noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第4节

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not　a　whit　lessened　by　its　looks。　



To　begin　with；　the　cars　were　fairly　natural。　　This　was　a　masterly

stroke　in　caricature；　since　it　furnished　the　necessary　foil　to　all

that　followed。　　They　were　not；　to　my　eye；　of　any　known　species；　but；

with　the　exception　of　being　evidently　used　to　hard　lines；　they　looked

enough　like　trams　to　pass　as　such。　　Inside　sat；　in　all　seriousness；

a　wonderful　cageful　of　Japanese。　　To　say　that　they　were　not　to　the　　

horse…car　born　conveys　but　a　feeble　notion　of　their　unnaturalness。　

They　were　propped；　rather　than　seated；　bolt　upright；　with　a　decorum

which　would　have　done　more　than　credit　to　a　funeral。　　They　did　not

smile；　they　did　not　even　stir；　except　to　screw　their　heads　round　to

stare　at　me。　　They　were　dummies　pure　and　simple；　and　may　pass　for　the

second　item　in　the　properties。　



The　real　personnel　began　with　the　horses。　These　were　very　sorry…looking

animals；　but　tough　enough　admirably　to　pull　through　the　performance。　

Managing　them　with　some　difficulty　stood　the　driver　on　the　front

platform；　arrayed　in　a　bottle…green　livery；　with　a　stiff　military　cap

which　gave　him　the　combined　look　of　a　German　officer　and　of　a

musician　from　a　street　band。　　His　energy　was　spent　in　making　about

three　times　as　much　work　for　himself　as　was　needed。　　On　the　tail　of

the　car　rode　the　guard；　also　notably　appareled；　whose　importance

outdid　even　his　uniform。　　He　had　the　advantage　of　the　driver　in　the

matter　of　a　second…class　fish…horn；　upon　which　he　tooted　vigorously

whenever　he　thought　of　it；　and　he　was　not　a　forgetful　man。　



Comedie　Francaise；　indeed！　　Why；　here　it　all　was　in　Japanese　farce！

From　the　passivity　of　the　passengers　to　the　pantomime　of　the　driver

and　guard；　it　could　hardly　have　been　done　better；　and　the　actors　all

kept　their　countenances；　too；　in　such　a　surprising　manner。

A　captious　critic　might　have　suggested　that　they　looked　a　thought　too

much　at　the　audience；　but；　on　the　whole；　I　think　that　rather　added　to

the　effect。　　At　all　events；　they　were　excellently　good；　especially

the　guard；　whose　consequential　airs　could　not　have　been　happier　if

they　had　been　studied　for　years。　



There　was　no　end　of　red　tape　about　the　company。　　Though　the　cars　were

some　time　in　starting；　so　that　I　got　well　ahead　of　them；　they　could

not　admit　me　on　the　road；　when　my　baggage　kuruma　turned　out　to　be　too

slow；　because　I　had　not　bought　a　ticket　at　the　office。　　So　I　was

obliged　to　continue　to　tramp　afoot；　solacing　myself　with　short　cuts；

by　which　I　gained　on　them；　to　my　satisfaction；　and　by　which　I　gained

still　more　on　my　own　baggage；　to　my　disgust；　in　that　I　ceased　to　be

near　enough　to　hasten　it。　



I　had　to　wait　for　the　latter　at　the　parting　of　the　ways；　for　the　tram

had　a　brand…new　serpentine　track　laid　out　for　it；　while　the　old　trail

at　this　point　struck　up　to　the　right；　coming　out　eventually　at　a

shrine　that　crowned　the　summit　of　the　pass。　　Horse…railroads　not

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