unbeaten tracks in japan-第38节

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｛16｝

After　this　the　two　bridesmaids　raised　the　two…spouted　kettle　and
presented　it　to　the　lips　of　the　married　pair；　who　drank　from　it
alternately；　till　they　had　exhausted　its　contents。　　This　concluding
ceremony　is　said　to　be　emblematic　of　the　tasting　together　of　the
joys　and　sorrows　of　life。　　And　so　they　became　man　and　wife　till
death　or　divorce　parted　them。

This　drinking　of　sake　or　wine；　according　to　prescribed　usage；
appeared　to　constitute　the　〃marriage　service；〃　to　which　none　but
relations　were　bidden。　　Immediately　afterwards　the　wedding　guests
arrived；　and　the　evening　was　spent　in　feasting　and　sake　drinking；
but　the　fare　is　simple；　and　intoxication　is　happily　out　of　place　at
a　marriage　feast。　　Every　detail　is　a　matter　of　etiquette；　and　has
been　handed　down　for　centuries。　　Except　for　the　interest　of　the
ceremony；　in　that　light　it　was　a　very　dull　and　tedious　affair；
conducted　in　melancholy　silence；　and　the　young　bride；　with　her
whitened　face　and　painted　lips；　looked　and　moved　like　an　automaton。
I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXV



A　Holiday　SceneA　MatsuriAttractions　of　the　RevelMatsuri　Cars…
…Gods　and　DemonsA　Possible　HarbourA　Village　ForgeProsperity
of　Sake　BrewersA　〃Great　Sight。〃

TSUGURATA；　July　27。

Three　miles　of　good　road　thronged　with　half　the　people　of　Kubota　on
foot　and　in　kurumas；　red　vans　drawn　by　horses；　pairs　of　policemen
in　kurumas；　hundreds　of　children　being　carried；　hundreds　more　on
foot；　little　girls；　formal　and　precocious　looking；　with　hair
dressed　with　scarlet　crepe　and　flowers；　hobbling　toilsomely　along
on　high　clogs；　groups　of　men　and　women；　never　intermixing；　stalls
driving　a　〃roaring　trade〃　in　cakes　and　sweetmeats；　women　making
mochi　as　fast　as　the　buyers　ate　it；　broad　rice…fields　rolling　like
a　green　sea　on　the　right；　an　ocean　of　liquid　turquoise　on　the　left；
the　grey　roofs　of　Kubota　looking　out　from　their　green　surroundings；
Taiheisan　in　deepest　indigo　blocking　the　view　to　the　south；　a
glorious　day；　and　a　summer　sun　streaming　over　all；　made　up　the
cheeriest　and　most　festal　scene　that　I　have　seen　in　Japan；　men；
women；　and　children；　vans　and　kurumas；　policemen　and　horsemen；　all
on　their　way　to　a　mean…looking　town；　Minato；　the　junk　port　of
Kubota；　which　was　keeping　matsuri；　or　festival；　in　honour　of　the
birthday　of　the　god　Shimmai。　　Towering　above　the　low　grey　houses
there　were　objects　which　at　first　looked　like　five　enormous　black
fingers；　then　like　trees　with　their　branches　wrapped　in　black；　and
thencomparisons　ceased；　they　were　a　mystery。

Dismissing　the　kurumas；　which　could　go　no　farther；　we　dived　into
the　crowd；　which　was　wedged　along　a　mean　street；　nearly　a　mile
longa　miserable　street　of　poor　tea…houses　and　poor　shop…fronts；
but；　in　fact；　you　could　hardly　see　the　street　for　the　people。
Paper　lanterns　were　hung　close　together　along　its　whole　length。
There　were　rude　scaffoldings　supporting　matted　and　covered
platforms；　on　which　people　were　drinking　tea　and　sake　and　enjoying
the　crowd　below；　monkey　theatres　and　dog　theatres；　two　mangy　sheep
and　a　lean　pig　attracting　wondering　crowds；　for　neither　of　these
animals　is　known　in　this　region　of　Japan；　a　booth　in　which　a　woman
was　having　her　head　cut　off　every　half…hour　for　2　sen　a　spectator；
cars　with　roofs　like　temples；　on　which；　with　forty　men　at　the
ropes；　dancing　children　of　the　highest　class　were　being　borne　in
procession；　a　theatre　with　an　open　front；　on　the　boards　of　which
two　men　in　antique　dresses；　with　sleeves　touching　the　ground；　were
performing　with　tedious　slowness　a　classic　dance　of　tedious
posturings；　which　consisted　mainly　in　dexterous　movements　of　the
aforesaid　sleeves；　and　occasional　emphatic　stampings；　and
utterances　of　the　word　No　in　a　hoarse　howl。　　It　is　needless　to　say
that　a　foreign　lady　was　not　the　least　of　the　attractions　of　the
fair。　　The　cultus　of　children　was　in　full　force；　all　sorts　of
masks；　dolls；　sugar　figures；　toys；　and　sweetmeats　were　exposed　for
sale　on　mats　on　the　ground；　and　found　their　way　into　the　hands　and
sleeves　of　the　children；　for　no　Japanese　parent　would　ever　attend　a
matsuri　without　making　an　offering　to　his　child。

The　police　told　me　that　there　were　22；000　strangers　in　Minato；　yet
for　32；000　holiday…makers　a　force　of　twenty…five　policemen　was
sufficient。　　I　did　not　see　one　person　under　the　influence　of　sake
up　to　3　p。m。；　when　I　left；　nor　a　solitary　instance　of　rude　or
improper　behaviour；　nor　was　I　in　any　way　rudely　crowded　upon；　for；
even　where　the　crowd　was　densest；　the　people　of　their　own　accord
formed　a　ring　and　left　me　breathing　space。

