常陸・下総・上総・安房諸国の旅

ROUTE 19. TRIPS IN THE PROVINCES OF HITACHI, SHIMŌSA, KAZUSA, AND BŌSHŪ. 1. TŌKYŌ TO TSUKUBA-SAN, KASAMA, AND MITO. 2. TŌKYŌ TO NARITA, KADORI, CHŌSHI, AND KASHIMA. 3. KASHIMA TO MITO. 4. TŌKYŌ TO KISARAZU, KANO-ZAN [NOKOGIRI-YAMA], AND TATEYAMA. 5. TATEYAMA TO KOMINATO. These four provinces form a natural division of the country, all partaking more or less of the same characteristics of flatness and sandiness.

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The opinion of geologists is that a great part of this district, whose sands seem to have been washed up by the sea, together with the wide Tōkyō plain which is formed by alluvium washed down from the central mountain-ranges, was submerged in quite recent times, and that only the southern half of the peninsula of Kazusa-Bōshū stood up out of the waves. This process of rising and drying is still going on. The large lagoons on the lower course of the Tonegawa gradually shrink in size, and the same is true of Tōkyō Bay. From these considerations, it will be inferred that parts of this district are somewhat dreary travelling.

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Mount Tsukuba (2,880 ft.) in the N., and the S. portion from Kano-zan downwards, with tuff ranges which, though not exceeding 1,200 ft., seem higher because rising almost directly from the sea, will best repay the tourist's trouble. In the S. more particularly, there are lovely views, as well as a mild winter climate due to the Kuroshio, or Japanese Gulf-Stream. The three provinces of Shimōsa, Kazusa, and Bōshū anciently formed one, under the name Fusa no Kuni, said to have been derived from the excellent quality of the hemp grown there.

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The district was subsequently divided into Upper and Lower, or Kami tsu Fusa and Shimo tsu Fusa, contracted into Kazusa and Shimōsa, and part of the former was subsequently constituted into the province of Awa, better known by its Chinese name of Bōshū. 'Upper' and 'Lower' seem to have been applied to denote the relative proximity of these two provinces to the ancient capital. Kazusa, Bōshū, and the greater part of Shimōsa now constitute the prefecture of Chiba, called after a town situated on the E. shore of Tōkyō Bay. The rest of Shimōsa and Hitachi are included in the prefecture of Ibaraki, of which Mito is the capital. 1. ASCENT OF TSUKUBA. KASAMA AND MITO. MITO RAILWAY.

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Names of stations: TŌKYŌ (Ueno); OYAMA Junction, 48 m. (see Northern Railway, Route 24); Yūki, 52½ m.; Kawashima, 54½ m.; Shimodate, 58¼ m. (alight for Tsukuba); Iwase, 66½ m.; Fukuhara, 71 m.; Kasama, 75 m.; Shishido, 78¼ m.; Uchihara, 82½ m.; MITO, 89½ m. The journey by rail to Shimodate, the station for Tsukuba, occupies a little over 3 hrs. Jinrikishas can thence be taken to the foot of the mountain, a distance of about 6 ri over a level and fairly good road; and although the ascent to the vill. of Tsukuba is ½ hr. rough walking, the whole journey may be done in an afternoon from Tōkyō. There is fair accommodation at Shimodate (Inn, Tomo-ya); but it is best to push on to Tsukuba, where the inns are better.

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The jinrikishamen will act as guides as far as the cleanly little vill. of Tsukuba (Inn, *Edo-ya), which lies about half-way up the mountain, and contains numerous houses much frequented by the people of the province of Hitachi. Most of the inns command a fine view of the plain of Tōkyō, stretching away towards Fuji. The ascent of the mountain begins immediately after leaving the vill., the path passing through the grounds of a temple. From this point to the summit of the W. peak, called Nantai-zan ('male mountain'), the distance is about 50 chō. This is the usual ascent, being less steep than the path up the E. and lower peak, Nyotai-zan ('female mountain').

