with Aclzuki, small red Leans. Frnit and 
 vegetables of all kinds in season; fish, generally the Tai, 
 (Serrcmus Marginalus,) which are not allowed to spoil, 
 but converted to the use of the Kannushi, the Sliislio or 
 inferior officials and others connected with the Mlya. 
 
 The following are the most important Kami, and the 
 salient points in the adoration of each is merely noted. 
 
 Ten-sho-ko-dai-jin or Ama-terasu-vo-kam' , is the first 
 and principal of the JCami and the only one of whom there 
 is no historical record of life on this earth. This goddess 
 is highly venerated as the ancestor of Jimmu, and there- 
 fore of the present Imperial family. The principal miya 
 are in Ise, called Dai-jln On, where there are two, the 
 older, called the " outer," the other, the * inner.' There 
 are shrines throughout the Empire, but there is no regular 
 distribution of them, all depending on the local popular 
 fancy. When a deputation of the subscribers to the pro- 
 posed building undertake a pilgrimage to Ise and return 
 with the Shintai (godly substance) consisting of a small 
 box of papar on a wooden framework, containing paper 
 cut and stuck on a slip of bamboo ; on the box is written 
 live Chinese characters meaning " Waved respectfully ten 
 thousand times," equivalent to so many prayers. This is 
 placed in the Holy of Holies concealed from vulgar gaze. 
 Formerly every liousehold procured a Shinfdi every new 
 year from Ise, noAV the Kiohusho distributes them when 
 necessary, but not annually. 
 
 In Ise there is Uo annual festival) but the number of 
 pilgrims is greatest in the Spring. At the other 3Iiytt 
 
RELIGION. 93 
 
 annual 3IaUuri (festivals) are fixed according to local 
 convenience. 
 
 The pilgrimage to Ise is the most general ; all devout 
 men and women are supposed to go at least once, and pil- 
 grims from the remotest corners of the Empire resort 
 thither and receive the Shlntai to take home. Poor 
 people are frequently met begging their way thither, but 
 they are not expected to wear any peculiar garb. 
 
 Sumi yoslii is the name of a celebrated Miya near Osaka, 
 erected in honour of Jin-gu-ko-go who was the loth 
 Mikado A.D. 200 to 268, and who is the patron kami of 
 all who go on the water either as sailors or travellers. 
 
 Solco-tsutsu-no-mikotn (God of the bottom of the Sea), 
 Naka tsulsa-no-mikoto (God of the middle of the Sea), 
 and Uwa-tsutu-no-mikoto (God of the surface and con- 
 troller of the waves), three kami who are placed after the 
 time of Kuni toko and before Jimmu, and the Gods of the 
 Sea are incorporated with Jin-gu, and called Sitmi-yoshi' 
 shi-sha (fortunate residence of the four incorporated 
 Kami)* 
 
 Guion, Go'dzU'tenno, Suga jin sha (Ox, Chief, hea- 
 venly king) or Sosa no-ono-no-mikoto is the Kami of the 
 cavaliers : the shrines are to be met with in all provinces, 
 the principal one being in Kioto. The great annual fes- 
 tival is on the loth day of the 6tli month, and was one of 
 the principal festivals of Kioto. There are several shrines 
 in Yedn, l)nt the date of the principal festival differs there. 
 
 In art, or, more correctly, Uga-no mitama no kami, is 
 the God of the produce of the soil, cereals, vetetables, 
 &c,, commonly called Inari (rice-stalk bearer) and the 
 
94 FU SO MIMI BUKUHO. 
 
 shrines may be recognized by the Tori-i or portal being 
 coloured red with carved stone foxes on either side. Be- 
 sides the larger slirines met with at almost every turn, 
 eacii landhokler or farmer has one on his property. 
 
 The Kltsune, (fox), frequently seen at the shrines, 
 attracted thither by the offerings of food, became gradually 
 associated with Inari. The annual festival is on the first 
 day of the horse, which occurs in the second month. 
 
 Hacliiman or Ojin Tenno, the 16th Mikado, who reigned 
 from A.D. 270 to 309, is the God of Warriors. He was 
 buried at Usa in the province of Bnzen where the chief 
 shrine is, and there is no province, county (korie) or town 
 without oue or more dedicated to Hachiman. The annual 
 festival is held on the loth day of the 8th month. 
 
 Tate miiiakata no mikoto is the name of a God whose 
 principal shrine is at Suwa in Shinshiu. On the festivals, 
 a deer's head is placed before the shrine as an offering. 
 Hitherto, the Japanese, who had a great dread of eating 
 flesh, used to obtain a pair of the chop-sticks which are 
 Bold at this shrine, and with which they may eat fieah 
 without evil befalling them. 
 
 To'Sho-gu is Gongen* or lyeyasu, the first Tokugawa 
 Shogun, who obtaiued this rank in 1603, and abdicated 
 after three years in favour of his son Hidetada, himself 
 becoming Ogoshosama. He died in 1616, and was first 
 buried at Kunosan in Suriiga, but was afterwards re- 
 moved and buried in Nikko In the province of Shlmotskc. 
 There are shrines thronghout the Empire dedicated to 
 
 * There are many other Gongcn ; it is a posthumous title of the Bud- 
 dhist Saintdi 
 
RELIGION, 96 
 
 him. The 17th day of the 4th month is the date of his 
 chief festival, but his shrine is also visited on the 17th 
 day of each month. 
 
 Ten-jln, or Ten man gu^ Suga-wara-no michi-sane, 
 who was Saki no Udaijin to Daigo tenno, the 89th 
 Mikado. He was banished to the province of Chikuzen 
 and there died in 903, and was buried in a place culled 
 Dai-sai-fu, where a shrine to him was afterwards erected, 
 Others have since sprung up throughout these islands, 
 where he is prayed to as the patron saint of learning, and. 
 of course, of scholars and students. The 28th day of the 
 5th month is his great festival or Matsouri. In Yedo, 
 Knme-ido is his principal shrine. 
 
 The accounts of Shiutoism which have been published 
 hitherto, from the days of Xavier's successors to the pre- 
 sent time, contain much of the Buddhist rites, which had 
 been engrafted upon the old faith. The latest important 
 object of deification or canonization was Gongen, called 
 Toshogu, who received the honour A.D. 1627. 
 
 The CliokklOf like a papal Bull, always emanated from 
 Kioto (/.e. the Mikado.) 
 
 On the thirtieth day after the birth of a male, and 
 thirty fii-st after the birth of a female child, it is taken to 
 tiie Mlya of the district and, according to the means of 
 the parent, so many Haral are repeated, and the Gohei is 
 waved before the shrine. There is no baptism or similar 
 ceremony. Tlie KiDul o^ the Mi// (V to wh'mh the child is 
 taken is called Ubtisima* (god of the place of birth) and 
 
 • Uji-gaini, is frequentl.y confounded with the Ubusana. The former 
 is the family aucestral patron j the latter the local kami of the place of 
 birth. 
 
96 FU SO MIMI BVKURO, 
 
 becomes the patron Kami of the child, who has received 
 its name on the seventh day after birth from one chosen 
 by his parents with the advice of friends or the priests. 
 Thenceforth female children on the 15th of the 11th 
 month of their third year, when the hair is allowed to 
 grow, on their seventh year, the Ohitoh', time to wear 
 the broad girdle, and thirteenth year, the earliest age to 
 dye the teeth visit the Miya. 
 
 Male children, on the same day of the month, in their 
 fifth year when first ' breeched ' with the Hakama, and 
 nsnally when the head if first dressed after the manner of 
 adults are taken to the Ubnsuna Mlya. 
 
 Formerly Jaiishl (io accompany the dead) was practised 
 by the upper classes. When the master died his wife and 
 most faithful retainers prepared to accompany him and 
 committed suicide. Later on, about the beginning of our 
 era, Haji no tsukune, the ancestor of Suga-wara-no michi- 
 sane, made figures of clay to substitute for those who 
 intended to immolate themselves. Although thorite was 
 prohibited, it was still at times practised in defiance of 
 the law. I Penances, charity or alms-giving, self-imposed 
 pain, fasting and mortification of the flesh and spirit are 
 not required by the Kami, but men must lead a pure life, 
 be honest, truthful and chaste. 
 
 Good works consist in repairing or improving the ^Tii/a, 
 but a number of Buddhist ideas are intermingled by the 
 
 t In the days of Confuciiis images were buried with the dead, and 
 the " great master " predicted that eventually uien would be sacrificed. 
 His prophecy was verified, and men of ability became scarce. When 
 Haji initiated a check on this terrible custom, great improvement took 
 place. Native annotators on the classics note this, 
 
HELiaiON. 97 
 
 common people, who often hang np pictnres, locks of hair 
 and other ofFernig* as they would in the temples. 
 
 When a person is dying no prayers are said by him or 
 his friends. But when the last breath of life has passed 
 away, the body is moved with the head to the North and 
 a white cloth is placed over the face. Word is then sent to 
 the officers of the ward and the Kannushi of the Miya in 
 the vicinity, occasionally, if not too far, to the Ubusuna 
 of the deceased. Tlie Kannushi performs the ceremonies 
 for the dead called Shohonsai. A desk is placed near the 
 head of the corpse on which lights and offerings are placed, 
 generally salt, water, rice, sake, cakes, fish, fruit, dried 
 seaweed, vegetables &c. The Reijie is prepared, consist- 
 ing of a mirror, on the back of which the name of the 
 deceased is written, and placed in a small tub, which is 
 again covered with white material, and is, for the space 
 of forty-nine days, daily supplied with offerings, and 
 prayers are daily repeated before it by the members of 
 the family of the deceased. Not sooner than twenty-four 
 hours after death, is the body placed, by the immediate 
 relatives, in a long coffin in a reclining posture — unlike the 
 Buddhists. The Kan — coffin, made of hinoki or momi 
 usually — has placed inside it a cotton quilt and a 
 pillow of tea-leaves or chaff, and the corpse is robed 
 in a shroud of white material shaped like the ordinary 
 dress. With the body is placed a garment suited to the 
 season, a girdle, a suit of full-dress, a head-dress, an over- 
 dress of the ancient pattern called Ho. Metals must bo 
 excluded, and the coffin is covered and put into an outer 
 case called kaku and placed on trestles. The funeral 
 
08 FU SO MIMJ BUKVRO. 
 
 cortege varies with the rank and means of the family, and 
 upon arrival at the cemetery the funeral service is per- 
 formed. Over the grave a small mound is formed and a 
 square post fixed in the centre, on the front of which is 
 written the name and age, and on the sides the date of 
 death, the place of birth and other particulars. The grave 
 is fenced in with a paling of bamboo or wood, and at the 
 gate is placed a small Tori-i of rough wood stripped of the 
 bark, and plants of the scikaki are placed at each side of 
 it, and inside, a cherry tree is planted on each side. 
 
 Besides the Bejie, after one hundred days have elapsed 
 since the date of death, the wood-post is changed for a 
 pillar of stone. On every anniversary of the death there 
 is a Matsuri held in the house of the dead, and on that 
 day a visit is paid to the grave. Every year, during the 
 third month, a day is chosen on which a ceremony is per- 
 formed in honour of the ancestors of the family, and 
 prayers are offered up and petitions for prosperity during 
 the year. Again in the autumn, during the ninth month, 
 a thanksgiving is held and again the ancestral tombs are 
 visited, both sexes joining in these rites. 
 
 A rough outline only has been given of these rites and 
 observances. To enter into fuller detail would demand 
 more space than can now be spared, as other subjects 
 demanding notice await attention. 
 
BUDDHISM. 99 
 
 Buddhism. 
 
 The native accounts, ordinarily received as correct, relate 
 that Buddhist doctrines together with the appertaining 
 idols, descriptive books &c, were introduced from Hakusai 
 (Corea) in the winter of the year A.D. 552, being the thir- 
 teenth year of the reign of Kin mei Tenno, thirtieth of 
 his line since the reign of Jimmu. The idols, books &c 
 were given by the Mikado to his chief Councillor of State, 
 Soga Iname, who deposited them in a part of his palace 
 thenceforth named Kogen Jie (the temple facing the 
 plains). In the year 577 the sixth year of Bidatzu Tenno, 
 the sjuccessor of Kin mei the paraphernalia of the religion 
 were again brought to Japan and its doctrines found 
 favour at Court. In the fourteenth year of this monarch's 
 reign — A.D. 585, a terrible pestilence raged in the country 
 aud a Councillor of State, Mononobe Moriya, expressed to 
 the monarch his apprehensions that the visitation was 
 sent expressly by the gods to mark their anger that the 
 old faith should have been set aside by or alloyed with 
 tlie doctrines of a new creed. He was, however, unable 
 to gain full credence, though successful in obtaining an 
 order that the rites of the new religion should not 
 be celebrated. The temples were accordingly burned 
 and the idols cast into the rivers. Hori ye in 
 Osaka is one of the places still pointed out where this 
 was done ; he was afterwards killed during some local 
 disturbance while supporting law und order.* Mayado 
 
 * This seems to have formeti a very good precedent for the persecu- 
 tion of Christiims exactly ten centuries later. 
 
100 FU SO MIMI SUKUBO, 
 
 Oojie, who was coteraporary with Moriya, was an active 
 disseminator of the new creed and is highly vene- 
 rated by all the various sects. His okiiri-na, or sub- 
 sequent name, by which he is at present designated is 
 Sho-toku-tai-shi (exceedingly virtuous son). Idols re- 
 presenting hi in in his teens, or as at the period of his 
 decease, seated and crowned may be met with in nearly 
 all the Buddhist temples. He was not of the priesthood 
 and is the only layman on record as having been 
 apotheosised. 
 
 The origin and history of Buddhism was soon dissei 
 minated through the medium of the Chinese literature 
 which the priests received. They, or their disciples, would 
 appear to have been the first to make use of the Chinese 
 characters, Chinese writing not having been generally 
 known at the date of introduction of the new belief. 
 
 In A.D. 624 two priests named Kan-ro and Taku-sek- 
 arrived in Japan from Hakusai. The former was elevated 
 to the rank of So-jo (chief-priest) and the latter con- 
 stituted So-dzu (vicar-general). These were the first 
 members of the priesthood to whom a grade was assigned 
 by the Court. 
 
 In A.D. 700 Do-sho, an 0-slio (chief-priest of a temple), 
 died and was cremated, and this was the first time that 
 cremation was practised in Japan.* 
 
 In A.D. 889 Uda Tenno, the fifty-ninth of his dynasty 
 became a Buddhist priest taking the name Kam-pei-ho-o 
 so called from the name of the year, in which he took 
 
 * Eleven and-a half centuries elapsed before it was prohibited by 
 the present Shosti officials as contrary to the principles of Shiutoism. 
 
nUDDHISM. 101 
 
 his vows. During this period nothing was definitely 
 settled as to the various sects, or with regard to their 
 conflicting views as to rites and observances. 
 
 Simultaneously with the dissemination of the principles 
 of the new faith the schisms, which invariably arise when 
 success and freedom from persecution have dissolved the 
 bonds which unite co-religionists in periods of oppression, 
 began to show themselves. Do sho, whose decease in the 
 year 700 A. D. at the temple of Ko-fuku-ji of Nan to 
 (South capital) in Yamato no kuni, we have already 
 noticed, was Kai-san (opener of the hill), founder of the 
 above-named temple and of the old Buddhist sect named 
 Ho-so (knowledge of a myriad subjects.) The tenets 
 of this sect were divided under five headings : the names 
 of things ; the forms of things ; discrimination ; true 
 intelligence ; form of the soul. There are older sects, 
 but this took precedence of the others. The San-ron 
 sliiu, or sect of three arguments, is the oldest of 
 these. It was founded in A. D. 621 by Yeka who 
 resided in Igami-dera in Kawachi. Its tenets are divided 
 into the following : the medium arguments, the hundred 
 arguments and the twelve gates. As a sect it has become 
 extinct, absorbed by some of the more recent developments. 
 It embraced principles enjoining complete indifference to 
 mundane affairs — in fact thorough personal nullification— 
 and ignoring all action by its disciples. 
 
 In A. D. 735 Gem-ba-so-jo founded the sect known as 
 Gu'Sha the tenets of which were taken from the prayer- 
 books of that name. They are comprised in 30 volumes. 
 The temples in which these tenets were first imparted 
 
102 FU SO MtMt BUltURO, 
 
 were known as To-dai-ji in Yamato and Mi-idera in 
 Oomi. The principles of the sect are divided under two 
 headings viz : the control of the passions, as selfishness, 
 covetousness, &c., and the governance of the tboughts. 
 This sect, or such portion of its tenets as have not died 
 out, has also been absorbed by some of the more recent. 
 
 In A.D. 749 Do sho and Do ji proceeded to China and 
 on their return thence brought witli them a work 
 on Buddhism, styled Jo-jitz-ron (the true argu- 
 ment) in twenty-seven vohnnes, and upon these 
 tenets the Jo-jitzu-shiu was founded. Its principles taught 
 the utter absence of substantiality in all things. Life it- 
 self was but a prolonged dream, the objects about us 
 mere delusive shadows or mirage, the product alone of 
 the imagination. This sect is no longer represented 
 by priests or temples, such of its dogmas as survived 
 having been incorporated with tlie tenets of other Sects. 
 
 In the same year Kochi Dai-so-dzu of Todaiji, Yamato 
 caused a small temple to be built, and instituted a new 
 Sect, that of Ke-gon shluy or Conspicuous. The book in 
 which the special principles which guided this Sect were 
 found, were compiled by Ten-shin-bo-satzu of India, one 
 of the original disciples of Buddha. It taught that the 
 soul resembled a fair page upon which the artist might 
 trace a design, and that special care was needed to prevent 
 the impression of evil designs, in order to which the 
 thoughts should be continnally directed towards Buddha. 
 
 This sect, also, is a thing of the past, while many of its 
 tenets survive, amalgamated with those of existing sects. 
 
 lu A.D. 754 Kau-chi-oslio of Sho dai ji in Yamato 
 
BUDDHISM. l03 
 
 was possessed of three thousand sha^'i — the small pearl- 
 like substance that remained after cremation of the 
 Buddhist saints, — also certain books named Gen gi (original 
 signification) Mongu^ (rare and excellent collection ;) 
 Sldkan, (perpetuation of that which is admu'able). These 
 he presented to Shomukotei the 4oth Mikado who ac- 
 cepted them with pleasure, and, together with four hundred 
 aud thirty four of the chief officers of his Court, became 
 a pupil of the priest. In close vicinity to the Imperial 
 residence a temple was erected, Kai-dan-in, where the 
 go kaif or five commandments were first promulgated. 
 These five prohibitions, or commandments of Buddha, are 
 against setzush ) (destruction of Ife) ; chiuto (dishonesty); 
 ja in (adultery); mo-y^ (untruth) ; o;zym (wine-drinking). 
 To these are appended six radicals : mkii kon (eyes, nose, 
 ear, tongue, body, mind) ; roku jin (six unclean things 
 (valueless as dirt) color, sound, smell, taste, touch); 
 maxim: the former of these to be kept under control; 
 and not to be led into error by the latter. This is the 
 Ritzu Shiit. In Uyeno, Yedo, there is a temple known 
 as Ritzu In still in existence. 
 
