noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第4部分

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being　as　new　to　me　as　to　the　Japanese；　I　piously　chose　the　narrow　way

leading　to　the　temple；　to　the　lingering　regret　of　the　baggage

trundlers；　who　turned　sorry　eyes　down　upon　the　easier　secular　road　at

every　bend　in　our　own。



A　Japanese　pass　has　one　feature　which　is　invariable：　it　is　always

longer　than　you　think　it　is　going　to　be。　　I　can；　of　my　own

experience；　recall　but　two　exceptions　to　this　distressing　family

likeness；　both　of　which　were　occasions　of　company　which　no　doubt

forbade　proper　appreciation　of　their　length；　and　vitiates　them　as

scientific　observations。　　When　toiling　up　a　toge　I　have　been　tempted

to　impute　acute　ascentomania　to　the　Japanese　mind；　but　sober　second

thought　has　attributed　this　inference　to　an　overheated　imagination。　

It　seems　necessary；　therefore；　to　lay　the　blame　on　the　land；　which；

like　some　people；　is　deceptive　from　very　excess　of　uprightness。　

There　is　so　much　more　soil　than　can　possibly　be　got　in　by　simple

directness　of　purpose；　or　even　by　one；　more　or　less　respectable；

slope。　



It　was　cold　enough　at　the　summit　to　cool　anything；　imaginary　or

otherwise。　　Even　devotion　shivered；　as；　in　duty　bound；　it　admired　the

venerable　temple　and　its　yet　more　venerable　tree。　　The　roofs　of　the

chalets　stood　weighted　with　rocks　to　keep　them　there；　and　the　tree；

raised　aloft　on　its　stone…girded　parapet；　stretched　bare　branches

imploringly　toward　the　sky。　　So　much　for　being　a　mile　or　so　nearer

heaven；　while　still　of　the　earth　and　earthy。　



Half…way　down　the　descent；　Asamayama　came　out　from　behind　the　brow　of

a　hill；　sending　his　whiffs　of　smoke　dreamily　into　the　air；　and　a

little　lower　still；　beyond　a　projecting　spur　on　the　opposite　side；

the　train　appeared；　waiting　in　the　plain；　with　its　engine　puffing　a

sort　of　antiphonal　response。　　The　station　stood　at　the　foot　of　the

tramway；　which　tumbled　to　it　after　the　manner　of　a　cascade　over　what

looked　to　be　a　much　lower　pass；　thus　apparently　supporting　the　theory

of　〃supererogatory　climb。〃　The　baggage　passed　on；　and　Yejiro　and　I

followed　leisurely；　admiring　the　view。　



Either　the　old　trail　failed　to　connect　with　the　railway　terminus；

which　I　suspect；　or　else　we　missed　the　path；　for　we　had　to　supply　a

link　ourselves。　　This　resulted　in　a　woefully　bad　cut　across　a

something　between　a　moor　and　a　bog；　supposed　to　be　drained　by

ditches；　most　of　which　lay　at　right　angles　to　our　course。　　We　were

not　much　helped；　half…way　over；　by　a　kindly　intentioned　porter；　who

dawned　upon　us　suddenly　in　the　distance；　rushing　excitedly　out　from

behind　the　platform；　gesticulating　in　a　startling　way　and　shouting

that　time　was　up。　　We　made　what　sorry　speed　was　possible　under　the

circumstances；　getting　very　hot　from　exertion；　and　hotter　still　from

anxiety；　and　then　waited　impatiently　ten　good　minutes　in　our　seats　in

the　railway　carriage　for　the　train　to　start。　　I　forget　whether　I

tipped　that　well…meaning　but　misguided　man。　



The　tram　contingent　had　already　arrived；had　in　fact　finished

feeding　at　the　many　mushroom　teahouses　gathered　about　the　station；

and　were　now　busy　finding　themselves　seats。　　Their　bustle　was　most

pleasing　to　witness；　till　suddenly　I　discovered　that　there　were　no

first…class　carriages；　that　it　was　my　seat；　so　to　speak；　for　which