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At the summit are numerous shrines, of which the chief is dedicated to Izanagi. Similarly, the temple on Nyotai-zan is dedicated to his consort Izanami. There is a magnificent view of the Tōkyō plain, Fuji, Asama-yama, and the Nikkō range. The name Tsukuba is said to be composed of two Chinese words meaning 'built bank;' and the legend is that Izanagi and Izanami constructed the mountain as a bulwark against the waves of the Pacific Ocean, which they had forced to retire to the other side of Kashima, formerly an island in the sea. This tradition is in accordance with the fact, recently verified by geologists, that the E. shores of Japan have been gradually rising during many centuries past.

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One legend says that Tsukuba is a fragment of the sacred mountain in China called Godai-san, which broke off and flew over to Japan. This is supposed to account for the peculiar plants found on it. But the fact is that no botanical species occur here that are not also found on other Japanese mountains, although the inhabitants of the vicinity, noticing the difference between the floras of the mountain and the plain, might naturally be led to suppose that there was something peculiar about the former. Pines and cryptomerias cover the mountain, and the rocks about the summits are difficult to scramble over, the assistance of an iron chain being necessary in parts.

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From the W. to the E. peak is an interval of about ½ m. The descent from the latter is 70 chō. It passes over and between huge rocks, to which fanciful names have been given, from their supposed resemblance to portions of the human body. The descent may be made either to the vill. of Tsukuba or to the hamlet of Sakayori.

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In the latter case it is advisable to have the jinrikishas sent round to await one, in order to be able to go straight on to Shimodate again. The ascent and descent take about 4 hrs. Leaving Shimodate, the train reaches in 1 hr. the small town of Kasama (Inn, *Itsutsu-ya), standing at the base of a lofty hill whose summit was formerly crowned by the castle of the Daimyō Makino Etchū-no-Kami. The site is easily reached by a path leading from the broad main street of the town. At intervals, traces are still visible of the old stone-faced embankments, of small but deep dry ditches, and of narrow bridges and heavy gateways.

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At the summit are steep flights of stone steps, and above all is the limited space originally occupied by the Daimyō's palace, round which runs a high earthen embankment. The place is interesting, and gives a good idea of the style of Japanese fortifications, where nature rather than art had raised the defences. The stronghold must, under any circumstances, have been well-nigh impregnable. The Temple of Inari, once of high repute, is of no great size. It stands on the l. of the main street, the approach being up a narrow alley, through an almost continuous archway of torii, placed within a few inches of each other. The wood-carvings in the chapel are beautiful, the human figures being exceptionally well-formed.

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There is a jinrikisha road from Kasama to Mito (4½ ri); but it is not recommended if the train be available. The time by rail is 50 min. As the train approaches Mito, a number of caves are seen on the l. in the high bluff on which a portion of the town is built. These galleries were hollowed out for the sake of the blocks used in the manufacture of soft-stone furnaces. Mito (Inn, Suzuki-ya, with a branch establishment near the railway station), the principal town of the province of Hitachi, and capital of the prefecture of Ibaraki, lies some 3 ri inland from the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and is situated on rising ground in the midst of a wide plain.

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The town is in three divisions, the Lower Town, the Upper Town, and the Castle Enclosure lying between the other two. The castle, where formerly lived the Princes of Mito, is picturesquely situated on the crest of the lofty ground that rises from the plain. The defences consisted of deep trenches on the upper town side, and lofty banks—the edge of the hill, in fact—on the other, with a small moat below. Three large gates and one tower still remain. It is worth walking round the castle and under the beautiful trees within the grounds. The Public Garden on the E. of the upper town, overlooking the large mere of Semba, is also prettily situated.

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It was laid out some forty-five years ago by Rekkō, the old Prince of Mito, as a retreat for himself after handing over the cares of government to his successor. A good view is obtained from the summer-house in the garden, where men of note formerly assembled to write verses and practise penmanship. The staple manufactures of Mito are cloth and paper. Tobacco is also made into cigarettes in large quantities, and a considerable export trade is carried on in both salt and fresh-water fish. The visitor with time to spare should ride out to the pleasant seaside hamlet of Oarai, a favourite retreat of the Mito folks. The journey there by jinrikisha with two men takes about 2 hrs.

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For the coast road from Mito southwards to Kashima, see p. 177; for that north to Taira and Kōriyama, see p. 187.