 In Toodo, Morokoshi (China) at Tendaisan, Chi-sha- 
 daishi taught the tenets of the creed afterwards brought 
 over to Japan and thence known as Ten dai skiu, the ac- 
 curate Japanese name being Hok-ke shlu. In the year 
 788 Dengiodaishi caused a temple styled Yen-riaku-ji, 
 from the name of the year, to be erected at Hiyesan, on the 
 boundary of the provinces of Yamashiro and Oomi. Here 
 he founded his sect, and taught the doctrine of Chin sha, of 
 which the leading principle is, that the teacher must 
 
104 FU SO MiMI BUKURO, 
 
 thoroughly estimate the character and ability of his 
 pupil, and in accordance thereto so apportion his instruc- 
 tion, within the range of his comprehension, that the pupil 
 may not be hurried beyond it. These are the Jesuits of 
 Buddhism. At Uyeno, Tokio the temple of Kan ye ji was 
 erected by the Tokugawa for this sect in the year 1624 
 and thither devotees proceed to prayer on the 3rd 18th 
 and 30tli day of each month. Their common prayers are 
 Asa-dai-moku-yu-nem-butzu and tlie more frequently 
 employed Nainu-amida-butzu. 
 
 In the year 813 Kobodaishi, the compiler of the present 
 Japanese syllabary /, /?o, Ha, founded a temple at Kon- 
 go-ho-ji at Koyasau in the province of Kishiu, where he 
 tauj^ht the tenets he had learned in his travels abroad. 
 He was conversant with much of the- Pali, Sanscrit and 
 Chinese literature, especially in Buddhist classics.* He 
 also founded the temple Tou ji at Kngo ii' Yamashiro. 
 The sect is styled Shi?i go7i, or true words. Its principles 
 taught that the subtle points of an argument should be 
 seized aud elaborated. It points out three paths to jobutzu 
 (perfect bliss) which means absorption into Buddha. 
 
 Ringu no jobiUza or retention of detailed ways, so as 
 to become hodokey loosed or free (from earthly ties). On 
 all sides are the six associated things, earth, water, fire, 
 wind, air aud mind — Dai nichiniy oral — (the same as Ten 
 
 * The Deranarjari alphabet of 47 characters bears a strong resem- 
 blance to the ^y/?,//— priesta' letters— of the present, and it may be 
 fairly inferred that the I, Ro, Ha was formed on this plan for conve li- 
 ence at a period when Chinese was little known in this country except 
 by the priesthood. ..1 gonyio is the name of the book of prayers from 
 which the characters are said to haVe been taken arbitrarily by him fat 
 the foundation of thelroha, 
 
WDDHim, lOo 
 
 sho-ko of the Sliintoists) and the multitude are alike pos- 
 sessed of these six things, the proper control and use of 
 ■which lead to perfection. 
 
 Gaku-tai jobiUzii, or second road to bliss, is by the ob- 
 servation of and deduction from the buddings of Spring, 
 the bloom of Summer, the fall of the leaf in Autumn, the 
 withering of the verdure in Winter; when looking over the 
 earth in contemplating its vastness, when on the water 
 its roundness, and when examining three-cornered objects, 
 fire. By meditation and solitude to become eventually 
 equal to Dai Nichl Niyorai in Paradise. 
 
 Zentai-jobutzUf the true way. The head is compared 
 to the high mountain on which the saints assemble and the 
 body to the sea which encircles it. Within the mind are 
 seated the thousand worlds ; multitudes of renge, (lotus 
 flowers,) should spring therefrom. The body is likened to 
 a mountain guarded by an iron fence, the mind resembles 
 the broad seas and rivers; the head is like Benten tai Shaku, 
 the chief of the saints in Paradise ; the eyes are like Yem- 
 ma-ho-o, god of Hades ; the body like Shodai ten uin and 
 Ten yo ten do, good action, and a multitude of i/emhiidai 
 (evil thouglits and deeds). In the sixteen large countries, 
 the five hundred smaller countries and the countless 
 others as numerous as millet seed (grains of rice being 
 thereby inferred), there exist gods great and small, and 
 in all things exist the five elements, earth, water, fire, 
 witid, water* The correct observance of these things 
 leads to annihilation and bliss through absorption into 
 Buddha. 
 
 lu 1596 Chibhaku Iti of Higashiyama iu Yamashiro 
 
106 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 became the place of resort of followers of a subject of this 
 belief kuown as Shin-giy or new faith, founded at that 
 place by Gen-yu-sho-ken-so-jo. The prayers used are : 
 a long one commencing O)i-abo-kiya also Namu-dai-shi- 
 hen-jo-kon-go from namu to pray and the title of the 
 founder, and Namuamidahutzu, I pray to Amida Buddha. 
 
 These foregoing eight sects are the most ancient forms 
 of Buddhist worship in this country. Their priests were 
 forbidden to eat other than vegetable food. Salic also 
 was prohibited and celibacy enforced. There were many 
 forms of prayer common to all these sects, and that in most 
 frequent use, Namuamidabutzu, was used by the disciples 
 of each and all. It is related that the priests used 
 mushrooms in order to simulate as closely as possible the 
 flavour of fish, and that they showed much culinary skill in 
 preparing dishes resembling the prohibited articles of diet. 
 Of these Sects Tendai and Skingon possess numerous 
 temples and multitudes of followers ; San-ron and BUz 
 exist only in name and have no temples, and the other 
 four are extinct, certain only of their peculiar tenets still 
 surviving among those admitted by sects now flourishing. 
 
 In A.D. 1202 the Zen shia sect was founded by Ye 
 Sai at Kenninji Kioto. Its professors teach that per- 
 fect tranquillity both of body and mind is essential to 
 salvation. It is also styled Butztc-shitt'shlu, or sect 
 whose mind assimilates with Buddha, from whom it claims 
 to have received its articles of faith direct. These 
 are divided into two classes. The Inner teachings have 
 certain proverbial expressions of their principles such as : 
 maxims of doctrine are without rule ; gain that without 
 
BUDDHISM. 107 
 
 rule, for its doctrine cannot stand. Riijo-jlu-bo-saizu is 
 quoted for these and other similar expressions, such as that 
 emotions that leave no impression upon the mind or that 
 cause neither anger nor satisfaction are naught, as also 
 such things as possess neither beginning nor end. The 
 exterior teachings are in their minor details somewhat 
 antagonistic to the foregoing. They are subdivided into 
 jisso, true form, and nifisOf formless. These teachings are 
 styled KiyOije-betz-den.^ 
 
 Hoheuy or parables, are of three kinds, used by the 
 priests as a means of convincing their disciples. Rihi, 
 negation, is the leading principle. Kikaii, the mind, is but 
 a machine : an ox of clay swims on the ocean ; a horse 
 of stone mounts to the skies. Kosho, that which has 
 neither head nor tail. There are prayers, known as rinzai 
 or saikcL and soutou in numerous volumes. This sect ex- 
 isted at Oobaku in China, and seeds of the faith Avere in 
 time borne to Japan. 
 
 In the year 1278 at Nanzenji in Kiyoto, Mukanzengi 
 taught a new doctrine known as Rinzai. 
 
 In I600 at Uji Mampukuji Oobaku Ingenzenji estab- 
 lished another offshoot professing the pure Oobaku doct- 
 rine. 
 
 In, 1233 also at Uji Horinji Dogenzenji founded the more 
 ancient branch of the sect known as Soutou. The priests 
 are restricted to vegetable diet and are not allowed the use 
 
 t It is impossible to convey to the mind of the European in these 
 brief notes a clear conception of the abstract principles which are mixed 
 up with play on Words in the rendering of the Chinese character. An 
 effort, however, has been made to point out the more salient distinctions 
 between the sects. 
 
108 , FU SO MIMI BUKUBO, 
 
 of salce. Celibacy is imposed upon them. The prayers are 
 known as Komit/o-shi?i-ff on (the brilliant unreserved words 
 of truth) commencing with the words On-abo-kiya and 
 the more familiar Namuamidahntzii. 
 
 The Jau-do-Shiu (Heavenward bound Sect) was found- 
 ed in A.D. 1211 by Ho-neu-sho-nin at Kioto in Chi-won-in. 
 
 The temple at Shiba, Tokio, Dzo jo ji, was founded by 
 Sei-so-sho nin, also a priest of this sect, in 1605. 
 
 The priests of this sect are forbidden marriage and wine 
 and, all but vegetable articles of food. The name of the 
 Sect is taken from its belief in prayers to Amida Butzu, 
 which are efficacious to ensure the devotee being reborn 
 into paradise. Honen taught that whether the priests and 
 their followers were learned and devout or the contrary 
 mattered little as regards the final result, and that all that 
 was really necessary was the incessant repetition of the 
 prayer to Amida Butzu Namu Amida Butzu, (Pray to 
 Amida Butza), and accompanying this by hammering on 
 a bell called Fusho. The solution of abstract questions 
 and doctrinal controversies are not needed to promote the 
 work of salvation. On the anniversary of a death, a 
 rosary of one hundred and eight large beads is laid on 
 the mats and the priest sits in the circle thus formed, the 
 friends of the deceased sitting outside facing the priest, 
 and, as they pray, passing the beads from left to right. 
 This ceremonyj which is called Hiakumaii ben^ is exclu- 
 sively practised by this sect. 
 
 Two priests of this denomination used to be seen and 
 heard in the streets, handsomely dressed, striking a small 
 gong tied to the front of their girdle, and singing, or 
 
BUDDHISM, 109 
 
 rather intoning their prayers. Women were in the habit 
 of making them presents, as handsome men with fine 
 voices were invariably chosen, until jealousy placed a 
 check to the custom. 
 
 Jau do shin shiu, (the new road to paradise) a branch 
 of the foregoing sect, was founded by a pupil of Honin, 
 called Shin-ran-sho-nin in 1262. He was twenty-first in 
 descent from his ancestor Amatzu-ko-yane-no-niikoto, and 
 great grandson of Tai-sho-kan-kama-tari Nai-dai-jin, and 
 son of Kodai kogu taishin ari-nori. 
 
 In 1400, the two large temples Nishi (west) and Riga, 
 shi (east) Hong wan ji were founded in Kioto. Besides 
 these there are two large temples similarly named in each 
 of the cities of Osaka, Yedo, Nagasaki and Niigata, built 
 on the same model. 
 
 The name Ekko is derived from Ekko-sen-nen-mu-rin 
 Jibutzu, the name of a book of prayers, the everlasting 
 Hodoke, which enjoins that the mind is to be thoroughly 
 absorbed in the nenbutsu or act of prayer. This designa- 
 tion, though not recognised by the sect itself, has been 
 applied to it on account of the singleness of purpose exhi- 
 bited by tiie worshippers at their devotions. The name 
 Monto (lity. concentrated within the gates) would seem to 
 be derived from the fact of the sect being so undivided. 
 The priests are permitted to marry and their diet is not 
 prescribed by rule. To the accusation of uncleanness 
 with which they are charged by other sects, they reply 
 that the bright rays of the sun shine on all things alike, 
 and that as there can be no difference in the eyes of the gods, 
 the maxims and narrow-minded doctrines, with the neglect 
 
110 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 of which they are reproached, can only have proceeded 
 from the folly or vanity of man. In place of selecting 
 sequestered spots in the hills as sites for their temples* 
 they build them in the centres of population and endeaV' 
 our, by all means within their power, to attract the people 
 to them. 
 
 Kanzewon Kuanon, goddess of mercy, assumes thirfy- 
 three forms, under which she protects the human race and 
 permits her priests to be as other men. Self-inflicted pe- 
 nalties, penance, fasting, pilgrimages, isolation from society, 
 whether as hermits or in the cloister, are not imposed by 
 the pure Buddhist doctrine. Devout prayer and a pure 
 life are alone essential to salvation from punishment in a 
 future state, and in order to secure a place with Buddh.* 
 Unlike the other Sects the priesthood is in this hereditary, 
 the care of each temple being transmitted from father to 
 son. Should the priest have no male heir, his daughter's 
 husband, should he have a daughter, succeeds him. The 
 priests and their families are said to possess higher erudi- 
 tion than that of other sects, and in periods of domestic 
 broils, or war with foreign powers, form (like the monks 
 of Spain during the Peninsular War) a clerical militia avail- 
 able for defence. The OJiimi, or writings, are daily read. 
 These were composed by the founder Shiuranshonin, 
 and are written iu hiragana so as to be intelligible to all. 
 The altar is named Omamuhlsa?na, and is invariably gor- 
 
 * The sect is without doubt the Protestantism of Buddhism in Japan, 
 and from the high position of its founders and followers, has taken a 
 prominent rank in the religions of the coimtry. It is this sect that is 
 now agitating for separation from the Dai Kio In, so as to be at perfect 
 liberty, and free of Shinto influence. 
 
BUDDHISM. Ill 
 
 geous both in temples and priv^ate houses, a circumstance 
 which has given rise to the saying " As handsome as a 
 Monto altar." In the morning the men while praying, 
 wear a small silk overall, the women a narrow strip of 
 white cloth or silk round the head. This is named tsuno- 
 kakushi, or horn-hider, and is worn in order that should 
 jealousy or evil be present in their minds — a not unlikely 
 circumstance — they should not appear before the Hodolce 
 as Han-ya or horned demons. 
 
 In the year 1222 A.D. at Tojo, county of Nagasa in 
 the province of Awa, there was born on the second day of 
 the second month (exactly 2174 years after the death 
 and cremation of Shakka) one who subsequently became 
 Nichiren sho nin, the most exalted Nichiren, who sixty 
 years later succeeded in establishing a new sect at Hon 
 koku ji, Kioto. His name originated in the story that 
 his mother during her pregnancy dreamed that she had 
 swallowed the sun, Nichi, The original ha (sect) called Iclii 
 (single-minded), afterwards the Sho-retzu-ha (superior 
 doctrine), was formed and was instituted at Shorenji in 
 Kioto by Nichi zo sho nin. Its principles are contained 
 in the Hokke kio, — the blossom of (Buddhist) doctrine — 
 a work in eight volumes, and are the truest of all. They 
 prescribe self-examination and reflection upon the blessings 
 vouchsafed to them as a chosen sect. This denomination 
 is fond of controversy, reviling other creeds with sectarian 
 bitterness. One of their common sayings is worth giving : 
 They who mumble prayers fall into Gigoku (Hades). The 
 Zen shin are furies, the Shingon unpatriotic, and the 
 Bitzu thieves and malefactors; — all other sects but ours 
 
^^2 ru SO MIMl BUKURO. 
 
 are without end or aim. Bigots otfend continually by 
 enoploying opprobrious language in their reflections upon 
 other sects. They resort more than other sects to super- 
 stitions such as charms, spells and amulets. Their prayer- 
 books are very numerous and the commonly heard Na-mu- 
 mio-ho-ren-ge- ^zo,with its noisy accompaniment of drum- 
 beating, is used by them exclusively. The priests 
 should be strict vegetarians, abstainers from wine, and 
 observers of a celibate life. A revival meeting of this 
 sect is a scene of noise and indescribable confusion, and the 
 state of excitement some work themselves into often ends 
 seriously and sometimes fatally. They are great pilgrims. 
 Hori no ouche is the chief meeting place in the vicinity 
 of Yedo — on the 13th of the 9th month. 
 
 Of the preceding, Tendai, Sanron, Ritzu, Shlngon, Zen, 
 .Jaudo, Ekko, and Nichiren are the eight existing 
 sects. There are, however, other sects, which are not re- 
 cognised, as being of minor importance. 
 
 In the year 1278 A. D. Ugio-ha-itzuhen-sho-nin found- 
 ed the Jishiu, or time sect, at Fnjisawa in Sagami near 
 Yokohama, and a temple there is named after him. The 
 priests connected with the temple may be numbered by 
 scores. They wander throughout the empire. There 
 are offshoots, small temples in other localities : that at Fnji- 
 sawa, however, is the parent church. It is said that when 
 a priest of this sect dies the renge or hasn ud han i (lotus 
 flower) in the temple garden blossoms, and this indicates 
 that a vacancy exists, which the novice next in turn is 
 called upon to supply. These wandering priests give to 
 those they meet on their journeyings, a piece of paper on 
 
BUDDHISM. 113 
 
 which the words Ro^u jiu man nin" ketzujo-o-jo are 
 written. Tiieir foiuuier, it is related, once made a pil- 
 grimage to Gongen in Kumano in Kishiii and prayed 
 for some favourable augury. His prayer was answered 
 in a reply, which is condensed into the foregoing Chinese. 
 These words are printed, or stamped at Fujisawa by a 
 priest, wlio lies concealed beneath a musquito net, the 
 labels being passed in to him beneath this cover, tied up in 
 ten packets, each consisting of one hundred. It is cur- 
 rently believed that but one impression is needed to 
 penetrate through the entire package of one thousand, 
 while the outside wrapping-paper remains unsullied by the 
 , process. Women who are obviously with child receive 
 two of these* labels, and the perspicacity of the Hokode is 
 such that it is said that females who are unsuspicious of 
 the fact that they are enceinte first learn their condition 
 from the unerring discrimination of the holy man's followers, 
 who can recognize the Tamashi (spirit) of one of their 
 sect, returned to earth. These travelling " colporteurs " 
 of Jai)an are restricted in their diet to buckwheat flour, 
 sweet-potato and a few other articles of food. Millet, 
 rice, wheat, beans, sorghum, fish, &c., are prohibited to 
 the chief priests, and strict celibacy is enjoined. 
 
 Hatchi tatake is the name of an offshoot from the 
 Shingon Sect, established in the year 9o2 by Fudaraku 
 san at Eokuharamitzuji in Kioto. Kuyashonin made 
 a wooden effigy of himself at a branch temple named 
 Gokuraku In and placed it here. There is a group of 
 eight smaller temples within the boundaries of the ji 
 fJiut, or temple grouiids. No other temples of this sect 
 
lU FV SO MIMl BUKURO, ■ 
 
 exist. The priests allow their hair to grow, and do 
 not tie it lip. They are permitted to marry and are 
 unrestricted in respect to diet. They divide their time 
 between pi-ayer and the mannfacture of the little cha sen 
 (lity., tea-stirrer, better known to the thirsty foreigner as 
 «* swizzle-slick") These, dnring the twelfth month, 
 they dispose of in their wanderings throughout the coun- 
 try, their wares being stuck in a bundle of straw which is 
 tied on a long bamboo and borne on the shoulder of one 
 of the party, while the air resounds with the noise of a 
 small gourd and the inevitable namam-namam-da-hutsu. 
 On festivals or at prayer meetings the nembutsii ai"e 
 invariably accompanied by dancing and capers. 
 