they　were　scrambling。　　The　choice；　it　appeared；　began　with

second…class　coaches；　doomed　therefore　to　be　doubly　popular。　

Second…class　accommodation；　by　no　means　merely　nominal；　was　evidently

the　height　of　luxury　to　the　patrons　of　the　country　half　of　this

disjointed　line；　which　starts　so　seductively　from　Tokyo。　　Greater

comfort　is　strictly　confined　to　the　more　metropolitan　portion。　



The　second…class　coaches　had　of　course　the　merit　of　being　cheaper；

but　this　was　more　than　offset　by　the　fact　that　in　place　of　panes　of

glass　their　windows　had　slats　of　wood　with　white　cotton　stretched

over　them；an　ingenious　contrivance　for　shutting　out　the　view　and　a

good　bit　of　the　light；　both　of　which　are　pleasing；　and　for　letting　in

the　cold；　which　is　not。　



〃If　you　go　with　the　crowd；　you　will　be　taken　care　of；〃　as　a　shrewd

financier　of　my　acquaintance　used　to　say　about　stocks。　　This　occurred

to　me　by　way　of　consolation；　as　the　guard　locked　us　into　the　carriage；

in　the　approved　paternal　government　style。　　Fortunately　the

locking…in　was　more　apparent　than　real；　for　it　consisted　solely　in

the　turning　of　a　bar；　which　it　was　quite　possible　to　unturn；　as　all

travelers　in　railway　coaches　are　aware；　by　dropping　the　window　into

its　oubliette　and　stretching　the　arm　well　down　outside；a　trick　of

which　I　did　not　scruple　to　avail　myself。　　My　fellow…passengers　the

Japanese　were　far　too　decorous　to　attempt　anything　of　the　kind；　which

compelled　me　to　do　so　surreptitiously；　like　one　who　committeth　a　crime。　



These　fellow…passengers　fully　made　up　for　the　room　they　took　by　their

value　as　scientific　specimens。　　I　would　willingly　have　chloroformed

them　all；　and　presented　them　on　pins　to　some　sartorial　museum；

for　each　typified　a　stage　in　a　certain　unique　process　of　evolution；

at　present　the　Japanese　craze。　　They　were　just　so　many　samples　of

unnatural　development　in　dress；　from　the　native　Japanese　to　the

imitated　European。　　The　costume　usually　began　with　a　pot…hat　and

ended　in　extreme　cases　with　congress　boots。　　But　each　man　exhibited　a

various　phase　of　it　according　to　his　self…emancipation　from　former

etiquette。　　Sometimes　a　most　disreputable　Derby；　painfully

reminiscent　of　better　bygone　days；　found　itself　in　company　with　a

refined　kimono　and　a　spotless　cloven　sock。　　Sometimes　the　metamorphosis

embraced　the　body；　and　even　extended　down　the　legs；　but　had　not　yet

attacked　the　feet；　in　its　creeping　paralysis　of　imitation。　　In　another

corner；　a　collarless；　cravatless　semiflannel　shirt　had　taken　the

place　of　the　under　tunic；　to　the　worse　than　loss　of　looks　of　its

wearer。　　Opposite　this　type　sat　the　supreme　variety　which　evidently

prided　itself　upon　its　height　of　fashion。　　In　him　the　change　had　gone

so　far　as　to　recall　the　East　End　rough　all　over；　an　illusion

dispelled　only　by　the　innocence　of　his　face。



While　still　busy　pigeonholing　my　specimens；　I　chanced　to　look　through

the　open　window；　and　suddenly　saw　pass　by；　as　in　the　shifting　background

of　some　scenic　play；　the　lichenveiled　stone　walls　and　lotus…mantled

moats　of　the　old　feudal　castle　of　Uyeda。　　Poor；　neglected；　despised

bit　of　days　gone　by！days　that　are　but　yesterdays；　aeons　since　as

measured　here。　　Already　it　was　disappearing　down　the　long　perspective

of　the　past；　and　yet　only　twenty　years　before　it　had　stood　in　all　the

pride　and　glory　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Then　it　had　been