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2. TŌKYŌ TO NARITA, KADORI, CHŌSHI, AND KASHIMA. Itinerary. TŌKYŌ to:— Ichikawa, 3 ri 25 chō, 9 m.; Yawata, 29 chō, 2 m.; Funabashi, 1 ri 12 chō, 3¼ m.; Owada, 2 ri 28 chō, 6¾ m.; Usui, 2 ri, 5 m.; Sakura, 1 ri 13 chō, 3¼ m.; Shusui, 1 ri 3 chō, 2½ m.; NARITA, 2 ri 9 chō, 5½ m.; Inō, 3 ri 15 chō, 8¼ m.; Sawara, 2 ri 26 chō, 6¾ m.; Kadori, 28 chō, 2 m.; Tsunomiya, 18 chō, 1¼ m.; CHŌSHI (boat), 10 ri 15 chō, 25½ m. Total, 33 ri 5 chō, 81 m. Omnibuses ply between Ryōgoku-bashi (Tōkyō) and Ichikawa, where the Treaty Limit is reached at the Ichikawa ferry over the Yedogawa. The road is nearly level the whole way, a remark which applies to this route in general.

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Yawata takes its name from a temple standing on the l. side of the village street, about half-way down. The temple buildings are poor; but by the side of the chapel is a remarkable ichō tree, the trunk of which, about 10 ft. in diameter, has the appearance of being formed of some 40 or 50 trees of different sizes, growing together like a huge faggot. Funabashi (Inn, Ebisu-ya) is a large town, a little way inland from Tōkyō Bay. This place is celebrated as having been the rendezvous of the village chiefs who, in 1644, headed by the famous Sakura Sōgorō, proceeded to Yedo to protest against the tyranny of the lord of Sakura.

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Even to protest was in those days a capital offence, acquiescence in all the mandates of his superiors being an inferior's sole and sufficient duty. Not Sōgorō only was put to death: his wife was crucified with him, and their three children decapitated before their eyes. One, a child of seven, was butchered as he was eating the sweetmeats thrown to him by the compassionate spectators. This pathetic story is graphically told in Vol. II of Mitford's 'Tales of Old Japan.' [The carriage road, 4½ ri, to Chiba (Inns, Kanō-ya, Umematsu-ya), capital of the prefecture of the same name, diverges r. at the end of the main street of Funabashi.

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Three miles before reaching the city, at the fishing hamlet of Inagi, is a bathing establishment called *Keiki-Kwan, where it may be better to sleep than at Chiba. A good 2 m. walk from Chiba is to the famous old temple of Daiganji, standing in a pine forest where thousands of cormorants roost and build their nests. There is a direct road from Chiba to Narita through pleasant country.] To Owada, the road traverses an upland country, where some of the best rice in Japan is grown. Some way on, it crosses a narrow canal which brings the Imba lagoon into communication with Tōkyō Bay. It then traverses the wide plain of Narashino, where occasional reviews are held of the troops forming the Tōkyō garrison.

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The locality is believed to be haunted by the magic foxes and badgers that play so important a part in Japanese folk-lore. Usui (Inn, Ōta-ya) is a good-sized posting-station on the S. shore of the lagoon. Sakura (Inn, Kome-ya). At an angle of the road l., just within view of the trees on the rising ground where the castle formerly stood, is the old execution-ground, where the farmer Sōgorō and his family suffered death in 1645. A large memorial-stone now marks the spot. The road turns to the l., descends into the town past the castle site, and rises again into the upper town.

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The castle was formerly the residence of the chief of the Hotta family, which furnished many statesmen to the Gorōji, or Chief Council of the Tokugawa Shōguns. Its site is now occupied by the barracks of the garrison. The temple raised to Sōgorō's memory, Shusui, is a poor building; but the number of worshippers is great, and charms bearing the name of the martyred peasant sell in large numbers.

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Narita (Inns, Ebi-ya, Wakamatsu-ya) is famed for its great Temple of Fudō, to which pilgrimages are made from all parts of the country. The wood carvings adorning it are specially noteworthy. Near the great gate is a well where pilgrims perform the ceremony of washing with cold water. Close by is the Danjiki-dō, where devotees retire to fast during a whole week, the only refreshment permitted to them being the use of the cold bath. Formerly the period was three weeks. Tradition says that this practice was instituted about the middle of the 16th century by the saint Dōyo, who passed a hundred days in religious exercises.