 The Yamabushi is a sect of wandering priests who, 
 though not absolutely mendicant, do not decline payment 
 for any services within the scope of their profession which 
 they may be called upon to render. Many of them have 
 their defined walks, and pay periodical visits to certain 
 districts. They are most frequently called in to pray to 
 Kojin — the god presiding over culinary affairs — monthly, 
 and to offer up prayers for the sick, absent relatives 
 and good fortune. Tiiey look upon Fudo as their 
 patron and pray to him continually. They blow 
 the Jtoid no kai, a conch, before prayer. There 
 are two classes, one originating in the Tendai sect who 
 are under the protection of the miya Shogoin (a relative 
 of the Mikado). Their head-quarters are at Hagurosan, 
 Hosan and Miidera. The other is an offshoot of the Shin- 
 gon, are under Samboin no miya and frequent Haguro- 
 san. In spring and autumn they retire to the hills of 
 
BUDDHISM. 115 
 
 Oomine and Kadzuraki, and observing certain minute 
 regulations as to costume, side arms, tatchi, &c., ascend 
 the mountain. Sick men are left to perish on the way if 
 unable to keep up with the procession. 
 
 The Gannin-boz {v'de article Beggars, Strollers &c.,) 
 are said to be an offshoot from the Yamabushi. 
 
 There is a sect founded by Fukezenji, styled Kiomuso, 
 whose tenets resemble those of the Zen shin, which is re- 
 markable only from their having until recently (when its 
 use wns prohibited) worn the tengai, a basket-shaped hat 
 which conceals the features. Its members passed from 
 door to door, playing a Shak hatchi and receiving a few 
 cash as their guerdon, for which their fans are held out. 
 They do not speak, but after playing a few notes pass 
 on in silence to the next house. The chief temple of this 
 sect is in Kioto and is named Blio an ji, or temple of 
 light and darkness. That in Yedo is known as Ichi-getz- 
 ji, or one-moon temple. 
 
 The temples of the sect became sanctuaries to the biishl 
 {samurai) who had committed crimes, or feared the re- 
 sentment of an enemy. The unusual head covering which 
 concealed their features and the priestly garb protected 
 them from harm when they went abroad. About fifty 
 years ago this costume became the vogue, and some of the 
 daimios, gorgeously apparelled, did not disdain to appear 
 publicly in the disguise. Money, if placed on the face of a 
 mirror and handed to the Kiomuso, was not accepted, as 
 this was held to indicate a desire on the part of the donor 
 to discover his features by their reflection. The new 
 regime has wisely discountenanced the wearing of the hats 
 
116 FU SO MIMI BUKUBO. 
 
 and has tleclined to recognise the sanctuaiy of the 
 temples. 
 
 Nunneries and Convents. 
 The chief of these in Kioto is a temple named Hon Ko 
 In ; that of Aoyama, Yedo is styled Zen Ko Ji. There is 
 also one at Kamaknra, and numbers of them exist through- 
 out these islands. The convents are not devoted to any 
 particular sect, being common to all. Celibacy is enjoined. 
 The bihtni, or nuns, are drawn from all classes of the 
 people, though some of the nunneries admit the wealthy 
 only. There are no " Sisters of Mercy " and the nuns 
 who are permitted to wander beyond the boundaries of the 
 convent are usually beggars. Those of the Zen shiu sect 
 used formerly to wander about the country in crowds, but 
 this is now prohibited. It is not uncommon for women 
 who desire to separate from their husbands, but who fail 
 to obtain their concurrence (ri i/en), to retire to one of 
 these o?i?ia dera (females' temples) and, after three or 
 four years residence to return to the world absolved from 
 their former ties, and ready, perhaps, to forma new alliance. 
 
 The objects of adoration of Buddhists are numerous, and 
 we give a few of those most generally known. Certain 
 sects devote themselves to some more than others, and 
 even temples of the same sect have special favourite idols 
 of their patron Buddhist divinity or saint. There are no 
 mediators or intercessors, as in the I^omish form of Chris- 
 tianity, 
 
BUDDHISM. 117 
 
 ToAshak-ten-o (Heavenly Emperor), is prayed to for 
 success and protection in this life only, the future not 
 being within the province of this and the other kami of 
 the Buddhist. The principal day of worship is that called 
 Koshin, a moveable festival, chosen Avhen the characters 
 Kanoye and Saru come together in the cycle, both re- 
 presenting the principle of metals. There was formerly 
 no idol of this kami, but it is now represented by a figure 
 holding a tama (globe representing the sou.l) in the left 
 hand. The Nichiren sect are the most numerous, devotees 
 of Tai Shak. 
 
 Mari-shi-tQii is the great patron of all persons, young 
 or old, learning Avriting, reading, dancing, singing, or a 
 trade. The common form of this idol is a figure standing 
 on the back of a galloping wild boar. It has six arms and 
 three faces. The boar being the last of the twelve zodia- 
 cal signs and preceding the first sign Ne on repetitions, 
 implies * before the beginning ' — the three faces, the eyes 
 and countenance tend to all directions. The six hands 
 denote dexterity at all work. The day of the Boar, Inohi^ 
 is the day observed in his honour. The Nichiren sect 
 chiefly affect this deity. 
 
 Bishnmon'tenf the Heaveidy protector of priests. The 
 bushi or cavaliers of all sects regard this deity as their 
 special patron, and pray to him to make them dexterous 
 BWords men, good horsemen, learned scholars and so on. 
 The idol is a standing figure holding up in the left hand 
 li pagoda which contains the souls of the devout, and, in 
 the right, a naked sword to protect those souls. The day 
 of the Tiger Tora no hi is his periodical festival* 
 
lis FU so MIMt BUKUno. 
 
 Kangi-ten, (Heavenly joy of joys) sometimes called 
 Sho-den (wisdom). The original idol was two figures em- 
 bracing, signifying Isanagi and Isanami of the Shinto, but 
 it is now^ a single figure. All sects petition it alike for 
 wordly success, and it is s:iid that the righteous devotee 
 receives benefit for seven generations to come. The figure 
 if boiled in oil, is supposed to be specially pleased. Ac- 
 cording to the means of the petitioner the priest continues 
 this while the devotee prays; if for 21 djiys at a cost of 35 
 riyos\ if for 14 days, 2o ri}jos\ and for only 7 days, 7^ 
 viyos. Should the offerings placed on the altar be eaten 
 by anothei', the good fortune of the eater deserts him and 
 cleaves to the person who made the ofiering. The devotees 
 of the divinity do not eat daiko (rataniis sativus) in any 
 form. Tora no hi is the saint day. 
 
 Ben-zai-fen (Heavenly goddess of cajmcity and ability). 
 All creeds, and especially women, pray to this goddess for 
 ability, attractiveness and wealth ; men pray for wealth, 
 and actors and others who make their living by amusing the 
 public never fail to visit the temples of Bentensama, which 
 are usually found near the water, often on artificial islands 
 in lakes or sboal water. The day of the Snake (Mi) is 
 the general occasion for visits to this shrine. Tsuchi 
 no to mi no hi is the day on which these characters of the cy^le 
 come together; this occurs every sixty days^ and is a 
 day specially propitious for paying visits to Benten, the 
 combination being lucky. (Vide Jik kan and Jiu ni ski 
 in the calendar)* From this the snake is associated with 
 Benten as the fox is with Inari, and pictures of snakes 
 are found in numbers at these shrines, worshippers and 
 
BUDDHISM. il9 
 
 petitiouers being careful not to kill these reptiles, fearing 
 the wrath of Benten. The reptiles are invariably encour- 
 aged to frequent these shrines. 
 
 Dai kohl te7i. There arc several forms of this deity. 
 The literal translation of the characters is " Great black 
 Heaven." Tlie most commonly known form is called Ma- 
 kara dai koku, the meaning of which is ' immensity of 
 earth.' The form of the idol, Avhicli is in every house, is 
 a short stout figure, on rice bags, wearing a cap, with a 
 large sack on the shoulders, the •mouth tightly grasped 
 with the left hand, while the right holds a mallet. 
 The moral of this form is, that human nature being 
 prone to an excess of ambition, therefore low stature 
 and a humble attitude most beiit it. The cap partly covers 
 the eyes to prevent them looking too high, and to keep 
 them bent on the realities of life. The bag represents 
 wealth, like the wind, difficult to attain and requiring its 
 outlet to be firmly controlled. The mallet is an emblem 
 of labour, by which alone the fruits of the earth can bo 
 obtained, and the bags of rice on which the figure is 
 mounted denote the wealth to be acquired by adopting 
 these precepts which raise the lowly above the multitude. 
 Traders of all sects incessantly try to propitiate Daikoku, 
 and he has votaries among all classes. Farmers, and 
 even young ladies address their petitions to him for full 
 })urses or the means of adornment. Ki no ye ne no hi 
 day of the Kat, is the great day at these shrines. 
 
 Fudo-fion—{lmmovGSih\o honored (one). Some sect- 
 arians confound So^-a no with this Buddhist god, others 
 
120 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 believe it to ])e a purely Indian Deity.* This idol is gene- 
 rally seated, and always snrronnded wi(li flames, holding a 
 naked sword in the right hand, with which to pnnisli 
 the wicked and terrify humanity into ol)edience, in the 
 left a coil of rope, to tie up the guilty. 
 
 All sects pay adoration to Fudo, but most especially the 
 Shingon and the Yamabushi regard him as their patron. 
 Pilgrimages to and offerings at his shrine are genei'ally by 
 the friends of sick people. Penances, such as making the 
 pilgrimage without clothing, standing under a spout of 
 cold water, or abstaining from favourite articles of food, 
 and lengthened total fasts are commonly resorted to in order 
 to propitiate this deity. Miracles are reported to be perform- 
 ed at these shrines, the blind to see, the hime to walk, the 
 deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. The shrine at Na- 
 rita Shimosa, and at ISIeguro in (he suburbs of Yedo, 
 are two of the principal in the north-east of Japan. 
 Women rarely pray to this deity or visit his shrine, as he 
 Jias the reputation of 1)eing very rough anil violent tem- 
 pered. 
 
 Ni'WO'Son, (Two honoured kings) the guardians of the 
 right and left. These are always placed under the gate- 
 way, as may be seen at Asakusa, and formerly Shiba. The 
 most celebrated are at Sliiba-yama-mura in Kadzusa. 
 The idols are erect figures with flowing robes ; that on 
 the right, facing the temple, is red, has the moutli open, 
 
 • The propafjatovs of Buddhism endeavonrpd to ninalganiate the 
 Shinto Ktnii'i with the Buddhist divinities, as, in this instance, Where the 
 Indian idol is confounded wiih the Japanese god. There are evidently 
 some traces of the Zoroaatrian (fireworehip) belief of India in this idol 
 Persons wishing to bewitch their enemies invariably appeal to Fudo, 
 to vent his wrath upon sUch as they ^vish injury to. 
 
BUDDHISM. 121 
 
 and represents the Vo or male principle of Chinese philo- 
 sophy. That on the left is green ; the mouth is firmly 
 closed, indicative of silence, the female In principle. 
 Small prints of these, pasted on the beam over the entrance 
 of houses, protect them from burglars and thieves. Tra- 
 vellers on foot present large straw sandals, and hang them 
 at those places. They also burn Se?i ko ( incense) and pray 
 for pedestrian strength to perform their journey. 
 
 Veb.'sUf is the same as that mentioned as the after- 
 nanrie of Iliruko, the cripple son of Isanagi and Isanami, 
 and therefore the brother of Ten-sho-ko. He is repre- 
 sented seated on a rock by the sea with a fishing-rod and a 
 tai {serr. mer.) in his arms, on his head a yehosld — a 
 black cap worn by persons of rank. Seekers after wealth 
 pray to him, and his idols are in every house on the Kami- 
 dana on hntzu-dana. Between Osaka and Kobe the 
 temple at Nishi no miya is the most celebrated of those 
 dedicated to this god. The 20th of the 10th month is 
 the great annual festival in his honour. 
 
 Funadama gii. (Ship-jewel-shrine) This is the pro- 
 tectress of voyagers, and to her sailors pray for fair wind, 
 a safe passage, or for help in the hour of danger or storm. 
 Each vessel has its altar where homage is paid to her. 
 The idol stands on a rock with two attendants, surround- 
 ed by the waves. 
 
 Atago gougen t— So called from a district called Atago 
 near Kioto, and gongen^ temporarily visible, and is the 
 natne of the shrines in which are adored jointly Isanami, 
 Homusubl and Nichira Who was the teachel' of Sho Toku- 
 taishi, the founder of Buddhism in Japan » These shrine? 
 
122 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 are visited by petitioners for good luck and for protection 
 against fire. Atago yama at Yedo — the hundred steps — 
 is an ofFslioot of the Kioto shrine. 
 
 Akiha rjongen. At Akiha yama in Enshiu there is a 
 temple called Iloraiji, founded by San shaku bo, who af- 
 terwards became incorporated with Tengu. There are 
 numerous shrines thioughout the country, which are con- 
 stantly visited by petitioners for protection against lire. 
 
 Kompira (metallic flike) protector (of the) multitude.) 
 Sosano, tlie unruly brother of Ten shoko, and, later, Shu- 
 toku in, the 7oth Mikado have been included among these 
 deities. The Buddhists join to these the worship of Gu- 
 bera tai-sho a deity of a similar class.- The representation 
 of these, as Tengu, is a mask with an enormous nose, and 
 the shrines are generally on Yhe tops of mountains. The 
 tenth day of each month is the usual matsurl or festival 
 and petitioners for good fortune, &c, especially mechanics, 
 are very numerous. Iicashi (sardines) and sake are ab- 
 stained from by frequenters of Kompira shrines — a breach 
 of these observances produces direful consequences. Sai- 
 lors pray devoutly to Kompira for protection from the 
 elements, and stories of ship-wrecked people having been 
 saved by Kompii'a coming to the rescue are numerous. 
 The Shinto name for Kompira is Kotohira. The princi* 
 pal shi-ine is that called Dzo-dzu-san in Sanuki, to which 
 tiiiraerous pilgrims resort throughout the year, especially 
 iu the spring. 
 
 Ya/a'gongen is another branch of the Tengu family, 
 
 IShichinien (Seven-headed serpent) at ^linobusan in 
 KoshiUi Nichiren-bho-nin cauoni;ied tliis monster* Sick 
 
^UDbitlSM. . 12^ 
 
 people or petitioners for good fortune visit the numerous 
 shrines tliat are erected throughout these islands on the 
 model of tlie above. 
 
 Water and earth from the small artificial lakes always 
 to be seen in the temple grounds are considered certain 
 cures for all ills, the water as internal and the earth as 
 external medicines. Only the Nichiren followers believe 
 in the efficacy of these things. 
 
 Kislii mojln. (The mother of child demons) steals 
 young children and devours them. She had a thousand 
 children of her own, one of which Amida Niorai took 
 and hid it from her as a punishment for stealing and 
 devouring other people's children, careful and fond as she 
 was of her own oilspiing. Upon condition of giving up 
 these cannibal propensities the child was restored and she 
 was told to eat the fruit of the pomegranate whenever she 
 longed for little children to satisfy her depraved appetite. 
 Now small children are taught to pray to her for protec- 
 tion. The 28 ;h day of each mouth is her periodical 
 festival. 
 
 These are the principal hami of the Buddhists. 
 
 The following are Hotoke, or divinities in human form, 
 mostly canonized apostles and disciples. 
 
 Amida Niorai, the divinity so well known to us as the 
 Dai Bntzu of Kioto and Kamakura, is the premier divinity 
 of the Buddhist faitli. Sometimes these idols may be seen 
 standing, l)Ut generally they are seated on the lotus-flower. 
 This god is considered to be so far above the common 
 deities that it is of little use for common mortals to attempt 
 to attract attention, or to intrude on the sublime and total 
 
i'^i ' FU SO idlMl BUkURO. 
 
 unconsciousness to all mundane affairs in which Amida is 
 enveloped. The 15th of each month is the appointed day 
 for visiting this deity's shrine. 
 
 There are six places in Yedo and its suburbs where 
 there are idols of Amida which are visited in spring 
 and autumn when the days and nights are of equal length. 
 Yalcshi Nloraiy (Divinity of medicinal herbs.) Sick peo- 
 ple petition this deity for restoration to health. Diseases 
 of the eye are specially under the care of Yakshi. There 
 are six other similar divinities of lesser importance. 
 
 Kan-ze-onbo'Satz is one of twenty-five divinities who 
 are supposed to be cognisant of all matters, and able to 
 help petitioners in an} manner expressed in their prayers. 
 
 Dai-nichi Niorai is the same to the Buddhists as Ten- 
 shoko to the Shintoists, and they are amalgamated under 
 this title (Great Sun divinity.) 
 
 Ji zo hosatzu (Divinity of the ground.) Cliildless pa- 
 rents petition Jizo for assistance to bear offspring. Jizo 
 idols are generally figures of stone standing. Some sitting 
 on a lotus leaf, holding a long rod in the right hand, and 
 globe representing the soul in the left. Salt is the mojft 
 usual offering and senko.^VQ burned. Seki no Jizo in 
 Is^ is the principal shrine. 
 
 Seishi-bosatz* As the name implies, is a divinity of 
 great power and duthority. 
 
 Monjiu-bosatz* This name itnplics extraordinary 
 ability in teaching. 
 
 Fugeri'hosatZk The divinity of those Avho wish to 
 escel. 
 
BUDDHISM. 126 
 
 KokiizO'bosatz is credited with the ability to assist all 
 devout people in succeeding in their walk in life. 
 
 There are twenty -five bosatzu in ' all, the foregoing 
 seven as well as the Kanzeon are included. 
 
 MioJcen-bosatZf or Hohiskin-mio^en, is the north star 
 and is prayed to for good luck. 
 
 Aizen mio-o, or Nijm son ya (The Moon and a star.) 
 The Chinese character have a meaning that allude to 
 dyeing and dyers. The ceremonies take place on the 23rd 
 of the month at night, and the priests of any sect may 
 officiate. Aizen at Itabashi, north of Yedo, is the princi- 
 pal temple in this part of Japan. 
 
 Yemmob dai-0 (The King of Hades.) There are ten of 
 these, all represented taking notes of the good and evil 
 deeds of mankind. In the common pictures a large mir- 
 ror is represented in which men's thoughts and actions 
 are reflected. 
 
 On the 16th day of the first and seventh months, great 
 numbers visit temples containing idols of Yemma — friends 
 of the departed, anxious to relieve the souls in limbo, have 
 prayers said by the priests, and Yemma is expected to 
 "writeoff" misdeeds from his ledgers in proportion to 
 the amount of prayers paid for — so say the bonzes.* 
 
 Sliaka niorai ; the founder of Buddhism who died 
 457 B. C. The day of his birth according to the Japanese 
 calendar is the 4th day of the 4th month. An idol of 
 the infant Shaka is placed in a small shrine decorated 
 
 * There is a common saying, Jigoku no sata kane shi dai: Judg- 
 ments of Hades depend on money— alluding to the purchase of the 
 services of the bonzes. 
 
126 FU SO MIMI BUKUIiO, 
 
 with flowers, and an infusion called Ama-dia is poured 
 over the figure, a small bamboo tube being filled with it 
 and carried home. 
 
 On the 15th of the second month, the anniversary 
 of Shaka's death, pictures of the reclining figure 
 of the Buddh are hung up, and on these pictures, 
 all the saints and animals birds and insects are portrayed 
 as in deep grief — the cat only is omitted. f There is 
 a story told of the priest of temple of Nan-senji in Kioto, 
 called Cho-den-su, whose cat asked him w])y his race was 
 excluded and begged that the priest would put a cat into 
 the picture, which the priest did, his pussy being a pet 
 and very devout. This is the only picture of the sleeping 
 Shaka with a cat among the mourners. 
 