We　went　to　the　place　where　the　throng　was　greatest；　round　the　two
great　matsuri　cars；　whose　colossal　erections　we　had　seen　far　off。
These　were　structures　of　heavy　beams；　thirty　feet　long；　with　eight
huge；　solid　wheels。　　Upon　them　there　were　several　scaffoldings　with
projections；　like　flat　surfaces　of　cedar　branches；　and　two　special
peaks　of　unequal　height　at　the　top；　the　whole　being　nearly　fifty
feet　from　the　ground。　　All　these　projections　were　covered　with
black　cotton　cloth；　from　which　branches　of　pines　protruded。　　In　the
middle　three　small　wheels；　one　above　another；　over　which　striped
white　cotton　was　rolling　perpetually；　represented　a　waterfall；　at
the　bottom　another　arrangement　of　white　cotton　represented　a　river；
and　an　arrangement　of　blue　cotton；　fitfully　agitated　by　a　pair　of
bellows　below；　represented　the　sea。　　The　whole　is　intended　to
represent　a　mountain　on　which　the　Shinto　gods　slew　some　devils；　but
anything　more　rude　and　barbarous　could　scarcely　be　seen。　　On　the
fronts　of　each　car；　under　a　canopy；　were　thirty　performers　on
thirty　diabolical　instruments；　which　rent　the　air　with　a　truly
infernal　discord；　and　suggested　devils　rather　than　their
conquerors。　　High　up　on　the　flat　projections　there　were　groups　of
monstrous　figures。　　On　one　a　giant　in　brass　armour；　much　like　the
Nio　of　temple　gates；　was　killing　a　revolting…looking　demon。　　On
another　a　daimiyo's　daughter；　in　robes　of　cloth　of　gold　with　satin
sleeves　richly　flowered；　was　playing　on　the　samisen。　　On　another　a
hunter；　thrice　the　size　of　life；　was　killing　a　wild　horse　equally
magnified；　whose　hide　was　represented　by　the　hairy　wrappings　of　the
leaves　of　the　Chamaerops　excelsa。　　On　others　highly…coloured　gods；
and　devils　equally　hideous；　were　grouped　miscellaneously。　　These
two　cars　were　being　drawn　up　and　down　the　street　at　the　rate　of　a
mile　in　three　hours　by　200　men　each；　numbers　of　men　with　levers
assisting　the　heavy　wheels　out　of　the　mud…holes。　　This　matsuri；
which；　like　an　English　fair；　feast；　or　revel；　has　lost　its　original
religious　significance；　goes　on　for　three　days　and　nights；　and　this
was　its　third　and　greatest　day。

We　left　on　mild…tempered　horses；　quite　unlike　the　fierce　fellows　of
Yamagata　ken。　　Between　Minato　and　Kado　there　is　a　very　curious
lagoon　on　the　left；　about　17　miles　long　by　16　broad；　connected　with
the　sea　by　a　narrow　channel；　guarded　by　two　high　hills　called
Shinzan　and　Honzan。　　Two　Dutch　engineers　are　now　engaged　in
reporting　on　its　capacities；　and　if　its　outlet　could　be　deepened
without　enormous　cost　it　would　give　north…western　Japan　the　harbour
it　so　greatly　needs。　　Extensive　rice…fields　and　many　villages　lie
along　the　road；　which　is　an　avenue　of　deep　sand　and　ancient　pines
much　contorted　and　gnarled。　　Down　the　pine　avenue　hundreds　of
people　on　horseback　and　on　foot　were　trooping　into　Minato　from　all
the　farming　villages；　glad　in　the　glorious　sunshine　which　succeeded
four　days　of　rain。　　There　were　hundreds　of　horses；　wonderful…
looking　animals　in　bravery　of　scarlet　cloth　and　lacquer　and　fringed
nets　of　leather；　and　many　straw　wisps　and　ropes；　with　Gothic　roofs
for　saddles；　and　dependent　panniers　on　each　side；　carrying　two
grave　and　stately…looking　children　in　each；　and　sometimes　a　father
or　a　fifth　child　on　the　top　of　the　pack…saddle。

I　was　so　far　from　well　that　I　was　obliged　to　sleep　at　the　wretched
village　of　Abukawa；　in　a　loft　alive　with　fleas；　where　the　rice　was
too　dirty　to　be　eaten；　and　where　the　house…master's　wife；　who　sat
for　an　hour　on　my　floor；　was　sorely　afflicted　with　skin　disease。
The　clay　houses　have　disappeared　and　the　villages　are　now　built　of
wood；　but　Abukawa　is　an　antiquated；　ramshackle　place；　propped　up
with　posts　and　slanting　beams　projecting　into　the　roadway　for　the
entanglement　of　unwary　passengers。

The　village　smith　was　opposite；　but　he　was　not　a　man　of　ponderous
strength；　nor　were　there　those　wondrous　flights　and　scintillations
of　sparks　which　were　the　joy　of　our　childhood　in　the　Tattenhall
forge。　　A　fire　of　powdered　charcoal　on　the　floor；　always　being
trimmed　and　replenished　by　a　lean　and　grimy　satellite；　a　man　still
leaner　and　grimier；　clothed　in　goggles　and　a　girdle；　always　sitting
in　front　of　it；　heating　and　hammering　iron　bars　with　his　hands；
with　a　clink　which　went　on　late　into　the　night；　and　blowing　his
bellows　with　his　toes；　bars　and　pieces　of　rusty　iron　pinned　on　the
smoky　walls；　and　a　group　of　idle　men　watching　his　skilful
manipulation；　were　the　sights　of　the　Abukawa　smithy；　and　kept　me
thralled　in　the　balcony；　though　the　whole　clothesless　population
stood　for　the　whole　evening　in　front　of　the　house　with