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At last his prayers were answered by a vision of the god, who offered him the choice of a sharp or a blunt sword to swallow. The saint chose the sharp one, which the god thrust down his throat, causing the blood to flow freely. On awakening he found his intellectual powers immensely increased, and felt no traces of the wound. Nevertheless, priests' robes dyed with the blood shed on this occasion are preserved among the treasures of the temple. In a chapel close to the Danjiki-dō, worshippers may often be seen sitting in a circle, and handing round one to another a huge rosary to which a bunch of horse-hair is attached, and chanting the invocation Namu Amida Butsu.

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The Ni-ō-mon is a massive structure of keyaki wood, ornamented with carvings. Under the architrave are eight groups representing Chinese children at play, and sages probably intended for the 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,' whose attributes are chess, music, drawing, and calligraphy. At the r. end are groups of young cock-fighters, and the child delivered from the tall water-jar by his sharp-witted companion Shiba Onkō, who breaks a hole in it with a stone to let the water escape. In front r. is a sage writing an inscription, l. a sage playing on the harp. On the l. side are children playing, and a group, the central figure of which dances to the music of flageolet and drum.

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At the back are groups of checker-players and of sages inspecting a picture. On ascending the steps of the Hondō, or Main Temple, the first thing that strikes the eye is the huge receptacle for money-offerings, presented by inhabitants of Tōkyō. Above it is a large panel with carvings of phoenixes gorgeously coloured, and on the r. and l. of this are coloured panels of peacocks, also in relief. This is the only colouring about the building, the rest of the exterior being of unpainted keyaki. The two sides and back are decorated with eight splendid panels, each 9 ft. by 4 ft., representing groups of the Go-hyaku Rakan in low relief, with an immense variety of incident and portraiture.

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On the huge doors that close the sliding windows of this part of the building, are carvings of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety. In the Naijin, or Holy of Holies, is the sacred black image of Fudō, hardly visible in the dim light. Among the rock-work behind, are 36 small bronze figures of children; in the centre at the top is Fudō in a cave, and higher up on the r. the saint En-no-Shokaku. The grotesque figures popularly called Daira-botchi in the gables, which bear the ends of the ridge-pole, are excellent expressions of the effort to support a heavy burden. Round the building under the architrave are groups of fabulous animals.

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The three-storied pagoda is a very beautiful example of this architectural form, finely decorated and painted. The black groups on the four sides represent the Sixteen Rakan. Close by on the r. is a handsome library (Kyōdō), containing a highly decorated revolving octagonal box borne on the shoulders of parti-coloured demons. Note the peculiar coffered ceiling painted with kaleidoscopic patterns.

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In the ex-voto Hall (Ema-dō) to the l. of the Library, are pictures of Fudō helping suppliants; also a huge rosary, the string of which is a cable made of human hair. A flight of steps leads up to another platform, where stands a large red chapel called the Kōmyō-dō, or Hall of Resplendent Light, dedicated to Dainichi. Behind the Kōmyō-dō is a long low cave, at the end of which a figure of Fudō is dimly visible by the light of a lantern. A shrine called Daishi-dō, dedicated to Kōbō Daishi and containing an image of that saint besides fine carvings of dragons, has recently been added to the temple buildings. Below the temple, too, on the l., a small exhibition of relics is being set up.

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[Nearly 17 ri S. of Narita, stands the celebrated temple of Kasamori dedicated to Kwannon. The following is the itinerary. NARITA to:— Shibayama, 4 ri, 9¾ m.; Narutō, 3 ri 18 chō, 8½ m.; Tōgane, 1 ri 27 chō, 4¼ m.; Ōami, 1 ri 16 chō, 3½ m.; Honnō, 1 ri 19 chō, 3¾ m.; Mobara, 1 ri 24 chō, 4 m.; Chōnan, 2 ri, 5 m.; KASAMORI, 1 ri, 2½ m. Total, 16 ri 32 chō, 41¼ m. The temple is built on a platform which rests on the point of an irregular conical rock some 50 ft. in height, the edges being supported by stout wooden scaffolding, and is reached by three flights of stairs. A country road connects Kasamori with Kominato on the Pacific coast, distance about 11 ri. For Kominato see p. 180.]