 The founders of the various sects are represented by 
 idols, and are principally adored by the followers of tha 
 respective sects they founded. 
 
 Hotei is the name of a celebrated Chinese priest, who 
 was kind to children. He is the Japanese Santa Clans, 
 and is represented with a capacious sack gathering good 
 things for his little friends. He is said to have eyes in 
 the back of his head and can see round corners whether 
 little boys and girls are good or naughty. 
 
 Jiuro jin is a little man with a tall head, also known as 
 Fuhuroku jiii. This is intended to mean the South Star, 
 or Nan kioku. 
 
 t A common child's tale as to the reason of the cat beinjr excluded 
 from the animals that surrounded the death-bed of Shaka is tins. A 
 rat being sent for medicine for Shaka, a cat sjn-ang out and killed the 
 rat ; conset^uently, before the physic could ag;dn be sent for Shaka had 
 died, and the death is attributed to the cat's killing the rat and delaying 
 the medicine. 
 
BUDDHISM, 127 
 
 Of the foregoing, the following seven, Bishamon,Benteu, 
 Yebisn, "Oaikoku, Hotei, Jiuro, Fukuroku Jin, are theseven 
 gods of prosperity that sail in the Takara bune, or ship 
 of fortune, coming into port on new year's eve. 
 
 Shotokiitalshi, the first son of Yome ten wo. Niehira 
 who came from Haku-sai, became his teacher, and he be- 
 came a learned Buddhist scholar while yet a child. He 
 was the founder of the religion in Japan and died at the 
 age of 49. He has six names significative of his acquire- 
 ments and ability. 
 
 Idols may be seen, well worn by devotees rubbing the 
 figure and then the corresponding portions of their own 
 bodies — this is called Binzuni Sonja, and represents 
 this servant of the disciples of Shaka, noted for his energy 
 and untiring perseverance in attending to his duties. (This 
 *^ transfer by friction " is an ancient idea which our pro- 
 fessors of animal magnetism might study with profit.) J 
 
 In all the figures the posture has a certain signification, 
 and the idols are numerous, the same deity being repre- 
 sented in several attitudes and of various ages. The 
 principal names have been noted, the others are divided 
 into some scores of classes, each class containing groups of 
 from five to forty individual idols. For instance, 7 Ka7i 
 won, 6 JizOf 33 Dai kan won and so on — not to mention 
 the 500 Rakhan and other groups of disciples, Bosatz, 
 Shonin, S)^c. 
 
 Chiu-jO'hlme was the first elapanese nun, and the only 
 
 X Jizo, being scrubbed with straw and plentifully bespattered with 
 water is frequently seen. It is considered a remedy for pains in the 
 loins and extremities. 
 
128 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 woman who is commemorated by au idol. She extract- 
 ed the fibres from the lotus root, and wove them with silk, 
 to make tapestry for altars. 
 
 There are twelve idols that nearly resemble our twelve 
 signs of the zodiac — they are of Indian origin. 
 
 There are Buddhist gods, Bosatz, one for each of the 
 thirty days in a month, and corresponding Shinto kami 
 Daimio jin || have been incorpoi"ated with them. 
 
 1st 
 
 Giogi bosatz ... 
 
 ...Atsnta Daimio jin. 
 
 2nd 
 
 Tomio bosatz... 
 
 ...Snwa Daimio jin 
 
 3rd 
 
 Toho bosatz ... 
 
 ...Hiroba Daimio jin. 
 
 4 th 
 
 Ashiuku bosatz 
 
 ...Kehi Daimio jin. 
 
 oth 
 
 Mirokn bosatz 
 
 ...Keta Daimio jin. 
 
 6th 
 
 Namanto bosatz 
 
 ...Kashima Daimio jin. 
 
 7th 
 
 Samanto bosatz 
 
 ...Kitanotenjin. 
 
 8th 
 
 Yakshi bosatz 
 
 ...Yebnmi Daimio jin. 
 
 9th 
 
 Datsasho bosatz 
 
 ...Kibnne Daimio jin. 
 
 10th 
 
 Nichigetz bosatz 
 
 . . . Ten shoko Dai jin. 
 
 11th 
 
 Kangi bosatz... 
 
 ...Ilachimangn. 
 
 12th 
 
 Nausho bosatz 
 
 ...Kamo Daimio jin. 
 
 13th 
 
 Kokuzo bosatz 
 
 ...Matzno o Daimio jin. 
 
 14th 
 
 Fugen bosatz 
 
 ...Ohara Daimio jin. 
 
 loth 
 
 Amida bosatz 
 
 ...Kasuga Daimio jin. 
 
 16th 
 
 Dara ni bosatz 
 
 ...Ilirano Daimio jin. 
 
 17th 
 
 Jijin bosatz ... 
 
 ...01)iye gongen. 
 
 18th 
 
 Kanzeon bosatz 
 
 ...Kobiye gongen. 
 
 19th 
 
 Nikko bosatz 
 
 ...Shoshin gongen. 
 
 20th 
 
 Gakko bosatz 
 
 ...Kiaknjin gongen. 
 
 II Late reforms have abolished the term Dai miojin, or great en- 
 lightened spirits, as applied to the Japanese or Siuto Kami. 
 
BUDDHISM. 129 
 
 21st Mu jin i bosatz - .Haclii Ji gongen. 
 
 22nd Semmni bosatz ...Iiiari Daimio jin. 
 
 23r(l Daiseshi bosatz ...Sumi yoshi Daimio jin. 
 
 24th Jizo bosatz Giwon Daimio jin. 
 
 25th Monji bosatz ...Seki san Daimio jin. 
 
 26th Yakushi bosatz ...Takebe Daimio jin. 
 
 27th Roshana bosatz ...Mikami Daimio jin. 
 
 28th Birnshana bosatz ...Hiosn Daimio jin. 
 
 29th Dai nichi bosatz ...Mioga Daimio jin. 
 
 30th Shaka Niorai ... Kibi Daimio jin. 
 Sei-u nin, Spirits that haunted the mountains. 
 
 Oriiey Demons. — These evil spirits are typical of bad 
 actions. 
 
 Ten nin. Beautiful creatures from paradise, — really good 
 actions. 
 
 Kariyobinga, Birds of sweet song in paradise making 
 sweet music for the saints. 
 
 Temples were by custom the refuting places of travellers, 
 especially priests, and guests were entertained without 
 reference to religious sect or creed. 
 
 Intermarriage and adoption frequently bring several 
 sects into families, but this is tolerated ; the temple in 
 charge of the family grave only must not be changed, and 
 in all grave yards are numerous tombs of people who have 
 been born into families of different sects from that into 
 which they were married or adopted and died in. Or the 
 persons may of their own free will change their Tt'ra to 
 another sect and arrange to be buried in the grave-yard 
 of the temple of the sect adopted. (This shows that there 
 
130 FV SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 is much toleration and not a little laxity, although some 
 sects quarrel freely.) 
 
 Hotoke is the generic term for the spirits of the depart- 
 ed that have hecome absorbed into the Nirvana which 
 is the highest aim of the Buddhist. The divinities and 
 household altars are usually known by this general term. 
 
 Niorai are the divinities who watch over humanity 
 and to whom petitions must be addressed. Shaka is pro- 
 perly the only being that has existed on earth entitled to 
 be called Niorai. 
 
 Bosatzit are the apostles of Shaka, and a few eminent 
 priests of olden time, and are the chief patron saints of 
 the various trades, virtues, views and wants of humanity. 
 
 Itakkan2Lvei\\Q disciples ofthe Buddhist creed of the days 
 of Shakka. There are the 16, the 500, and other numerous 
 groups, all of India. They are not objects of worship, but 
 only considered as holy men and patterns for priests 
 especially. 
 
 The following are the pnrely Japanese grades of priest- 
 hood. 
 
 IIo-o is the name by which the Mikado is known if he 
 enters the priesthood, as Uda Ten-0 did, and the male 
 children of a Mikado, who, with the exception ofthe heir 
 apparent, frequently are obliged to take holy orders to 
 prevent family feuds, were named Niudo Shin-O, or Ho 
 Shin-0. The female chiklren Niudo-Nio-0. Those 
 Niudo who represented the Mikado were called Mia ; for 
 instance, there was formerly always one residing at Ouye- 
 no in Yedo, the others were always in Kioto. 
 
 Monseki are the chief priests of the sects, and are ap- 
 
BUDDHISM, 131 
 
 pointed by the Mikado. As the Monto priests marry, the 
 position remains in the family ; if no children are born to 
 them, adoption is resorted to. In the other sects marriage 
 being forbidden, the place is filled by adoption. The 
 Nichiron sect have no moiiseki. Common priests cannot 
 attain this rank, members of the royal family being always 
 appointed. The son or adopted successor is called Shin 
 Monseki, {shin new ; ??2ow,gate ; seki^ mark), the successor 
 to the royal patent as chief priest. If the monseki retires 
 in favour of his successor, he is called monshiu, or inkio 
 (recluse). 
 
 The teachers of the Emperor, if he enters the priest- 
 hood, are entitled to call theraselres Dai shi, Kokushi or 
 Kai-shi (the great kingdom, or the commandments-ins- 
 tructors.) The founders of Sliiu or sects, are called Kai- 
 san (expounder) and also So shi (first teacher). 
 
 Sonja (reverend persons) is frequently used in speak- 
 ing of learned and holy men past and present. 
 
 Dai-sojo is the highest title of rank held by the priest- 
 hood and is equal to the temporal rank Chiu-7ia-gon. The 
 next three grades in a descending order are Gon-dai-so-jiy 
 Dai-so-dzu and Qon-dai-sodzu. 
 
 Shonin, or hijiri-bito, (a sage, a learned theologian) to 
 whom the followers of his sect are indebted for much 
 knowledge and extension of their creed. 
 
 SliO-nln, or most exalted ; generally used when speaking 
 of the founder or leader of a sect, especially when speak- 
 ing of the Son or idol. 
 
 0-sho : the general term for superior priests. 
 
 Inc/e is the local chief of a temple {Tera or In) this 
 
132 FU 80 MIMI BVKURO. 
 
 grade permits of a special dress being worn. Priests in 
 charge of a temples of inferior grades are called hojo, jiu- 
 n, in-jiu, aiisTiiu &c. according to circumstances. The 
 inferior grades will be noticed hereafter. 
 
 Temples are generally built with money collected by 
 the priest who afterwards takes possession of it. Some 
 such as Sen-yu-jh have been built at the Mikado's ex- 
 pense ; by the Tokugawa Shoguns at Nikko, the burial 
 place of the first of the line, lyeyasu or Gongen ; at 
 Kan ye jie of Ouyeno, both held by priests of the Tendai 
 shin; also Dzo-jo-ji of Shiba, the priests of the Jau-do- 
 shiu. Daimios erected numerous temples at these three 
 places. Temples attached to grave-yards are supported 
 by the families who have relatives or friends buried there, 
 from the prince to the peasant. 
 
 Until the.last few years the priests drew large revenues 
 from the Government and from high officials ; — latterly 
 they have been thrown on their own resources and be- 
 come beggars literally. 
 
 The " monuments" of our country are here represented 
 by little tablets on shelves in the temple building, before 
 which offerings of food are made yearly, monthly or daily, 
 in a style according to the donations to the priests for 
 this purpose. 
 
 The idols on the altar depend upon the sect and fiincy 
 of the chief priest, and large temples are frequently 
 surrounded with a cluster of smaller buildings containing 
 special divinities erected by the devout as offsprings, when 
 petitioning special favours in performance of some vow 
 or as thanksgivings. 
 
BUDDHISM. 133 
 
 There are temples to wbicli grave-yards are not 
 attached. Such as for instance Daislii at Kawasaki ; 
 Fudo at Meguro ; Arai no yaku-slii, Awashimay and 
 Asakusa Kanxoon. 
 
 The first visit to a temple is made sometime after the 
 0-miya Mairi, and before the infants are taken to friends' 
 houses, and on every new year of childhood, and on the 
 anniversary of the death of near relatives. Temples are 
 visited, in the grave-yard of which relatives have been 
 buried, — if adopted or married into another family the 
 temples and graves of the new relations must be visited 
 ns well. A newly married couple go to the husband's 
 temple and graves together,' and if the wife's family con- 
 tains no males able to attend to her family tombs, tke 
 husband attends to them as well as to those of his own 
 family. Nobles and high officials did not perform these 
 rites at the same time as their wives. 
 
 Setzupoj the sermons of the Nichiren ; Hod an j those 
 of the Ekoshiu ; Dangi those of Shingon and the others, 
 are attended by both sexes of all ages and classes, except 
 the aristocracy. Revivals, or Kai-cho, are common. They 
 resemble the ^* i)attern fairs^' of Ireland, where the 
 " patron saint " day gave excuse for a meny time. 
 
 Certain celebrated idols are frequently carried from place 
 to place, and the temple chosen as the temporary abode 
 becomes a centre of attraction. Some temples only display 
 their treasures periodically, their rci-ho, relics such as 
 ekaeri, &c. or idols that work miracles* Occasional visitors 
 can see these by money offerings to the priests. Temples 
 and the grounds surrounding them are usually the play- 
 
134 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 grounds of the cliildi-en of the neighbourhood, who do not 
 seem to shoAv much reverence to the holy places, nor to be 
 much awed by the grhu idols ; nor are they troubled by the 
 priests, unless some specially mischievous act is committed. 
 Offerings of stone or metal lanterns, pictures, rice, sake 
 and numerous other articles are brought to the temple by 
 visitors and petitioners. 
 
 Kuji (nine figures). The charm used by many per- 
 sons to protect themselves from harm. The fingers of the 
 right hand are held in certain ways, and figures described 
 in the air, then both hands joined, the fingers interlocked ; 
 after certain numerous set modes called In tvo inusubUf 
 after which hot iron may be touched without injury, a 
 naked sword edge may be stood upon, or robbers become 
 rigid as if well bound with the thief-catchers' ropes. 
 Small stones may bo seen ])ilcd up in the lap of idols or 
 on the top of Tori-i at Shinto shrines ; this seems to be 
 in allusion to children's departed spirits piling up stones in 
 the other world. 
 
 Buddhist Obsequies. 
 Old people of either sex prepare for the approach of 
 death by making frequent visits to the shrines of Hodoke 
 and Amida Niurai, especially the latter. They also receive 
 frequent visits from priests who preach and engage in prayer^ 
 thus *' making their peace" ttnd paving their road to para- 
 dise. Suicides prepare for death by appeasing the deities' 
 jiist wrath at taking life, although their own. If people of 
 meaus, the priests are introduced, and after the official inquest 
 
BUDDHIST OBSEQUIES. . 135 
 
 has taken place all is made pleasant for the soul of the de- 
 ceased, and the peace of mind of the survivors (see Article 
 " Suicide" et seq.) Wlien an accidental injury, or illness 
 occurs the priest is sent for and the sick man's friends 
 make pilgrimages to pray for his restoration. When this 
 is despaired of, the invalid is again visited by the priest, 
 who after his decease selects the Kai-mio, or posthumous 
 name, and writes it upon a slip of white paper, pasted on 
 a small tablet of unstained wood. In the meantime the 
 deceased has been moved so that his head is turned 
 to the north, and a folding screen, turned upside 
 down, is placed there. A new desk about a foot in 
 height occupies the space betwcten the head of the 
 corpse and the screen, on which cakes of raw rice- 
 flour, called mahura-dang J (pillow-dumplings), are laid 
 out as also a single rush wick, lighted, in a saucer 
 of oil, with a saucer of un glazed ware in which senko 
 (joss-sticks) are placed singly. The eating-tray, cups, 
 saucers and chop-sticks used by the deceased are filled 
 with vegetable food and placed ^it the side of the corpse, 
 the latter on the left, or wrong side of the tray. Forty- 
 eight hours after death the corpse is arranged for the 
 knn (coffin) by ablution with warm water, the cold 
 water being first placed in a tub and boiling water added.* 
 Unless the deceased has otherwise directed, the head la 
 shaved, the priest while he is reciting certain customary 
 prayers making the first three movements of the razol' 
 which he afterwards relinquishes to a servant. The corpse 
 
 * In consequence of thia cu^^tom with I'egavd to the deiid warm watdt 
 Is always poured into a vessel first, the cold being afterwards addedi 
 The iJ"apanese dislike to pour hot water into cold, 
 
136 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 is then dressed for interment, the shaven being clothed as 
 priests, the unshaven in ordinary dress. In all cases 
 the sliroud is white, of silk, linen or cotton and of 
 the same make as the common outdoor dress of the 
 deceased, the wealthy being attired in the same number 
 and pattern of dresses as they wear in that season on 
 gala or official occasions — a fnll dress, in fact, but entire- 
 ly white. The hair of the females, when not shaven, 
 is tied behind and falls down loose (as in the pictures 
 of the ladies of the Court), and stockings are either put 
 on their feet or placed in the coffin. Clogs or sandals, 
 however, are discarded as they are not worn in paradise. 
 The body is then placed in the cofhn in the usual 
 sitting posture, the hands of the shaven being joined 
 as in the act of prayer. The kan (or coffin) are 
 of various kinds, the commonest being the haya-oki 
 (quick tub) — next in order comes the square box or an 
 inner and an outer box of unstained wood, pine or s/ii?iokif 
 [retiiiospora obtasa), the latter wood, considered the 
 most suitable for sacred purposes, being commonly used 
 by such as can affi)rd it. 
 
 Earthenware jars are also used by the nobility and the 
 wealthy. The better classes fill in the vacant space of 
 the coffin with chaff, tea-leaves or the more costly mal-o 
 iticense, the highest ranks Using vermilion. Those who 
 at'e shaven have a cap placed upon the head. The bier 
 is then laid upon trestles^ the Aice of the corpse being 
 turned towards the Uorth^ and a temporary altar is raised 
 upon which offerings are placed as before. 
 
 The people of the house of mourning do not retii*e to 
 
BUDDHIST OBSEQUIES. 137 
 
 rest the night before the funeral, which is occupied by the 
 priests of the family temple in reciting prayers. Until 
 within the past few years the funerals of the well-born 
 usually moved from their houses in the following order : 
 Priests in a ?iorimon ; two white lanterns ; trunks (hasami 
 bako) ; lance-bearers ; retainers ; halbert-bearer ; incense- 
 bearer ; tablet {iliai) with kai mio ; the coffin on a 
 stand supported on two parallel poles, at the right 
 the long sword of the deceased, at the left the short, both 
 tied up in covers and borne by his highest retainers ; 
 the dzori-mochi (sandal-bearer) ; more hasami bako ; 
 a led horse, usually his favourite, the tail being cut short 
 as a sign of mourning.f To these follow men bearing 
 baskets of rain-coats and more retainers on horse-back or 
 norimon or on foot. Then follows the heir on horse-back 
 or in a norimon followed by the family and friends who 
 have previously been invited, the samurai being dressed 
 in lamishimo or full dress, and bareheaded and the 
 bearers clad in white. Among the train are numerous 
 bearers of lanterns, all of these being of white paper. 
 Where possible every article is white or is covered with 
 white paper, cotton or silk. 
 