　　　　A　daimyo's　castle；　wont　of　old　to　wield

　　　　Across　the　checkerboard　of　paddyfield

　　　　A　rook…like　power　from　its　vantage　square

　　　　On　pawns　of　hamlets；　now　a　ruin；　there；

　　　　Its　triple　battlements　gaze　grimly　down

　　　　Upon　a　new…begotten　bustling　town；

　　　　Only　to　see　self…mirrored　in　their　moat

　　　　An　ivied　image　where　the　lotus　float。



Some　subtle　sense　of　fitness　within　me　was　touched　as　it　might　have

been　a　nerve；　and　instantly　the　motley　crew　inside　the　car　became　not

merely　comic；　but　shocking。　　It　seemed　unseemly；　this　shuffling　off

the　stage　of　the　tragic　old　by　the　farce…like　new。　　However　little

one　may　mourn　the　dead；　something　forbids　a　harlequinade　over　their

graves。　　The　very　principle　of　cosmic　continuity　has　a　decency　about

it。　　Nature　holds　with　one　hand　to　the　past　even　as　she　grasps　at　the

future　with　the　other。　　Some　religions　consecrate　by　the　laying　on　of

hands；　Nature　never　withdraws　her　touch。　







IV。　



Zenkoji。



We　were　now　come　more　than　half…way　from　sea　to　sea；　and　we　were

still　in　the　thick　of　Europeanization。　　So　far　we　had　traveled　in　the

track　of　the　comic。　　For　if　Japan　seems　odd　for　what　it　is；　it　seems

odder　for　what　it　is　no　longer。



One　of　the　things　which　imitation　of　Western　ways　is　annihilating　is

distance。　　Japan；　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　is　shrinking。　　This　was

strikingly　brought　home　that　afternoon。　A　few　short　hours　of　shifting

panorama；　a　varying　foreground　of　valley　that　narrowed　or　widened

like　the　flow　of　the　stream　that　had　made　it；　peaks　that　opened　and

shut　on　one　another　like　the　changing　flies　in　some　spectacular　play；

and　we　had　compassed　two　days'　worth　of　old…time　travel　when　a　man

made　every　foot　of　ground　his　own；　and　were　drawing　near　Zenkoji。



I　was　glad　to　be　there；　hardly　as　glad　to　be　there　so　soon。

There　are　lands　made　to　be　skimmed；　tame　samenesses　of　plain　or　weary

wastes　of　desert；　where　even　the　iron　horse　gallops　too　slow。　　Japan

is　not　one　of　them。　　A　land　which　Nature　herself　has　already　crumpled

into　its　smallest　compass；　and　then　covered　with　vegetation　rich　as

velvet；　is　no　land　to　hurry　over。　　One　may　well　linger　where　each

mile　builds　the　scenery　afresh。　And　in　this　world；　whose　civilization

grows　at　the　expense　of　the　picturesque；　it　is　something　to　see　a

culture　that　knows　how　least　to　mar。　



Upon　this　mood　of　unsatisfied　satisfaction　my　night　fell；　and　shortly

after　the　train　rolled　into　the　Zenkoji　station；　amid　a　darkness

deepened　by　falling　rain。　　The　passengers　bundled　out。　　The　station

looked　cheerless　enough。　　But　from　across　the　open　space　in　front

shone　a　galaxy　of　light。　　A　crowd　of　tea…houses　posted　on　the　farther

side　had　garlanded　themselves　all　over　with　lanterns；　each　trying　to

outvie　its　neighbor　in　apparent　hospitality。　　The　display　was

perceptibly　of　pecuniary　intent；　but　still　it　was　grateful。　　To　be

thought　worth　catching　partakes；　after　all；　of　the　nature　of　a

compliment。　　What　was　not　so　gratifying　was　the　embarrassment　of

choice　that　followed；　for　each　of　these　gayly　beckoning　caravansaries

proved　to　be　a　catch…pilgrim　for　its　inn　up…town。　　Being　on　a　hill；

Zenkoji　is　not　by　way　of　easy　approach　by　train；　and　the　pilgrims　to

it　are　legion。　　In　order；　therefore；　to　ant