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From Narita the road lies chiefly over moorland to Kadori, also called Sawara (Inn, Ukishima-ya, besides many others crowding the entrance to the splendid grove of trees in which the temple stands). The temple is dedicated to Futsu-nushi or Iwai-nushi, a deified warrior of the mythical period, whose symbol is a sword. The date of its foundation is unknown, but may be placed a good deal earlier than the 5th century A.D. The present building was erected at the beginning of the 17th century and restored in A.D. 1700.

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It is said that, as late as the beginning of the 17th century, the waters of the Tonegawa came right up to the base of the hill on which the temple stands, and that all the corn and rice-fields between it and Tsunomiya have been reclaimed since that period. The temple is in the mediaeval style of Shintō architecture, with a heavy roof of thick shingling, and is painted red. R. and l. of the oratory steps, a mirror and a sword, emblematic of the two sexes, are suspended in bags of brocade on branches of the sacred masakaki tree. Black lacquered doors close the entrance of the chapel. From the back of the grove is a fine view of the plain to the N., intersected by the Tonegawa and the lagoons.

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Tsukuba is visible to the l. on a clear day. Kashima lies out of sight behind a wooded hill on the r. At Tsunomiya boats to Chōshi, or to Ōfunatsu for the famous temple of Kashima (see next page), can be obtained. Shortly before reaching Chōshi the river attains a breadth of over a mile, but contracts considerably at its mouth, where it rolls between sharp rocks that rise abruptly from the sea. When there is any swell from the E., this bar becomes dangerous. Chōshi (Inns, Daishin, Komai-yasu) consists of several villages extending for over 2 m. along the S. bank of the Tonegawa. The chief occupation of the inhabitants is fishing.

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Immense quantities of iwashi, a fish resembling the pilchard but smaller, are caught here and along the coast. They are boiled in huge cauldrons to obtain the oil, which is used for lamps; and the residue, dried in the sun, is sent inland for manure. The odour from this process is overpowering, and renders Chōshi and the coast villages unbearable.

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Kashima can be easily reached from the opposite shore, but the road is too sandy to be agreeable, and the best way is to land at Ikisu, from which the distance is a little under 3 ri. [From Ōfunatsu it is ½ ri to the vill. of Kashima, crowded with inns and restaurants for the accommodation of pilgrims. The name Ka-shima means 'deer island,' but the district is an island no longer. It consists of a sandy spit, 13 ri by 1 ri, separating the sea from the Kita-ura lagoon, and ending at the mouth of the Tonegawa, opposite the town of Chōshi. The deer used to wander freely through the groves round the temple, but they have now been almost exterminated.

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A broad avenue leads to the temple, which is situated in a grove of fine cryptomerias. It consists of an oratory and chapel connected by a short corridor in the usual mediaeval style, painted red, and with a thick shingled roof. The principal deity here worshipped is Take-mika-zuchi. This god was one of those sent down from Heaven to Japan, to prepare the advent of the line of earthly sovereigns known afterwards as Mikados. The temple is usually said to have been founded in the 'age of the gods,' and certainly dates from the prehistoric epoch.

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From the most ancient times it was the practice here, as at Ise, to rebuild not only the main temple, but also all the inferior ones around it, every twenty years; but about the beginning of the 9th century, for reasons of economy, the rule became confined to the principal building. The temple faces N. But the box containing the sword which is the embodiment of the god faces E., i.e., towards the Pacific Ocean. A narrow path behind the temple conducts to a small enclosure containing the celebrated Kaname-ishi, or Pivot Stone, supposed to be a pillar whose foundation is at the centre of the earth.

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According to one tradition, it was sanctified by the local god taking his seat on it directly after his descent from heaven. Another account is that under this place is confined the gigantic fish called namazu, whose contortions are the cause of earthquakes, and that the stone acts as some restraint on the creature's movements. Mitsukuni, the second Prince of Mito, is said to have dug for six days round it without finding the lower end. About 1 m. from the temple is a stretch of moorland called Takama no hara, literally, the Plain of High Heaven, where the gods are supposed to have assembled in days of old, and where stone arrow-heads are still often found.] 3. KASHIMA TO MITO. Itinerary.