 Upon arrival at the temple, where preparations to re- 
 ceive the kan have already been made, prayers are recited. 
 The ceremony varies for each sect and is, besides, regulated 
 by the wishes of the survivors, and their expenditure of 
 money on display. The indo-michi-hiku, or guide to the 
 road, is the chief portion of the ceremony. The prayers 
 being ended the body is carried to the grave, accompanied 
 
 t Horses' taiL^j are neter docked under other circumstances* 
 
138 FU SO MtMl BUKVRO. 
 
 by the priest who recites prayers until the interment is 
 completed. In cases of cremation the body was formerly 
 removed to the cremation-ground Avithout further cere- 
 mony. 
 
 The funerals of towns-people, which are all on foot, are 
 conducted with less pomp. First comes the priest follow- 
 ed by the coffin borne either in a norimonOf styled a nai so, 
 or private funeral, or on a platform with two poles by 
 which it is carried on the shoulders of four or more bearers, 
 the coffin being covered with a tengai, or small tem])le- 
 like frame. Clotliing of a white material is also phiced 
 upon the coffin. Singularly-shaped hats, made of rush, 
 and woven in an open-work pattern are worn by the 
 followers, who are dressed in Jcamishimo with short 
 swords in their girdles. 
 
 The poorer class often bury their dead by torchlight to 
 avoid the exposure of their poverty. 
 
 To return to cremation. The grave-yards arc the 
 same, but the tombs are made only to contain small 
 jars in which the ashes of the dead are placed 
 and labelled. There were various modes of cremation in 
 use. First the coffin with its contents might be burned ; 
 this, however, -vvas expensive. In the next the body only 
 was placed in a separate compartment. And the chenpest 
 and most common mode in use was to form a long pile of 
 wood on which the bodies were plnced in a row, with 
 tickets to indicate the spot at which the ashes might 
 be collected. The employes of the cremation-ground 
 performed the necessary functions, a few only of the nearest 
 ^'©lationa attending to Avitness the preparations, On the 
 
BUDDETST OBSEQUIES. ' TSO 
 
 lighting ofthe funeral pyre they took their leave, returning 
 the following day to collect the ashes which they gathered 
 with a wooden and a bamboo stick serving as tongs 4 The 
 small jars are of unglazed red ware, varying in size 
 from 6 to 12 inches square. Sometimes the ashes were 
 divided into parcels, a portion being sent to the various 
 temples of the family, as by intermarriage its members 
 would have relatives buried at several. Many who could 
 afford the expense sent the jar with its contents to the 
 Kobodaishi Temple at Koyasan in Kisliiu, where an im- 
 mense collection from all parts ofthe Empire may be found. 
 The periods of mourning, or ^ii?^^^, are 
 For parents 50 days of ki, or deep mourning, during 
 which business must be foregone and the use of the razor, 
 sake and other than vegetable diet abstained from, and the 
 temple and grave of the deceased visited daily. Other 
 te7'a or mhja must not be visited, the mourner being 
 unclean. BuJcto are twelve months of mourning and 
 uncleanness which follow death, during which the Kami 
 may not be visited. 
 
 Brothers, sisters, husbands or wives, uncles, aunts, and 
 all first-born children are ki during 20 and huku during 
 90 days ; other children are kl for 10 days and huku for 
 45 J cousins ki for 3 and buku for 7 days. But for the 
 children of the mourner and cousins under seven years of 
 age the prescribed term for ki is one day only. 
 
 I M^nc^ the use of chopsticks, one being of bamboo and ono of wood^ 
 is objected to aa " uncanny." 
 
iio iru so mimi bukumo. 
 
 Future State of the Buddhist. 
 
 There are ten kai, or states ot existence, named by the 
 priests of the various sects, viz : Hotoke the highest 
 state of bliss or absohite nihiliiication. 
 
 Bosatsii, disciples of Buddli who exist in Shim' sen 
 where they await absorption into Hotoke. 
 
 Yengakii, probationary to admission among the Bosafzn, 
 and Shomon on the road to paradise. 
 
 TenjiOf ihe normal state of ordinary sinning humanity 
 not actually guilty of any great sin. 
 
 These are the iive states of the good. 
 
 Ningen or state of existence upon earth. , 
 
 If a good and devout liver the soul goes to Tenjio and 
 successively works up to the highest state or Hotoke, but 
 if a person of indifferent life, a scoffer at religion or a 
 brawler and blood-thirsty man, his soul flies to Shiura the 
 place of perpetual quarrels and slaughter, the purgatory 
 of the Buddhist. 
 
 If guilty of uncleanness or inhuman conduct such as 
 Adultery, Rape, Incest or eating forbiden food, the soul 
 after death is punished by the great judge Yemma by 
 transformation into a beast and condemned to live on 
 earth. This is the state of Chikusho^ or transmigration 
 of the soul into inferior animals, birds, reptiles, &c. Gaki 
 is the punishment of perpetual hunger and starvation, and 
 Jlgokn (abode of beasts), pandemonium. 
 
 There are eight modes of torture. In Tokatsit the 
 wicked are alternately beaten to death and resuscitated. In 
 Baktijo the wicked are dragged limb from limb, chopped 
 
FUTURE STATE OF THE BUDLHIBT, 141 
 
 to pieces, pounded in a large mortar, sawn or planed into 
 various shapes, as if by carpenters or mason's tools, the eyes 
 are gouged, and the tongue or nails plucked out. In 
 Shingo the crowd of the wicked are beaten about like 
 potatoes in a tub. Then we have kioJcan weeping; dai 
 kioJcan, great lamentation ; shonetzu and dai shonetzu, 
 burning and roasting ; hills covered with large needles 
 over which the wicked are driven ; lakes of fire and 
 blood and brandings with red-hot iron and tearing the 
 flesh with red-hot pincers. Also muJcerif or being thrown 
 into the bottomless pit of perdition. 
 
 The chief of Hades, Yemma, has four executioners 
 who carry into effect his sentences of punishment, Semeru 
 Onie, Torturing demons ; Dze sho me po, executioner and 
 torturer of the living, Avho is red ; Sho gio mu jo^ green 
 and Slio mdz metz i, black, both torturers. Ja ku metz 
 i rakuf slaughterer, flesh-coloured. § The friends of the 
 departed who are not aware of the sentence of Yemma must 
 draw their own conclusions as to the destiny of his soul 
 and therefore pay the Bonzes || to pra^ for it. This is 
 independent of the periodical visits of the mourners. The 
 doctrine of the transmigration of souls leads all devout 
 Buddhists to treat inferior animals humanely. Were it 
 not for this it is certain that they would receive little con- 
 sideration. 
 
 If the lioji, or prayers for the soul of the departed, be 
 continued they will eventually succeed in bettering the 
 
 § Those who stint the measure of food are condemned to perpetual 
 hunger. 
 
 II Boz, or as pronounced by us bonze, or bonsau is derived from Bo^ 
 a temple and dzu master. 
 
142 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 condition of the sufferer in purgatory, but this much 
 depends upon the piety of the living. The stories found- 
 ed upon transmigration are very numerous, and the charms, 
 prayers and stratagems resorted to by the living to 
 release the souls of tlieir relatives, or by the spirits to 
 stimulate the flagging efforts of those on earth are ex- 
 ceedingly interesting. 
 
 Gnku-rakii, perfect felicity. These are as before name- 
 ed the five states from existence on earth to HotoTce. In 
 the abode of the blest are ever-flowering, beautiful trees, 
 fruits, song-birds, music, a delicious climate, and all that 
 men call joy and ease upon earth. Those whose spirits 
 are on the road to paradise do not need their friends* 
 prayers, rather do their friends pray to them. 
 
 Childrens' spirits remain in Sai no Icawara, the pebble 
 plain (from kawara, the dry, gravelly bed of a river, of 
 which there are many in Japan of great width). Here 
 the little people employ themselves in making piles of 
 stones which a mischievous demon ever and anon comes 
 round to destroy. Those who succeed in raising a large 
 pile attract the notice of JlzO'Sama who causes their 
 spii-its to enter an unborn child and thus gives them 
 another chance of living to puberty and by their own 
 exertions securing happiness in a future state. 
 
 The unmarried of either sex, should they escape perdi- 
 tion, can only look forward to joining the children, as by 
 the neglect of their duties to humanity they lose all claim 
 to a home in paradise. 
 
 The soul must pass over the Sandzu no Kaioa (the river 
 of the three paths, the Japanese Styx) whence stretch 
 
FUTURE STATE OF THE BUDDHIST, 143 
 
 out before it the three paths to Paradise, Humanity and 
 Perdition. On the further side of the river an old hag 
 Shozuka no obasan examines the passengers, points out 
 the road they should follow, examines their garments — 
 sometimes washing them as in the case of women who die 
 in childbed^ — and when she sends them to Pandemonium 
 unceremoniously strips them. The souls rescued by 
 purchased prayers from Hades must enter the body of 
 new-born infants and live again on earth, thus obtaining 
 one more chance of becoming Hotoke. 
 
 The friends of the deceased must visit thetemple and the 
 grave on the seventh day after death and every seventh 
 day seven times uninterruptedly. On the seventh day 
 prayers are recited by the priests when the period of strict 
 mourning is thus concluded. On this day the presents to 
 mourners are reciprocated. 
 
 On the hundredth day the next ceremonial visit is paid 
 to the temple before which the tombstone should be 
 erected. 
 
 The next is the anniversary visit succeeded by the 
 third, seventh, thirteenth, seventeenth (the Tendai sect 
 observes al^o the twenty-seventh,) fiftieth, hundredth, 
 and every fiftieth anniversary are all observed. To , 
 or laths, with Sanscrit and Chinese characters are placed 
 on the graves on the periodical visits of the visiting 
 relatives, 
 
 Other details are now omitted which will find their 
 
 ^ Nagari Kanjo. See "Om* Neighbourhood." "Women who die in 
 childbed are supposed to fall into chi no ike (lake of blood). When the 
 out spread cloth breaks the bonds of purgatory are loosed. 
 
144 FV BO MIMI BUKUEO, 
 
 place in our account of family and household matters. 
 To conclude with a common proverb : 
 
 Gigoku no sata Kane Shidai. *' The affairs of Hades 
 depend upon money. " 
 
 "Hakama and Kamishimo.'* 
 
 On their arrival in Japan foreigners always noted the 
 wide pantaloons, and associated them with the swords 
 borne by the officials, deeming both of them badges of 
 gentle condition, or of official rank. 
 
 There are at least eighteen diffi^rent forms of this nether 
 garment which should be noted seriatim. It is first worn 
 by males in the fifth year, and there is quite a little family 
 excitement on the occasion. This is usually the 15th day 
 of the 11th month of the year in which the "young mas- 
 ter " attains his fifth year, and is ceremoniously endued 
 with these garments. The nhus^ma (patron's shrine) is 
 subsequently visited. 
 
 The Kamisliimo (kamij upper; sliimo, lower) which 
 constitutes the old ceremonial costume of the middle class- 
 es and is the wing-like overall matching the hahama, is 
 worn on this day by the boy and his friends, as on other 
 special occasions. Tradesfolk and mechanics wear the 
 hakama on special occasions only, such as marriages, 
 funerals, new year's visits and the like, but do not wear 
 the kami sliimo. The respectable householders wear 
 hakama on the occasion of visits of ceremony or official 
 business, and the kami sliimo or special occasions includ- 
 ing anniversaries and visits to temples. 
 
HAKAMA AND KAMABHIMO. 145 
 
 The general pattern of the hakama is a small striped 
 design of sober colours, brown (c/m^Voortea colour), 
 greens, blue with a little red at times and generally some 
 white, in a variety of styles. The material ranges from 
 heavy and expensive silk koliaku or sendai liira down to 
 k kura, cotton, and, of late, the cheaper foreign stuffs. 
 koltaku is only used by the nobles of the higher class. 
 cliahujima and sendai hira by the aristocats; tango 
 Jirna, go sen hira, hawagoie hira by the officiers, kolcura 
 by the samurai, the material differs little with the 
 fieason, but the winter dress is lined for warmth ; 
 a thin material was sometimes used, but was not consider- 
 ed correct or officer-like. 
 
 Kami'shimo are usually made of moro (linen), some- 
 times of silk and linen, occasionally all silk well stiffened 
 with starch. The stuff is generally light-blue or brown, 
 dyed in a small pattern on a white ground, with the 
 family crest on the back and shoulders, either that of the 
 wearer or his feudal lord. 
 
 Sashi nuki is a halcama worn only by the courtiers ; it 
 is baggy at the lower extremities, generally purple or 
 green with a large white pattern ; the material is a thin 
 satin with the pattern woven in the material. 
 
 Nohahama is similar in shape to the above, but is thus 
 called when worn by the inferior officers of the court. 
 
 Ohuchihalcdma is usually either white or red, worn by 
 young nobles (htgeshi and kazohi?) 
 
 Kuhurihakama is gathered in round the ancles and 
 used or special occasions — generally under armour — by the 
 uobles. The material and pattern vary according to 
 
146 FU SO MIMI BUKUnO, 
 
 fancy; the former is generally very expensive. Naga- 
 hakama (long Itakamct), worn formerly by the daimiog 
 and Jiatamotos at the Shogun's levees, on new year's day 
 and other special ceremonials, marriages, funerals &c. 
 
 Tsugi-gamishimo is the ordinary hakama worn with a 
 katagmu or overall of ro (silk gauze) of black or other 
 colour, as a kind of undress costume for officers of all 
 classes on duty, and is a grade more ' dressy' than the 
 ordinary Ziaori or overall jacket. This style was intro- 
 duced about A. D. 1500 by Matznaga Danjo of Kioto, a 
 retainer of the Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshiteru. Hira-baka- 
 ma is worn by all classes, and generally a haori with it. 
 This is the most common form of the hakama ; the colours 
 are usually sober and the material inexpensive. 
 
 Ma nori hakama, as the name denotes is the riding dress, 
 and therefore longer in the leg, and has stiffening in the 
 seam which is called semi (locust) from its giving the 
 garment a spread-out appearance like a locust's wings. 
 
 Matchi taJca baJcama is the same as the above without 
 the semi, and is worn by gentlemen. 
 
 Fun gomi — a tight-fitting style mostly of expensive and 
 gandily coloured material, worn by officers at fires, by 
 gentlemen travelling &c. sometimes with a velvet edging. 
 
 The Yoshitsune hakama is short, only reaching to the 
 calf of the leg with a running string to draw it tight, 
 worn by travellers and formerly nnder armour. 
 
 Soboso is like fungomi, but narrower in the lower part. 
 
 Hoso hakama is tighter fitting than the foregoing, and 
 was worn by the soldiery before the introduction of 
 foreign style. The 7\dchitasuke is like our knickerbocker 
 
EAKA3fA AND KAMISHIMO. ' 147 
 
 and is worn with leggings (kiyahaii) by the comman 
 people only. 
 
 Karusan is the Tatckl Uuke and kiyahcm in one. 
 
 HI hakama, scarlet liakama worn by the Empress, the 
 concubines and ladies of the palace, the material varying 
 with the rank, the colour the same for all. Seigo, a heavy 
 material ol raw silk worn by the Empress, is the finest. 
 The others are of various qualities of silk. Latterly 
 camlets and foreign goods have been nsed by the lower 
 grades of palace female attendants* 
 
 Girls wear hakama occasionally, the hair being then 
 dressed like a boy's, the sleeves of the dress being worn 
 YGYy long. Of late the pupils of girls' schools may often 
 be seen weary haJcama, over their ordinary robes. 
 
 Suicide. 
 
 Females who have resolved upon committing suicide 
 commonly resort to a river, or not infrequently a well, 
 and after deliberately filling the wide sleeves of their 
 dresses with stones jump into the water. The most 
 frequent motive for this act is the sense of their shame and 
 the desire to conceal it ; but it is caused not seldom by 
 lovers' quarrels, by the dread of the loss of their personal 
 charms through age or illness and, in the case of geishas 
 and courtesans, often arises from the cruelty of their task 
 masters. 
 
 Men who arc heavily In debt, or crossed in the tender 
 passion, arc known to destroy themselves by drowning. 
 
 It is by no means unusual (and the native newspapers 
 
148 FU SO MIMI BUKUno. 
 
 chronicle such occurrences punctiliously), for a fond but 
 disappointed pair of lovers to bind themselves together 
 and thus to seek in their watery grave an union which 
 had been refused to them in this life. This mode of 
 death is styled Shlnjiu. 
 
 Hanging is less resorted to by women as a mode of 
 destruction — a singular parallel to the horror with which 
 it is viewed by women in Europe. On the other hand it 
 would appear to be frequently selected by men bent upon 
 ending their lives. Trees are pointed out on which 
 numbers have hung themselves, and it is related that 
 they have the power of attracting their victims to them 
 by some fatal power of fascination. A story is told of 
 a vendor of lamp-oil who, on his rounds, passed beneath one 
 of these vampire trees which stood on the site of the 
 present Foreign College of Yedo at Kanda Bashi (then 
 called Go-ji-in ga hara from the name of a temple that 
 was once situated there) and felt an irresistible inclina- 
 tion to hang himself. A passer-by caused him desist, 
 and he proceeded on his rounds. On his return, how- 
 ever, he was attracted to the same, spot to find to hij* 
 amazement, another man suspended from the tree and 
 already dead. The frightened ahura-ya hastily ran 
 away, leaving bis oil tubs at the fatal tree. 
 
 Some years ago at Kumagaye, about two days journey 
 from Yedo, a guilty couple who could neither marry nor 
 live together, resolved to end their lives by committing 
 Shinjiu by hanging, and appointed a rendezvous at night 
 for the purpose. On their meeting the man climbed 
 a tree and throwing one end of his rope over a branch 
 
SUICIDE. 
 
 and the other round liis throat, desired the woman to fasten 
 herself to the loose end. The man then abandoned his hold 
 upon the tree, and much to his surprise found himself upon 
 the ground having, in his descent, hoisted his companion 
 into the branches. Bethinking himself of the folly which 
 could have prompted him to sorasli an act, he unloosened the 
 rope from his throat and turned homewards. Before he 
 had proceeded far, hoAvever, he to his amazement met his 
 sweet-heart, wjio showed equal surprise at meeting him, as 
 she also had found suicide to be a mistake. They re- 
 turned together to the tree, where they found a badger 
 which had assumed the woman's form. Hanging is known 
 as hubi kuhuri. There are several kubi hukuri trees in 
 Yedo. 
 
 Ji-gai. Men rarely cut their throats but women fre- 
 quently resort to this mode of self-destruction, using for 
 this purpose their razors or, if gentlewomen, their dirks, 
 and there are stories of women who have slain themselves 
 with hair-pins or hibashi tongs. About the year 
 1680 the fifth Shogun of the Tokugawa line, Tsunayoshi, 
 paid a visit to Yanagisawa and fell in love with the 
 Olcusama (wife) of the latter. She was at tlie time 
 en9einte, but her husband succeeded in persuading the' 
 Shogun that the child was his. As it proved to be a male a 
 revenue of one million kokii and the fortress of Kai were 
 settled upon him. li Kamon, (ancestor of the Regent), 
 conspired with the Midai sama of the Shogun to assas- 
 sinate Tsunayoshi before he could place a false child in 
 the exalted position intended : she cut the Shoguu's 
 throat while he slept and subsequently cut her own, 
 
i50 FU SO 311311 BUKURO. 
 