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KASHIMA to:— Ōfunatsu, 18 chō, 1¼ m.; Hokoda (boat), 8 ri, 19½ m.; Momiyama, 1 ri 18 chō, 3¾ m.; Konashi, 1 ri, 2½ m.; Natsumi, 2 ri, 5 m.; Ōnuki, 18 chō, 1¼ m.; MITO, 3 ri, 7¼ m. Total, 16 ri 18 chō, 40¼ m. The above distances are approximate. From Kashima to Ōfunatsu is by jinrikisha. The boat journey from the latter place to Hokoda is across the Kita-ura lagoon. Small hills stretch along the greater part of the shore on either side of the lagoon, especially towards Hokoda. Boats have to wind in and out through a channel traversing the large reed-grown marsh in front of the town, and then by a wide canal penetrate into its very centre.

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Passengers are transferred from the steamers to boats, close to the entrance of the channel. Hokoda (decent accommodation) is a poor fishing village.

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From this place two roads go to Momiyama. On leaving the village, there is a considerable ascent. Jinrikishas and pack-horses are obtainable; but as the road is generally in bad order, it is well to be prepared to walk at any rate as far as Ōnuki. Momiyama (Inn, Kōji-ya) is a poor village. There is a direct and shorter road to this place from Kashima, but it is sandy and heavy travelling. Konashi (Inn, Ebi-ya at Benten, just beyond the vill.). The roar of the Pacific can be heard all the way from Momiyama to this place, and in windy weather clouds of spray are blown over the low rising ground.

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Half-way between Konashi and Ōnuki the road descends from the wooded headlands to the beach, where the view of the Pacific is very fine. Natsumi is the largest of the villages in this part of the country, all small and poor, and inhabited only by fishermen. At Ōnuki jinrikishas can be obtained; but they are more numerous on the other side of the ferry beyond this village; or else boats may be taken up the Nakagawa to Mito. 4. TŌKYŌ TO KISARAZU, KANO-ZAN, TENJIN-YAMA [NOKOGIRI-YAMA], KACHIYAMA, AND TATEYAMA. Small steamers from Tōkyō (Reigan-jima) to Kisarazu in 3 hrs. For further details of steamers, see p. 64. Itinerary.

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KISARAZU to:— Kano-zan, 4 ri 23 chō, 11¼ m.; Tenjin-yama (Minato), 3 ri, 7¼ m.; Take-ga-oka, 34 chō, 2¼ m.; Kanaya, 1 ri 31 chō, 4½ m.; Motona, 1 ri 8 chō, 3 m.; Kachiyama, 1 ri, 2½ m.; Hōjō, 4 ri 14 chō, 10¾ m.; TATEYAMA, 13 chō, 1 m. Total, 17 ri 15 chō, 42½ m. Shortly after leaving Kisarazu, the road to Kano-zan gradually ascends a valley and crosses a low range of hills. The mountain of Kano-zan (also pronounced Kanō-zan), which rises to a height of 1,260 ft. on the borders of the provinces of Kazusa and Bōshū, is a conspicuous object in the view across Tōkyō Bay, and itself commands a magnificent prospect.

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It is sufficiently elevated above the plain to escape the damp air which renders Tōkyō so unhealthy in summer, and though not high enough to have a temperature markedly below that of the surrounding lowlands, is visited by fresh sea-breezes that render it an agreeable resort during the hot months. Kano-zan (Inns, *Yūyū-kwan in foreign style; Marushichi), a village of about 100 houses, stands on the top of the mountain. It is divided into an upper and lower street, the upper street running E. and W., and the lower N. and S. Between them, surrounded by a magnificent grove of cryptomerias and other conifers, stands a large but decaying temple dedicated to Yakushi, erected in 1708.

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The Yūyū-kwan Hotel is situated in the upper street, facing W. The view is superb:—below, the blue waters of Tōkyō Bay, beyond which rises Fuji; to the l., the Hakone range; to the r., the Ōyama and Tanzawa ranges; and further N., the Nikkō mountains, Akagi-san, and Tsukuba. The best walk at Kano-zan (about 1 ri) is to the big camphor-tree (kusunoki), one of the five largest trees in Japan, and probably 2,000 years old. It is 72 ft. in circumference; the largest branch is 24 ft. in circumference.

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The way to this tree—and it is very picturesque—leads from a corner in the upper street where there is a school-house just opposite the great temple of Yakushi, and descends in a S. direction along the l. side of a thickly wooded valley. Branching off r. from the way to the big tree, is a path leading by a steep descent to a pretty waterfall some 35 ft. high. It is about 13 chō, or 1 m., from the vill. that the way to the fall diverges.

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The footpath leading to the fall is not the first one reached (over which there is a small torii), but is about ½ m. further on. Japanese visitors—at least those of the lower class—generally improve the occasion by taking a shower-bath under the cascade. Another good walk is as follows: Passing through the lower street of Kano-zan towards the N., we reach l. a flight of 218 stone steps, at the top of which is a small Shintō shrine. This is the highest point of the mountain; but as it is overgrown with tall trees, the summit commands no view. Opposite the steps on the r., a short path leads to the brow of the hill, whence there is a fine prospect towards the E. and N.

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The side of the mountain here slopes away very abruptly; and below, as far as the eye can reach, lie low but sharp ridges covered with brushwood, intersecting and meeting so as to form a multitude of tiny valleys, in most of which rice is cultivated. The view from this point has received the name of Ku-jū-ku Tani, or the Ninety-nine Valleys. The descent from the village of Kano-zan is by a good jinrikisha road through Sakurai to Tenjin-yama or Minato (Inn, Fukumoto-rō), a prettily situated vill., containing a few sake breweries and soy manufactories, the produce of which is shipped in junks to Tōkyō; but the population consists chiefly of fisher-folk.

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A smooth sandy beach with a W. aspect stretches for ½ m. along the shore to the N., affording excellent bathing. About a mile away rises Myōken-yama, which commands a fine view. Ascending from the Minato-gawa and following along some cliffs, the road passes through a lofty tunnel hewn in the solid rock, before descending again to Take-ga-oka and Hagyū. Here the local wonder is a small cavern containing a well, called Kogane-ido, or the Golden Well, on account of a golden scum that rises on its surface. More tunnelling characterises the coast road from Hagyū to Kanaya (Inn, Kaji-ya).

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This place possesses an interesting relic of antiquity, known by the name of Tesson Daigongen, which is kept carefully in a small chamber in the rock immediately behind a little Shintō chapel. It is a disc of iron, between 4 and 5 ft. in diameter and some 3 in. thick, split into two unequal parts. Local tradition says that it was discovered in the bay about six centuries ago by the fishermen of the vill., then consisting of eighteen families, but that its weight was so great as to render unavailing their united efforts to bring it ashore. They therefore implored it to divide itself in two, promising that they would then land it, and worship it as their patron deity.

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After passing all night in anxious expectation, they found that their petition had been heard; and fishing up the two pieces, they placed them in the rock chamber, where the split disc has remained enshrined ever since as the local god. [Instead of continuing along the coast from Kanaya to Motona, it is pleasant to make the ascent of Nokogiri-yama on the way. This mountain takes its name, which means 'Saw Mountain,' from the serrated ridge of peaks that follow each other in regular gradation from the highest on the E. down to the sea-shore. Round the promontory thus formed, passes the ordinary road to Motona.

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A curious feature of Nokogiri-yama is a set of stone images of the Five Hundred Rakan, scattered over the mountain side. Besides these, there is a shrine hewn out of the living rock, in the centre of which is a stone effigy of the person to whose initiative the carving of the other five hundred images was due. The view from the point called Mi-harashi, 850 ft. above the sea, is magnificent. Westward rises the perfect form of Fuji above the low coast of Sagami, while to the S. a succession of bays and promontories marks the W. coast of Bōshū. First comes the vill. of Yoshihama, bent at an obtuse angle along the sea-shore, and beyond it the cape under which nestles the little town of Kachiyama.