 Innumerable instances of this mode of suicide are fur- 
 nished by all ranks, jealousy being the most frequent 
 motive. A gentleman sent his wife liome to her family 
 in disgrace. He was an old man, she a young and 
 beautiful girl. Prior to her being coerced into marriage 
 slie had had a lover, who continued visit to her in the 
 old man's absence. Tlie latter however discovered their 
 intimacy, slew the gay Lothario, and sent the guilty sur- 
 vivor to her parents' liome. On her Avay home she 
 succeeded in killing herself with the tongs of a brazier, 
 which a servant managed to slip into her Ka(jo unper- 
 ccived, and when s he bearers arrived at her home, their 
 fair burthen was no more. 
 
 The notorious hara klri is a common mode of suicide, 
 differing from the official or judicial method. Here the man 
 (for women never rip themselves open) holds the small 
 knife in the left hand and cuts from right to left across 
 the abdomen, beneath the navel, eight inches and conti- 
 nues the cut upwards three inches. 
 
 A skilful surgeon in Yedo succeeded in stitching to- 
 gether the abdomen o^ d^ samurai who had ripped himself 
 up, but, during a thunder storm which occurred shortly 
 afterwards, the stitches gave way and the patient died. 
 
 The writer remembers a young gentleman who being 
 suspected by his uncle of a guilty intimnny with his young 
 wife was peremptorily chassed. The- yoUng man pro* 
 ceeded to the house of the family pliysician, and while 
 left alone for a few moments succeeded in ripping himself 
 up. On overhearing the intelligeuce of his death hia 
 
SUICIDE. 151 
 
 paramour killed herself by biting her tongue, a con:imoii 
 mode of suicide with women. 
 
 The subject of suicide in this country might be enlarged 
 upon to a greater extent than the proportions of these 
 notes admit. We will, however, notice a few of the 
 earlier and most celebrated cases. 
 
 In A.D. 313 the fourth and fifth sons of 0-jin-Ten-O 
 (afterwards known as Hachiraan sama) had a dispute 
 about the succession to the Throne, each declining the 
 honour in favour of the other, and finally, after three 
 years of debate, the fifth son, Waka irako no mikoto* 
 committed suicide by cutting his throat to make way for 
 his brother who became Nin toku Ten-O. 
 
 In A.D. 671 Otomono-Oji attempted to assassinate his 
 nephew, Oieno Tenchi Ten-O,* and failing, hung himself. 
 
 In 1170 Yoritomo's uncle, Tametomo, was defeated at 
 Idzu by the Heke, when he disembowelled himself, and 
 ti>en cut his own throat. This is one of the oldest cases 
 o^ seppukit on record. Ten years later Yorimasa failed 
 to depose Kiyomori, and committed suicide by seppuku 
 at Bioto-In in Uji. 
 
 In 1289 Asaharu Tameyori rebelled, and, being defeat- 
 ed, was ordered to commit seppuJcn in the official palace 
 (Shinden.) This is one of the oldest instance of judicial 
 suicide, i.e. by order of the Government in expiation of 
 crime. 
 
 In 1857 a priest named Yegen rebelled against the 
 
 Ashikaga Shogun Takauji, and being unsuccessful, 
 
 poisoned himself. 
 
 * The same Tenchi Ten-O, was the author of the first poem of the Century 
 of Poets (see Mr. Dickins Japanese Odes and other Translations.) 
 
152 FU SO MIMI BUKUMO. 
 
 There are but few instances on record in Japan of 
 suicide by poison, although a Chinese custom, and 
 likely to be adopted by scholars of the classics. The 
 poisoning of enemies or opponents, however, was common. 
 
 In 1586 the lord of the provinces of Noto, Mwa Naga- 
 hide, who was subject to spasmodic fits, killed himself 
 by disembowelment, to free himself from the excruciating 
 pains he suffered. 
 
 In 1591 Hidetsugn, having been accused of plotting the 
 assassination of his uncle Hideyoshi (Taiko) who had 
 adopted him as his son, escaped to Koyasan in Kishiu, 
 and, failing to prove his innocence, chivalrously ripped 
 himself open. 
 
 The judical Seppuku, by order of the Government, 
 seems to have been a recent custom, indeed, does not 
 seem to have obtained previous to the time of the Toku- 
 gawa dynasty of Shoguns. The most celebrated case is 
 that of Asano Takumi no kami, as a punishment for draw- 
 ing his sword in the palace, A.D. 1699, when, in a fit 
 of anger and jealousy, he attacked and wounded Kira 
 Ko'skenoske. f 
 
 Officers of the Government or of the Daimios were 
 sometimes obliged to expiate the faults of their lords, and 
 these occurrences form the foundation of innumerable 
 tales of loyal and brave men of all times, past and present. 
 
 Women have rarely been known to hang themselves. 
 
 A case of a female who died not long ago of self-inflicted 
 
 seppuku was remarkable and unprecedented in native 
 
 f This forms the story of the forty-seven ruiiins, so well told, by Mr. 
 Mitford, and a translation of the piece as put on the stage appeared in 
 the Foi' East 1873-4. 
 
SUICIDE. 153 
 
 annals, and there are no cases known of persons being 
 murcleretl by disembowelling. 
 
 When a man's honour has been wounded by persons 
 physically superior or of higher position, the injured man 
 not uufrequently first kills his family, wife and children 
 even, and then commits seppuku, leaving behind him a 
 written statement of his wrongs, which then become 
 known to the authorities, and stringent means are resorted 
 to in order that justice may be done to all parties. 
 
 Suicide by fire-arms is unusual. Fire-arms are nofc 
 generally possessed by the Japanese and are never loaded 
 but when out shooting, which is not a common pastime, even 
 few of the high officials caring for it, as hunting is a means 
 of livelihood and almost a hereditary trade. But latterly 
 since foreign drill and arms were introduced, occasional 
 cases have occurred of death self-inflicted with fire-arms, 
 the muzzle of the weapon being placed against the breast, 
 and not the head, as is more common with foreigners. 
 
 There are many legends of faithful followers being 
 forced to commit seppiiku by other disloyal retainers — 
 the axiom ' dead men tell no tales' being well understood 
 in Japan. Warriors beaten in the field often committed 
 seppnkii in preference to flight, and the wounded invariably 
 themselves put an end to their misery, or got some friend 
 to sever and carry off their heads. 
 
 Amongst the common people, poverty, discovered dis- 
 honesty or other disgrace often leads them to put an end 
 to their lives by hanging or drowning; men principally by 
 hanging themselves, Avomen by drowning in a river or 
 even a well, Lovers vow to die together either by drown- 
 
154 FU SO MIMl BUKURO, 
 
 ing or by the man first killing the woman by cutting her 
 throat, and then committing seppuht. 
 
 Men rarely cut their own throat, or poison themselves. 
 Those who drown themselves are usually old men. 
 Women of determined character, if they have no oppor- 
 tunity to drown themselves, cut their throat.J 
 
 From time immemorial it has been, and still is, the 
 invariable custom on the occasion of a wedding in 
 the higher classes of society that the bride is pro- 
 vided with a lacquered box, about the size of a small 
 lucifer box, in which are placed two dried beetles, of a 
 golden colour, known as Tama musJii (jewel insect) 
 which, if swallowed, are supposed to cause speedy death. 
 This is in case something should happen to make her 
 wish to put an end to her existence. 
 
 There are few cases, however, in which these means 
 have been resorted to, and the real poisonous insect is, it 
 may be credited, rarely placed in the box. 
 
 Although accidents by fumes of charcoal are common 
 with foreigners in Japan, they are rarely heard of as 
 occurring to natives, and suicide by asphyxiation 
 with charcoal fumes is practically nnknown to the com- 
 piler of these notes, notwithstanding much enquiry, and 
 a personal experience of over a decade in Japan. 
 
 Biting the tongue is resorted to by women mostly, but 
 men have been known to attempt it, for instance, when 
 deprived of the use of their hands or instruments, as 
 
 I Women, married and single, always have razors in their toilet furni- 
 ture, often iu tUeir pocket dressing-cases. 
 
SUICIDE. 155 
 
 when in the hands of the police — with women, too, 
 when tied up by villains in attempted outrages. 
 
 SetzupukkUf* pronounced seppuhi, also means hara hiri 
 or abdomeu-cutting. When ordered bv the Government, 
 it is conducted with great ceremony and minuteness of 
 detail, and the only way to obtain a correct view of it is 
 by visiting a respectable theatre during the performance 
 of tragedy such as Chiu shin gura ( the forty-seven 
 ronins). Here the death of Asano by order of the Shogun, 
 and his follower Hayano Kampei (stage name) by his 
 own hand, in his grief and shame, when falsely accused 
 of the murder and robbery of his own father, give 
 illustrations of the different modes of wiping out a stain 
 on one's honour by means of suicide. 
 
 Sometimes a dexterous swordsman severs the head at 
 
 the moment the abdomen is ripped open, and generally so 
 
 when the victim is considered by the authorities as guilty 
 
 of an offence against the Government. In the other case, 
 
 a friend or faithful retainer may be appointed to this last 
 
 act of fidelity, to spare the dying man unncessary and 
 
 prolonged agony in dying after the self-infliction of the 
 
 fatal wound. The brave and honest bushi, with the 
 
 small keen stiletto, deliberately rips himself below the 
 
 navel six inches from right to left and continues the cut 
 
 for three inches upwards. Tlie cut is not deep, the blade 
 
 being wrapped in paper, only a small portion of the point 
 
 being left bare. 
 
 * Kuwatzufuku (Kwapuku) splitting abdomen ; but the origin of the 
 name "'happy despatch" is obscm-e. There is no equivalent in 
 Japanese, but under certain circumstances it is looked upon as the 
 correct ''finale" to au act of revenge, or stern ^uty to comu^it suicide iu 
 this waj'. 
 
m FU so MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 The faint-hearted or rebellious or traitorous have the 
 small sword (tonto or hi sun go hu (.95 of a foot) j laid 
 on a tray in front of them, and when reaching forwards 
 towards it to grasp it, the kal shak^ (executioner) severs the 
 head from the shoulders, which, in former times, was 
 then placed in a chip box, in the case of an enemy whoso 
 head should be brought to his capturers. Of late the friends 
 of the deceased have been allowed to take away the body 
 and the head. 
 
 Those culprits who are executed for crime at the execu- 
 tion grounds are beheaded with their hands and arms 
 bound, and the heads are exhibited. 
 
 A clever swordsman does not completely sever the head 
 at the first blow, but divides the spine and muscles only, 
 then, grasping the head by the hair and shifting his hold 
 of the sword, he holds the head up, the face towards the 
 official witnesses, and then, at their order, with an upwaid 
 cut, severs the head and thi'ows it down on the mats. 
 The usual dress on these occasions is a light-blue robe of 
 linen over which a linen kami shimo is worn. 
 
 Men of rank have silver-gilt screens drawn around them 
 on which white poppy blossoms have been painted. These 
 screens are not therefore in common use, and silver gild- 
 ing and the white poppy are rarely seen, the combination be- 
 ing suggestive and distasteful, especially in those families 
 any members or ancestors of which have been forced to 
 commit scppuhu. 
 
 Although no longer ordered by the Government, and 
 officially discountenanced, yet of late there have been many 
 cases of seppuku. Indeed, within the memory of * old 
 
SVICIDR 15^ 
 
 resideuts/ cases have occurred of high officers committiug 
 seppuku because then- advice was rejected, — Hori Kura 
 110 karni, Hori Oribe no kami, and numbers of others 
 within the last few years of the Tokugawa regime. 
 Since then we occasionally hear of the ' death ' of an 
 official, but it is looked upon Avitli the same disfavour as 
 duelling is amongst ourselves, — wrong, but sometimes 
 necessary to preserve one's honour. 
 
 There are many occasions in which Japanese have 
 died by their own hands, where it is difficult for a 
 foreigner to understand the motive. Such was the case 
 with the two last-mentioned officials, whose sole reason 
 was that their advice was not accepted, and they wished 
 to prove their patriotism and honesty of intention. Again, 
 in some instances there is great depende.nce placed on the 
 fact that a case of this kind invariably brought on enquiry 
 and notoriety, and the end sought was not unfrequently 
 eventually gained ; though the honour comes too late, the 
 family benefits, aud the victim attains certain fame. 
 
 By way of general remark we may say that suicide was 
 frequently compulsory as a punishment for oifending 
 officials. Only mider guilty circumstances of a special 
 character aud enormity did the family suffer beyond the 
 forfeiture of the income of the suicide. Generally, it 
 was the saving of the family, socially and pecuniarily. 
 
 In most instances among men, the act springs — strange 
 to say — from the possession of the very courage, the absence 
 of which may be inferred among ourselves from a similar 
 act, that is, moral courage, which induces them to destroy 
 themselves in order to save their family* 
 
158 FU SO MiMI BUKUBO. 
 
 Men and women tired of life who take their future into 
 their own hands are invariably considered insane, under 
 the influence of the fox, or some such power as leads them 
 to harm. 
 
 The custom is not by any means disaj)pearing or dying 
 out. The judicial setziipukkit only is discontinued, and 
 the native papers frequently contain accounts of men 
 ripping open their own abdomens on points of honor or to 
 vindicate their conduct. As in the case of Tsunayoshi's 
 Midai sania, the name may be known to posterity as that 
 of a patriotic hero or heroine. 
 
 Swords. 
 
 Tlie Katana (sword) has always been considered the 
 badge of gentle condition in Japan, and has ever been 
 associated in the mind of foreigners with the yakunin 
 (official) or the samurai (daimio's armed retainer). 
 
 The rules of observances connected with the wearing of 
 the long and short sword or the single sword, are most 
 minute, but have fallen into disuse. 
 
 Of late the wearing of these weapons is by no 
 means common in the foreign settlements, and even 
 rare in the eastern capital, Tokio. But, in former 
 days, the most trivial breach of these minute ob- 
 servances was often the cause of murderous brawls 
 and dreadful reprisals. To touch another's weapon, 
 or to come into colUson with the sheath, was a dire 
 offeuce, and to enter a frieud's house without leaving the 
 
SWOEbS. l59 
 
 sword outside, a breach of friendship. Those whose position 
 justified the accompaniment of an attendant, invariably- 
 left the sword in his charge at the entrance, or, if alone, 
 it was usually laid down at the entrance. If removed in- 
 side it was invariably done by the host's servants, and then 
 not touched with the bare hand, but with a silk napkin 
 kept for the purpose, and the sword was placed upon a 
 sword-rack in the place of honour near the guest^ and 
 treated with all the politeness due to an honoured visitor 
 who would resent a discourtesy. The long sword (if two 
 were worn,) was withdrawn, sheathed, from the girdle 
 with the right hand, and placed on the right side — an 
 indication of friendship, as it could not be drawn and used 
 thus — never by the left hand, or placed on the left side, 
 except when in immediate danger of attack. To exhibit 
 a naked weapon was a gross insult, unless when a gentle- 
 man wished to show his friends his collection. To 
 express a wish to see a sword was not usual, unless when 
 a blade of great value was in question, when a request to 
 be shewn it would be a compliment the happy possessor 
 appreciated. The sword would then be handed with the 
 back towards the guest, the edge turned towards the 
 owner and the hilt to the left, the guest wrapping the 
 hilt either in the little silk napkin always carried by 
 gentlemen in their pocket-books, or in a sheet of clean 
 paper. The weapon was drawn from the scabbard and 
 admired inch by inch, but not to the full length unless 
 the owner pressed his gUest to do so, when, with much 
 apology, the swoi'd was entirely drawn and held away 
 itom the other persons present* After being admired, it 
 
ieO FU so MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 ■would, if apparently necessary, be carefully wiped with a 
 special cloth, sheathed and returned to the owner as before. 
 
 The short sword was retained in the girdle, but, at a 
 prolonged visit, both host and guest laid it aside. 
 
 Women did not wear swords in their girdles by right 
 or fashion, although when travelling it was often done. 
 On the occasion of fires, the ladies of the Palace some- 
 times placed side-arms in their girdles. 
 
 The ordinary length of the katana blade Avas 2 feet 
 and —^ inches ; the small sword, or icakizashl, worn 
 with it, 1 ft. fV 
 
 In full dress, the colour of the scabbard was black, with 
 a slight tinge of green or red in it ; the binding of the 
 hilt blue silk ; the mountin";s of the j^uard and hilt 
 shakudo (alloy of copper and silver). 
 
 The names of makers are innumerable, and each has 
 his particular form of blade, &c. and mode of welding the 
 hard metal of the edge to the softer and tougher body 
 and backing. 
 
 Swords more than three centuries old are common 
 enough, and all of later date are called * new blades' 
 (shinto). Blades made even as iar back as the time of our 
 crusades, are to be met with, and there are blades known 
 to be nearly ten centuries old, though these are very rare 
 now* Ama kuni and Shin soku are two of the oldest ma* 
 kcrs whose swords are still in existence. 
 
 Chisakataiii, is about two feet long to two and a-half 
 i^Qi) and lighter than the ordinary blade, and is worn with 
 the naga hakama and the court dress called dabnon 
 (large crest). 
 
SWORDS. 161 
 
 Metezashi (rigbt hand use) is a short sword stuck iu 
 the girdle behind, the hilt to the right, used in fighting 
 if the wearer be thrown and unable to draw the swords on 
 the left side of the girdle. 
 
 Aikuchi is a short dirk without a guard, worn by 
 doctors, artists, and those with the rank of Hoin and 
 Hogen (about equal to officials of the fourth and fifth 
 ranks). 
 
 Tanto and mamori katana are stilettos about a foot 
 long or less, woi'u in the girdle by officers, gentlemen and 
 nobles, in place of the more cumbrous loakizashL 
 
 Jintaclii (war-sword) ; a long heavy two-handed sword, 
 generally carried by a sword-bearer when not in immediate 
 use. 
 
 Nodatchi is a sword of rnedium size, worn when hunt- 
 ing or rambling in country places for pleasure. 
 
 Tatchi is hung from the girdle by two slings ; there are 
 several styles. 
 
 Shin-nO'tatchi has a shagreen iiilt and on the guard 
 and scabbard and other mountings there should be 75 
 examples of the crest of the owner. 
 
 Yefu notatchi has a lacquered and gilt scabbard. 
 
 Sayamaki a portion of the scabbard bound with silk. 
 The mountings are numerous and the making of them is 
 a special and honourable trade. Goto Yujo was a cele- 
 brated maker of the loth century, whose descendants still 
 exist. The work of this family is called lyehori (the 
 families' chasings.) 
 
 The first group, called * articles of three places/ com- 
 prises, firsts the ferule on the head of the hilt, and the 
 
162 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 ring behind the guard : second^ the two pieces of metal 
 interwoven with the silk binding of the hilt, used to hide 
 the hole of the rivet, and to ensure a better and firmer 
 grasp of the sword hilt ; and thwd, the small knife and 
 skewer-like pieces of metal inserted into the scabbard 
 so as to be drawn out for use at pleasure. The small 
 knife was used to throw at an enemy ; the skewers to 
 attach the heads of slain enemies to the girdle. 
 
 The guard (tsubu) is often a wonderful piece of work- 
 manship in metal. Nanban (southern iron) was consider- 
 ed the best, but they were often made of valuable metal, 
 and worked up with gold, silver &c., into a detailed 
 picture of battles, hunting or scenery. Nearly every 
 article connected with the sword will be richly inlaid to 
 correspond. Guards are also made of several thicknesses 
 of leather or raw hide called neritsuba, Shahido (copper 
 and silver alloy). Shibuichi (one-fourth silver, three- 
 fourths copper.) vSilver and gold are used as well as 
 iron. 
 
 Seppa are the washers, of which there is one or more 
 above and below the guard, made of flat pieces of metal, 
 brass, silver, or gold. 
 
 Hahaki ia a ferule on the * forte ' of the sword extend- 
 ing about an inch below the guard, made of the same 
 metal as the seppa* 
 
 Kojiri is the ornamental ferule on the lower end of the 
 scibbard, often very expensively inlaid to match the 
 other mountings. 
 
 Kurikata is the small cleat on the scabbard through 
 Wbich the Sage wo or silk-cord is rove. This is made of 
 
SWORDS. 163 
 
 various materials, and generally made with the scabbard. 
 
 Saguri is a small hook on the scabbard to prevent the 
 sword slipping too fiir through the girdle. 
 
 Tska ito is the silk cord bound crosswise on the liilt. 
 There are several styles of binding, maki, dashl me nuki, 
 katatemaki, heomakl &c. Some swords only have shark- 
 skin hilts without silk, but generally the silk binding is 
 over the skin (same), those pieces having the largest 
 uodnles being most valuable. 
 
 The sheath or scabbard {scia) is made of a wood called 
 Ilof generally varnished. Black and dark colours are 
 preferred ; gaudy crimson and variegated colours are 
 affected by the old * swashbucklers.' Leather covers are 
 worn over the handsomely lacquered scabbards ; shark- 
 skin ground down, inlaid with shell-work or peculiar 
 kinds of lacquer is sometimes seen on scabbards. 
 
 Sage wo is the the long silk. cord, of various kinds and 
 colours of sennet, about five feet in length for largo 
 swords, half that for the short sword, used to bind up 
 the sleeves preparatory to fighting. 
 
 On journeys the gentleman's sword-bearer carried the 
 honoured blade covered with the Shihi haday a sword- 
 case of leather of cloth emblazoned with the owner's crest, 
 
i64 FU SO MIMI WKUBO. 
 
 Celebrated S words and Makers. 
 
 Old weapons are frequently presented to Kami shrines, 
 especially those dedicated to Hachiman and Dai Jin Gu. 
 
 The following are some of the numberless renowned 
 blades and their forgers. 
 
 Ama-kuni of Yamato who lived about A.D. 700 was a 
 celebrated maker. One of his blades is said to have been 
 carried off by a crow during the reign of Kanmu Ten O, 
 A.D. 782, and has since been known by the name of the 
 Kogarasu maru* (little crow). In A.D. 910 Taira 
 Sadamori became the possessor of this sword, which was 
 drawn by him in the wars Avith Masakado, who was 
 until lately deified at Kanda, Yedo. 
 
 Shin-soku, who lived at Usa no Mia of Buzcn, was 
 ordered to forge a blade for the son of the Emperor 
 Ileizei Ten O in A.D. 806, and he cut his name on 
 the blade, the first time this was done. There is a legend 
 that Riu Jinf came to his assistance. 
 
 Of ninety-nine sw^ords he is said to have made, only 
 eight had his name on them, and the Hachiman shrines 
 
 * Names were given to swords, as to vessels, horses and other 
 favourite possessions, the commonly used affix jiun-ii meaning " per- 
 fect," in this sense and still used for ships. Formerly even the youu" 
 sons of nobles were thus styled, as Take chi yo maru, a common title 
 for the heir to the Tokugawa line ; as also to castles, such as Hon 
 niani (true perfect) or Nishi maru (west perfect). 
 
 t Riu Jin is the same as the Old man living at the bottom of the sea 
 in Kiugu (Dragon Shrine) the father of Toyotama hime Hiko quarrelled 
 with his brother, and descending into the depths of the sea became 
 enamoured of Toyo and lived with her in coral caves until she was about 
 to bring forth her child. Hiko then built her a hut on the sea shore 
 rooofing it with cormorant's wings. Here Fuki was born, and his 
 mother Toyo then became a crocodile and returned to her home in the 
 deep, Hiko having displeased her. She left her sister Tama-yori-hime 
 behind, who married Fukiawasedzu and Jimmu Ten was their fourth 
 child. 
 
CELEBRATED 8W0BDS AND MAKERS. 165 
 
 are named as being in possession of most these blatles, 
 many of which are now little else than a mass of rust.J 
 
 Ohara Taru daiyu Yasutsnna of Hoki, a cotemporaiy of 
 Shin-soku, forged a blade which in 947 which was used 
 by Raiko (Minamoto Yorimitzu) to kill Shi ten doji, a 
 celebrated robber. He dreamed that this sword, then 
 still at the Ise shrine, alone had power to break through 
 the spell of invincibility that surrounded this celebrated 
 robber, who is even now known to children as a ghoul. 
 This sword was placed in the Ise Mia as an offering by 
 Tamura Shogun. Another sword of the same make was 
 likewise placed at Kehi-miojin in Echigo by the Shogun 
 Toshihito. 
 
 ■ Ohara Sane-mori, another maker of celebrated swords, 
 lived at the same time. One of his blades was called 
 Nuke marUf from its having flown out of its sheath and 
 destroyed the Ja (enormous serpent) that came to swal- 
 low up Taira Tadamori, who had laid the weapon 
 sheathed beside his pillow, when lying down to rest. 
 Another blade called Korgarashi mam, also in the posses- 
 sion of the Hciki family, was reputed to cause trees to 
 wither if it was laid down touching them. 
 
 A.D. 985 : Yukihira was another celebrated sword- 
 maker. One of his swords was used by Watanabe, the 
 follower of Yorimitzu (Raiko), to cut off the arm of the 
 Onie§ (ghoul) when sent by Raiko to exterminate the 
 wicked ghouls dragons, ya &c. 
 
 X There are some of these old blades in the Exhibition at Tokio, one 
 is marked as valued at 700 yen. 
 § Vide Stories (Kodwno BanasM), 
 
FU SO MIMT BUKUBO, 
 
 A.D. 987. Miine cliika, a svvord-smitli living in Sanjo 
 street, Kioto, in the province of Yamasliiro, made a 
 blade called Cho maru, possessed by Gongiiro of Kama- 
 kura. Cho marii^ was so called from a cho (butterfly) 
 beinff worked into the * forte ' of the blade. Another 
 was placed in the temple of Fudo son at Echigo, and 
 became the property of Wada Sabnrozaiemon, who 
 repaired the temple at his own cost. The blade was 
 thereafter called Fudo maru. 
 
 Another was called Kogitsiine maru (little fox) from 
 its having been forged by the assistance of Inari (Uga 
 no mitama), when Iclii jo no In (A.D. 887) ordered one 
 of the finest workmanship. The name of the maker, 
 Mune chika, was cut on the obverse, and the name Ko- 
 kitsune on the reverse side (tska), 
 
 TomonariofBizeu wasanoted sword-maker of the same 
 period. 
 
 A.D. 1,004 there lived in Yamashiro Yoshi iye, to 
 whom appeared Sumiyoshi Daimio Jin (of the temple at 
 Osaka) and ordered the best blade that could be welded. 
 When it was finished, the maker was on his way to the 
 temple, as ordered, but while crossing the water he drop- 
 ped the sword into its depths. A cormorant dived, and 
 finding, flew away with it. Shortly afterwards a new 
 sword was found at the Shrine of Sumi yoshi, which 
 proved to be the lost blade, and it is now called Wuno 
 maru ( Wu, a cormorant.) 
 
 A.D. 1186. Gotoba no lu was partial to sword- 
 
CELEBRATED SWOBDS AND MAKERS. 167 
 
 makers, || the most celebrated of whom were sent for by 
 him in rotation, as follows : — 
 
 1st month, Bizen no Norimuue. 
 
 2nd „ Bitchiu no Sadatsugu. 
 
 3rd „ Bizen Nobufusa. 
 
 4th „ Awadaguchi no Kuniyasu. 
 
 oth „ Bitchiu no Tsnnetsugu. 
 
 6tli „ Awadaguchi no Kunitomo. 
 
 7tli „ Bizen no Muneyoshi. 
 
 8th „ Bitchiu no Tsuguieye. 
 
 9th „ Bizen no Sukemune. 
 
 10th „ Bizen no Yukikuni. 
 
 11 til „ Bizen no Sukenari. 
 
 12th „ Bizen no Sukenobu. 
 The Blades made by Gotoba no In are marked with a 
 chrysanthemum and a stroke beneath, (kUu ichi mon 
 
 p)- 
 
 A.D. 1204. Yoshimitzu of Awadaguchi in the pro- 
 vince of Yamashiro, commonly known as Toshiro. His 
 make of swords, having cut through a druggist's metal 
 mortar (called YagenJ, are known as Yagen Toshiro. 
 
 Rai-taro Kuni-yuki is name of a celebrated maker of 
 this period. In 1248 Kuni-mitzu flourished ; in 1250 
 Kuni-yoshi. In 1279 Naga-mitzu made a sword, after- 
 wards worn by lyeyasu, called Adzuki nag a mitzu from 
 its cutting a bean (adzuki) thrown into the air. 
 
 Other celebrated makers are : — - 
 A.D. Rai Kuni toshi. 
 
 1,293. Shin to go Kuni mitzu. 
 
 II Many of the Imperial family, and daimios, imitated this Mikado, 
 and patronized amateur and professional sword-making, 
 
168 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 1,303. Yuki mitsu of Sagami. 
 
 1.319. Sadamune of Sagami. 
 
 1.320. Go no Yoslii hiro of Yetclnu. 
 
 The last is the most celebrated of these renowned 
 makers. He proudly refused to cut his name on the 
 blades, saying that their superiority would be recognized 
 without this. 
 
 A.D. 1322 Mura-masa of Senjiu mura in Ise, com- 
 monly spoken of as Senjiu-in Mura-marsa. His swords 
 would, it is said, cut a sheet of paper floating on the 
 stream if the sword were only held in the water to meet 
 the paper. Such was the reputed keenness of these 
 weapons, and so great the desire to test it possessed the 
 owners, that when a fitting opportunity occurred, the 
 Tokugawa government forbade their being worn.^ 
 
 In 1326 Masa-mune, the most celebrated of sword- 
 makers, forged some of his best blades, now still in 
 existence. The welding shows a peculiar golden tinge, 
 like forked lightning through a dark cloud. He folded 
 his metal from four sides, beat it out and refolded it in 
 a peculiar manner. 
 
 lu 1338 three lived in Mine, at the village of Seki 
 Sliidzu saburo Kani-uji, a pupil of Masa mune. 
 
 In 1362 Okane-mitzu, a celebrated maker of sabres, 
 having more sweep in them than the blades of other 
 makers. 
 
 A.D. 1370 Kane-sada was a reputed sword-smith of 
 
 Seki. 
 
 •|[ The compiler of these notes possesses one, and has experience of the 
 fear and sui^erstitious reverence evinced by natives of all classes for the 
 swords of this maker. 
 
CELEBRATED SWORDS AND MAKERS. 169 
 
 All swords made since 1570 are called Shinto (new 
 swords) and the old but inferior blades are inclnded 
 with these. The swords of previous make are called 
 Koto (old swords). 
 
 Horikawa Kuni-hiro A.D. 1600 was the best of the 
 new {Shinto) makers. 
 
 In Setsu (Osaka) Tsuda Echizen no kami Suke-hiro 
 was another maker of about the same period (1624). 
 
 Subsequent makers are numerous, but as there are no 
 special legends connected with their blades or particular 
 characteristics pertaining to them, the list of their names 
 is omited here. 
 
 The edge of the Japanese sword is tempered separately 
 from the body, by being covered with clay when placed in 
 the fire, and this process brings out the marking 
 peculiar to these swords called ya-ki ha (burnt head). 
 
 These processes vary and are called ; 
 
 Suguhn or straight edge : the style of Kuni mitzu. 
 
 Hoso suguha, (fine thin) straight edge ; the Yama- 
 shiro style. 
 
 Oomidnre, large irregular wavy : the Sagami and 
 Bizen style. 
 
 Komidare small irregular wavy-same style. 
 
 Chojif like cloves laid side by side : Bizen style. 
 
 Jiulca, overlaid petals, like flower petals : Bizen style. 
 
 Hitatsuray marked with cloudy spots : Soshiu style. 
 
 Notare, large wavy line ; common to all. 
 
 Ko Notare, a small wavy line ; common to all. 
 
 Saka ashiy serrated ; principally Bizen. 
 
170 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 Gunome or gonome, five curves and a straight line 
 alternating : Mino and Seki style. 
 
 Samhonsiigi, three serrated marks and a straight line 
 alternating. 
 
 JViye* are spots on the hard metal of the edge, peculiar 
 to certain makes ; and Niyoie, cloudings and markings 
 in the welding. The markings on the point, called boshi, 
 are of several kinds, denoting the peculiar makes. 
 
 All these details must be thoroughly studied hy every 
 Japanese gentleman, and Hon Nami (experts) were pen- 
 sioned by the Tokugawa government to teach the " true 
 marks." 
 
 The shapes of blades were classed as following : — 
 Ken, two-edged falchions. 
 Tatchi, swords with a greater curve. 
 Katana, the common large sword. 
 Wakizashi, the ordinary medium blade. 
 Tanto, the short sword, of late most worn with the 
 
 Kataiia. 
 Yoroldoshiy a short thick blade. 
 Yari, a lance. 
 
 Naginata, a large-headed lance. 
 Unokuhi tskiiriy (cormorant's-head-shaped) a blade 
 
 flattened out at the point. 
 Kamuri otos/il, a small pointed stiletto. 
 Shobutskuri, like a flag leaf, flat backed. 
 Hirntskuri, broad shaped. 
 Iiuomune, sloping backed. 
 
 * Swords are said to retain the stain of human blood, if it is no^ 
 gi'ound out speedily after the death of the victim. 
 
CELEBRATED SWORDS AND MAKERS, 171 
 
 Hako mune, square backed. 
 Ogisakiy round pointed. 
 
 XirimonOf are grooves or hollows in the blades filled 
 with crimson lacquer or carvings of Fttdo, Marishiteny 
 (Dragons) and sometimes Bonji (Sanskrit) letters and 
 Chinese characters, such as read " kimi ban zei,'' (* will 
 cut for ten thousand years'); ten ka tai hei, (peace beneath 
 Heaven) ; sei shin lio koku (honest heart and patriotic). 
 Some swords have been engraved with poetry of thirty-one 
 syllables. 
 
 The shapes of the haft (koinl or nakago) and the marks 
 there on are aserious study to all true swordsmen. 
 
 Yasnri me (file-marks) to keep the hilt from slipping. 
 
 Hlrayasuri ; yokoi/asuri ; taka no ha ; Ya hadzu ; are 
 the various styles, each having some peculiarity of the 
 maker. 
 
 Names of Japan. 
 Historical, Poetical and Colloquial. 
 
 Oya-shima no huni {Qowniry ofthe eight great islands) ; 
 from the legend of the eight islands produced by Isanagi 
 and Isanami. 
 
 Shiki Shima (outspread islands) ; from the fact of their 
 being spread out like the flag stones in a garden. 
 
 Isojiro-jima (cliff fortress island) ; from the resemblacne 
 ofthe cliffs ofthe coast to a castellated fortress. 
 
 Nichi iki (country of the sun) ; from the sun rising at 
 its east. Ni to (nest ofthe sun); for the same reason. 
 
172 FU &0 MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 Toyoashi-wara-chi-ivo-aki'midzuho 710 Jcuni (fertile 
 sweet flag plain, fifleeii hundred ages, prosperous 
 country.) 
 
 Onokoro-jima (consolidated drop) ; from the story of 
 the amanosakahoho — heaven suspended sword — being 
 thrust into the depths of chaos by Isanagi and tiie drip* 
 ping particles forming into islands. 
 
 Toyohara nakatzu-kuni (between heaven and earth) ; 
 or coming into existence and suspended between between 
 the in and yd, male and female principles of Chinese 
 philosophy. 
 
 Nansen hushiu (southern countiy of brave warriors). 
 
 F-iSO koku. Fuse is the name of a tree that is said to 
 petrify, and therefore the fitting emblem of a conntiy tliat 
 in the process of ages has become solidified and durable. 
 Yomogi,a shima (artemisia island) an allusion to tlie 
 straight and upward growth of that plant and emblematic 
 of the lofty aspirations of the people. 
 
 Tamagaki no uchitsn kiini — the country within the 
 boundaries. 
 
 Urayasu no kiini — (country of peaceful shores) ; from 
 the absence of foreign enemies. 
 
 Kuasliibokii kitario no kimi (country ruled by a 
 slender sword) ; from the smallnesss of the sharp swords 
 in comparison with the unwieldy arras of the warriors of 
 the main land of Asia. 
 
 Hodzwna no kuni (beauliful country). 
 
 Toyoakitsu (happy dragon fly shnped) ; from the shape 
 of the group of islands as they apjieared on the old maps 
 in form similar to a dragon fly. 
 
NAMES OF JAPAN. 173 
 
 Kishi hohn (the princesses counrry) ; from Tenshokii 
 having been the common ancestress of the nation. 
 
 Oijamnto no kiuii (hind of great gentleness) ; in allusion 
 to the great courtesy and kindness of heart of the people. 
 
 Wa koku — or the above altered by the elision of the 
 character O (great) and read by the Chinese sound or 
 Koye. 
 
 Dai Ni/ion Koku (great sun source country) ; as being 
 the source from which the sun was seen to rise daily by 
 the ancient inliabitants of the south-western provinces. 
 
 Nikon, or the same abbreviated, from which we learn 
 the common Nifon. The usual term Japan would seem 
 to be derived from the Chinese pronounciation Jipuii 
 which was modified by the early travellers. 
 
 On koku (honourable country) ; is a newly coined name, 
 used by the natives of late years which furnishes a re- 
 markable instance of a departure from the language of self- 
 abasement which the Japanese employ in allusion to 
 themselves. 
 
 Many of these names are rarely used and a few only 
 are to be met with in poetical or literary compositions. 
 Yamato is frequently employed in this sense. 
 
 MiTTHOLOGlCAL AND LEGENDARY. 
 In addition to the hami mentioned ante p.80 et 8eq. under 
 tlie heading Japanese Cosmogony and 93 Religion, the 
 numerous others with whose natnes legends are associated 
 and who are intimately connected Avitli the more recent 
 legendary lore of the ancient heroes of Japan, They are 
 as follows* 
 
174 t'U SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 Ante no ininaka 'jiushl no kaml, who existed before the 
 creation. 
 
 Takami niusubi no kami is the kamiwogl no mikoto of 
 the Sinto Harai (prayers). 
 
 Kami musubl no kaml is the kamnroml no mikoto of 
 the Harai. 
 
 Sosnno no mikoto, who had been banished to distant 
 lands, found that his evil reputation had preceded him, 
 and he could not induce people to give him a lodging, and 
 he became an ontc.ist from the habitations of man. At 
 length he fonnd his way to the country of Idznmo 
 and at a place called Hino-kawa-kami, passing 
 through the forest he heard a voice as of one weeping 
 in great distress. Approaching, he saw a young 
 woman who was crying bitterly and with her au 
 old man and woman, who informed Sosano that she was 
 the chosen victim for that year's annual sacrifice to 
 Yauiada no orochl, the eight-headed serpent. He offered 
 to protect her, if they wouhi give her to him in the event 
 of his being victorious to which they all agreed. He 
 then placed eight large tuba full of 8(xke, ou au elevation, 
 and a waited the serpent's approach. When the 
 monster came for his victim he smelt the sakd aud 
 plunging each of his heads into one of the tubs, he 
 swallowed up the whole of it, and was soon helplessly 
 Intoxicated, wheu he fell an easy prey to SusanOf 
 who claimed and took the girl to be his wife. 
 When diviiing the mouster, his sword was unable to cut 
 through the tail, and splitting it open he found iu it a 
 wonderful sword Murakumo no hn, so called from the habi* 
 
MYTHOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY. 175 
 
 tation of the serpent being among the ever-clouded heights. 
 
 Ten shoko daijin lived for 200,000 years. 
 
 The second in succession Ama'^o oshl-homi-no-mikoto 
 who was created from the breath of Sosano, and was be- 
 stowed by Tenshoko witli an existence of 300,000 years. 
 
 The third was- Ninigi no Mikoto, the son of Oshi liomi, 
 and his mother was Taka musubi. He was given the 
 daughter of Ot/ama Zumi no kanii, Konohaiia saku ijahi- 
 me — * tlie blooming tree.' Charge was given him of 
 Ashiwara-nakatz-kuni (Nipon) by Tcnshoku and an exist- 
 ence of 310,000 years. As emblems of his office he had 
 charge of the sacred crystal {Tama) mirror (yada no 
 kagami) and sword {hen). These are the three sacred 
 emblems of office still attached to the Mikado. 
 
 The fourth Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto, son of the fore- 
 going pair. He had an elder brother Honosussori-no- 
 mikoto, who went fishing Avhile his brother went 
 hunting on the mountains, where he was successful, 
 while the elder could not suceed in catching fish. 
 They changed places, with the result of both beiug 
 unable to obtain game or fish. But a large fish 
 had carried away the line and hook from the youn- 
 ger, at which his brother was much enraged. He 
 thou made a basket full of hooks and offered them 
 instead of the one lost. But this did not appease 
 bis brother's anger, and be betook himself to the beach 
 where he was found in great grief and tribulation by 
 Shlwo-tsutsuo no okina, the old god of the tides, who, 
 when he heard the tale told by the younger brother 
 offered to assist him) and, making a basket ia which li© 
 
176 FU SO MIMI BUKURO. 
 
 placed him, sent him afloat on the waves to search for the 
 missing articles, without Avhich, fearing his brother's 
 wrath, he durst not return, lie sank to the depths of the 
 ocean to Rin Giu, the dragon's sanctuary. Before the 
 gateway was a lake over which spread the branches of a 
 mighty hatsuva-no-kl (an allusion to the moon) on which 
 he rested. Presently a beautiful woman came forth bear- 
 ing a crystal vase and going to the well for water, on the 
 surface of whicli she saw the reflection of Ilohodemi 
 perched in the brandies above. She flew back [ind told 
 her father she had seen the reflection of an amazingly 
 beautiful being in the water, and that she looked up and 
 had seen theliving original in the branches of the tree over 
 the well Riu Jin, her father, declared it must l)e a son 
 of the gods, and that they must shew him every attention, 
 and invited him to partake of their hospitality. Wada 
 zumi's (wide-spread seas) daughter Toyotama hime (pceV- 
 less) called to Hohoemi and invited him to enter, and he 
 told his story. The host promised his assistance and 
 offered his guest a honiie till the lost fishing tackle was 
 forthcoming. A message was sent to all the fish of the 
 seas charging them to search for it, and, when found, to 
 bring the hook and line. In the mean time a mutual 
 love had grown up between the young people, and, with 
 the consent of the himcs father, the pair were united. 
 
 Three years passed swiftly and happily away with the 
 young couple, but, at length KoUodemi longed to visit 
 his own laud, and begged that exertions might be renewed 
 to find the still missioug hook and liue» Toyotama had 
 not favoured the search, fearing to lose her loven 
 
MYTHOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY. 177 
 
 All the fish in the oceau were ordered to assemble, but 
 the akame (red-body) (the 2\ti) was not present, having 
 sent in excuse a plea of sickness from an injury to the 
 mouth. Upon searching the alcanie, the missing hook 
 was found in its month. Hohodemi, possessed of the 
 article the loss of which had caused his brother's anger, 
 wished to return to appease him, and received as a 
 parting gift from Wadazumi the two jewels that control 
 the ebbing and flowing of the tides ; Toyotamahime being 
 enceinte was told she must go to his country for the 
 birth of her child, and he should prepare a place by the 
 sea-shore to receive her for that purpose, the roof of which 
 must be of the wings of the cormorant. He was then 
 started off on the back of a crocodile and arrived safely, 
 and immediately presented the recovered hook to his bro- 
 ther, though even this did not appease his rage. Then, 
 taking in his hands the jewel of the flowing tides, he 
 ordered them to rise, and his brother was driven from 
 point to point as the floods rose upon him, till he was fain 
 to entreat his younger brother's pardon, promising to be 
 hi8 slave ever more if saved from drowning.* The tides 
 were then ordered to their usual place, and the building 
 to receive Toyohama was begun ; but ere the roofing of 
 wings was completed she arrived upon the spot bringing 
 with her her younger sister. She announced that her 
 time of travail had come, and enjoined Hohohemi not to 
 look upon her in her trouble ; but he, in his anxiety for 
 her, disregarded her injunction and had the mortification to 
 behold her changed to the form of a huge crocodile, which 
 * A strange account of a deluge, Worthy of attention. 
 
l78 FU SO MIMi BUKURO. 
 
 turned and disappeared in the sea leaving her sister 
 Tama-yori-hinie and tlie child UgM3'a-faki-awasezu-no- 
 mikoto (he that was born under the unfinished roof of 
 cormorant's wings) wrapped in grass, — upon the sea shore. 
 Henceforth the sea became inaccessible to man on account 
 of the sin of Hohodemi, who however lived for 637,892 
 years. 
 
 The fifth from Tenslio was Ugaya, and Tamayori 
 became his wife and bore him four sons : he lived 836,042 
 years. This was the first death — hodznrti — the term still 
 used on the decease of a Mikado. His remains were 
 enterred at Wagashirayama in the country of Hiuga. 
 
 In the days of Senka Ten O (A. D. 636) there was 
 war with Chosen and fighting going on at Shinran and 
 Mimana. Sate-hiko, the son of Otonomo Kane-mura set 
 sail from Hizen to join the warriors of Japan, and as the 
 vessel which bore him away from his native shores receded 
 from view, his loving wife Sayohime ascended the hill 
 Matzoura to obtain a parting glimpse of her beloved lord 
 and master and to offer up prayers for his safety and speedy 
 return victorious. Such was the intensity of her thoughts 
 and gaze that she became transformed into stone, and ever 
 since Matzoura Sayohime has become an expression for 
 devoted affection. 
 
 About A.D, 732 the daughter of the Dai-jin Tan^kai- 
 ko was given in marriage to Gen»so of the To (Taug) 
 dynasty of Kara (China)» and the latter sent, amongst 
 other valuable presents, n crystal containing an image of 
 Bhaka, the features of Which> turned in whatever way, 
 oould always be seen and hence called Men-ko-fu-kai, 
 
MYTHOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY, 179 
 
 The vessel bearing this precious jewel (tama) was wreck- 
 ed. Taii-kai-ko, anxious to recover such a treasure, went 
 to the fishing village of Shido-no-ura, in Sanuki, in 
 the Island of Sikoku, and there fell in with an ama 
 (a female-diver) wlio became his concubine. She, being 
 a notedly good diver, was confided after a few months by 
 Tan-kai-ko with the story of his loss, and volunteered to 
 risk her life to recover the treasure from the deep, if he 
 would vow to make her yet unborn child, should it prove 
 a male, his heir. Then, fastening a rope of great length 
 round her person and placing a small keen blade in her 
 girdle, she disappeared below the sparkling waves, diving 
 down to Riugu (the Dragon-shrine), where among temples 
 and pagodas built of Shipo — seven precious jewels — *gold 
 and silver, she found the tama enshrined in a temple guar- 
 ded by fierce dragons. Unable to find an opportunity of ab- 
 stracting the prize she saw and sought, it occurred to her 
 that in Riugu dead bodies f were abhorred, and she made a 
 deep incision under her left breast, and then, snatching the 
 the jewel, concealed it there. Then, violently jerking the 
 Hue attached to her, as a signal to those waiting for her 
 on the shore, she feigned death and was hauled to the 
 abodes of mortals unmolested, to all appearances dead. On 
 an examination of her body the coveted jewel was found, 
 and then her still warm corpse was delivered of a male 
 
 * The seven jewels are Sango (pltik coral), Kohahu (Amber), Shako 
 (Mother«of-pearl^, RuH (Emerald), Meno fAgate), Skinjit (Pearls) and 
 iSiiiiho (Chrystal) ; ktn (Q-oId) and gin (Silver) are both usually in» 
 eluded in the term. 
 
 t The horror of the gods of the sea for the dead is said to be the 
 cause that the bodies of the drowned invariably float ashore if not 
 speedily devoured by fishes. 
 
180 FU SO MIMl BUKURO. 
 
 child, who, at the age of thirteen became a Dai-jiu and was 
 named Fnsa-saki. Wishing that due respect should be 
 paid to his mother's memory and that proper funeral 
 rites should be performed over her body, he Avent to 
 Sanuki, and there, walking on the shore, he met an old 
 woman whose appearance denoted great poverty, and 
 who, accosting him, said she was the spirit of his dead 
 mother. Expressing her joy at his high position she 
 then explained to him the means by which she had 
 recovered the jewel, thereby earning for him the right to 
 be his father's heir, and then vanished. He caused 
 prayers to be celebrated in the temples for the repose of 
 her soul and remained a prosperous man until his death. 
 
 At the beginning of the ninth cenlury Ono-no-yori-kase 
 was absent from his mistress for an unusually lengthened 
 period, and she, fearing he had deserted her, drowned 
 herself in the Yodogawa near Otokoyama Kito. He re- 
 turned but a day too late to save her, and, burying her 
 and erecting a tablet to her memory, daily visited her 
 tomb. Over her grave grew a golden flower that bent its 
 blossoms towards the mouruer, but resumed their natural 
 position when he departed ; it was a hitherto unknown 
 plant, and he named it Omi-na-meshi (the Maiden's 
 flower). After the period of mouruiug had expired, he 
 desired to follow her to her home in paradise, where he 
 hoped she had become Johatzu (an angel), by his prayers 
 and by the same path by which she had preceded him, and 
 on the same spot drowned himself. 
 
 Tawara Toda Hide-sato, a celebrated leader of the 
 warriors of the day and aucestor of the Fujiwara family, 
 
MYTBOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY. 181 
 
 was an expert archer. Once on a time, about the year 
 A. D. 938 he was journeying through the province of 
 Omi, and near the bridge of Seta was accosted by a lovely 
 woman attired in jiu-ni-shi-to-ye (twelve robes and an 
 upper robe, worn by the Imperial ladies) who begged of 
 him as a loyal warrior to protect her from her enemy, 
 who destroyed the produce she raised for the support of 
 her family. He could not but consent, and said that 
 having but one shaft in his quiv^er, he would go for one 
 or two more and return speedily, when she should conduct 
 him to the hiir of her foe. Having returned with his 
 arrows, she conducted him to the mountain of Tonarai, 
 and by this time night had overtaken them. Tawara's 
 attention was suddenly directed to what appeared like 
 two moons glaring down from the heights upon him, and, 
 discharging a shaft at one of them, it suddenly faded. 
 He sent another shaft at the other, when it too dis- 
 appeared ; but bethinking himself that this must be the 
 great centipede (0 mukade) he touched the head 
 of his remaining shaft with his tongue \ and with a 
 huge effort sent it at the hideous reptile whose 
 faint outline he could but just perceive. That the 
 swift messenger h;id gone surely on its errand was 
 immediately apparoit, for the struggles of the mortal- 
 ly wounded reptile caused the most horrid noises 
 which were weirdly echoed by the surrounding hills. 
 It proved to have coiled itself seven times round 
 the mountain, such was its great length. The lovely 
 
 \ Centipedes abhor human saliva. These insects are said to die if tha 
 head 'v- kept wet with saliva ; it kills the young ones certainly, hence the 
 allusion to spitting on the arrow-head. 
 
182 FU SO MIMI BUKUEO, 
 
 woman expressed her unbounded gratitude and wafted 
 him off to the paradise beneath the surface of the Omi 7io 
 midzu Umi (Lake Biwa), § where, before being sent back 
 to earth once more, were given him to robes of silk, sacks 
 of rice, jars of wine, a sword and a bag of money. These 
 were so enchanted that the silk was endless, neither the 
 vice sacks nor the wine jars could be emptied faster than 
 they would refill themselves, the sword was invincible 
 and the money-bag inexhaustible. 
 
 In A. D. 935 at the Kitano no Tenman Gu, the spirit 
 of Sugawara appeared to the Kannuslil (keeper of the 
 shrine) and told him that henceforth he would watch 
 over the devotees at this place, in testimony whereof 
 one thousand pine-trees should grow around the shrine. 
 This occurred, and the Ten O Murakami hearing of 
 it, ordered that thenceforth the posthumous name of 
 Sugawara Micliizane Ten man (heavenly-endoAved) 
 should be given the affix Dai-ji-zai ten-jin (great 
 fertile heavenly spirit). 
 
 Ume waka-maru, the son of Yoshida-no-sho-sho of 
 Kioto was kidnapped || and carried off to the north, 
 but when arrived at Sumidagawa, where Yedo now 
 stands, the boy, who was about thirteen years old, 
 was so worn out with fatigue and cruel usage that 
 he was abandoned in a ditch. A charitable farmer 
 found him, but he was too far gone to be restored, 
 but lived long enough to give his name and tell 
 
 § This lovely creature was the Ja (serpent) of Riu gu and supposed 
 to be the same as that deified as Tchikubu Shima no Benten, in Omi. 
 
 II Kidnapping boys and girls to be sold for the basest pui-poses was 
 pot uncommon ; these thieves were called Kado-mukashi . 
 
MYTHOLOaiCAL AND LEGENDARY. 183 
 
 where to find liis friends, and, as a dying wish, 
 asked that a willow 1[ tree should be planted on the 
 mound over his grave. A year after, to a day, his 
 mother arrived on the spot, and the spirit of her lost 
 chikl appeared from the tree : then, after mutual ex- 
 planations, joined with prayer for the peaceful rest of his 
 spirit (johiitzu), it disappeared. 
 
 In the temple-grounds of Mokuboji at Mukojima (a 
 suburb of Yedo) on the banks of the Sumida may yet be 
 seen the tree on the grave. 
 
 Raiko (Minamoto Yorimitzu) went hunting in the forests 
 
 of Sagami. At Ashigara yama he met a boy in a lonely 
 
 spot who had round him a number of wild animals, 
 
 evidently on very friendly terms, and was at the moment 
 
 amusing himself by wrestling with a young bear. The 
 
 lad conducted him to where he saw a woman, the boy's 
 
 mother, who appeared to have once possessed great beauty. 
 
 He was desirous to obtain the boy who showed so 
 
 much courage, in order to adopt him, but succeeded 
 
 only by allowing the mother to accompany them. It 
 
 subsequently turned out that she, since known as 
 
 Yamauba (old woman of the hills), had been the wife 
 
 of Sakata no Toki yuki, a warrior of the Genji 
 
 party, and when he died the mother and child fled to the 
 
 hills of refuge from their enemies. The father is known 
 
 in children's stories as Kintaro, the son as Kintoki ; and 
 
 common pictures represent him in company with his 
 
 mother and beasts of the forest. He afterwards became 
 
 ^ "Willows are very commonly planted over gi-aves as emblems of the 
 grief of the departed, in strange contradistinction to our idea of them 
 f^s be tokeniog the \yeeping of the sorrowing relations. 
 
184 FU SO MIMI BUKURO, 
 
 known as Sakata Kiutoki and a famous warrior. This 
 occurred about A. D. 1,004. 
 
 Several years afterwards tlie Ten O Iclii-jo ordered 
 Raiko to subdue the wicked Shui ten do ji, the 
 ghouls that appeared at the Ra-sho-inon and also 
 Tsuchi gume. He took with him the four strongest 
 of his followers, first of whom was Kiutoki, the others 
 being Watanabe, Usuie and Urabe. Their adventures 
 form the foundation of numerous legends. 
 
 About 1084 a priest named Rai go ajari died, and it is 
 related that his spirit transmigrated iiito a rat, and that 
 the vermin went to Kioto and eat or destroyed all the 
 prayer-books and other temple furniture of Hiyesan. 
 
 Taira Kore mochi of the Heike family went to Taka o 
 san for pastime to view the maple trees. He saw a group 
 of maidens pic-nicing, and, dismounting from his horse, 
 would fain have passed without alarming or disturbing 
 the fair nymphs. But the queen of the party ordered him 
 to be invited to join them, and he, nothing loth, accepted 
 the wine-cup, which had but just been touched by her 
 own sweet lips, from her fair hands. What with the 
 wine he drank and the feminine charms around him, he 
 soon became fairly intoxicated and went off'to sleep, but 
 he was aroused by the violent trembling of the earth to see 
 before him a gigantic Oni who was fain to devour him. 
 But quicker than thought, the trusty steel Avas drawn 
 from its sheath as he bounded erect, and, almost with the 
 same spring, reached the ghoul and slew him. 
 
mmtmtSI^- 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 BERKELEY 
 
 Return to desk from which borrowed. 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 i9Jan'50MB 
 
 iSUiSSlLU 
 
 62JC 
 
 ?s.pt' 
 
 REC'D LD 
 
 MAR 2 4 1962 
 
 DAVIS 
 
 LD 21-100in-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 
 
RETURN TO the circulation desk of any 
 University of California Library 
 
 or to the 
 
 NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 BIdg. 400, Richmond Field Station 
 University of California 
 Richmond, CA 94804-4698 
 
 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 
 
 • 2-month loans may be renewed by calling 
 (510)642-6753 
 
 • 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing 
 books to NRLF 
 
 • Renewals and recharges may be made 
 4 days prior to due date 
 
 DUE AS STAMPED BELOW 
 
 :jUC I 8 2003 
 
 !AUG 2 2003 
 
 DD20 15M 4-02