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To the E. are the higher peaks of Nokogiri-yama, and in front the mass of lesser hills intervening between the ridge and the valley of the Tenjin-yama-gawa. The lighthouse on Kwannon-saki is a prominent landmark bearing N.W. by N.]

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Motona is continuous with Hoda, a convenient place from which to make the ascent of Nokogiri-yama if one is taking this route in the reverse direction. At Hoda the road leaves the sea-shore. It is a pleasant walk to Kachiyama (Inn, Nakajin), formerly the castle-town of a small Daimyō named Honda Tsushima-no-Kami. From Kachiyama the road strikes up into the hills, passes through a long tunnel by the quarries of Nokogiri-yama, and descends to Nago, 4½ hrs. from Tenjin-yama by jinrikisha. From Nago to Tateyama is about 1 hr. walk, including a glance at the temple of Hachiman, situated in a grove 200 yds. to the l. of the way.

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The porch has some good modern carvings, and a coffered ceiling containing seventy-two compartments with a dragon carved in relief, the design in each compartment being different. Within is another coffered ceiling, decorated with paintings of birds and flowers. Hōjō (Inn, Yoshino-an), though given in the itinerary as 13 chō from Tateyama, is practically almost continuous with the latter. Tateyama (Inn, Tsuru-ya) commands an incomparable view of Fuji across Tōkyō Bay. Nowhere else does the mountain seem to rise to so great a height, completely dominating the Ōyama and Amagi ranges which extend r. and l., while on either hand the shores of the bay stretch round to form a fitting frame for this lovely picture.

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A steamer leaves Tateyama daily for Tōkyō at about 10 A.M., calling at several places along the coast, and reaches Tōkyō in 7 hrs. under favourable circumstances. Another leaves about noon for Uraga. 5. TATEYAMA TO KOMINATO. Itinerary. TATEYAMA to:— Hōjō, 13 chō, 1 m.; Takehara, 2 ri 5 chō, 5¼ m.; Matsuda, 1 ri 20 chō, 3¾ m.; Wada, 1 ri 18 chō, 3¾ m.; Emi, 1 ri 7 chō, 3 m.; Maebara, 2 ri 31 chō, 7 m.; Amatsu, 1 ri 26 chō, 4¼ m.; KOMINATO, 1 ri 3 chō, 2¾ m. Total, 12 ri 15 chō, 30½ m. The 4 ri walk separating Tateyama at the entrance of Tōkyō Bay from Matsuda on the Pacific, is a short cut across the tiny province of Awa at its narrowest part.

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From Matsuda (Inn, Abura-ya), there is a jinrikisha road along the coast to Amatsu, 1 ri 3 chō from Kominato. Wada (Inn, Kaneko-ya). Emi (Inn, Hashimoto-ya) is a place of some size, standing in what for this part of the country appears a wide valley, about 1 square mile in extent. Maebara (Inn, Yoshida-ya) stands at the mouth of a small river, the Kamogawa, whence the road leads through a pine-wood and over a sandy shore to Amatsu. A steep promontory has to be climbed before descending again to the sea at Kominato (Inn, Kadokuma).

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This village, though so remote and difficult of access—for it is hemmed in on all sides between the mountains and the sea—is known throughout Japan as the birthplace of the great Buddhist saint, Nichiren.

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According to some, the original site of the temple founded by Nichiren himself on the very spot which gave him birth, is now under a stretch of sea called Tai-no-ura, said to be the resort of numbers of tai fish, which are held sacred by the fishermen. Another tradition is, that from the day of the saint's birth until he was seven days old, two of these fish five feet long used daily to appear in the pond in his father's garden, whence the spot, since covered by the waves, took the name of 'Tai Bay.' In any case, there is only just sufficient space between the sea and the steep hills behind for the row of houses forming the double vill. of Kominato and Uchi-ura.

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The temple raised to the memory of Nichiren is called Tanjōji, or 'the Temple of the Birth.' On the l. after entering the outer gate, is a small square building over the well which nominally supplied the water used to wash the infant saint,—nominally only, because the original spot was overwhelmed by a tidal wave in 1498. We next pass through a huge gate, and see before us the Main Temple, an unpainted wooden building, 72 ft. square inside, built in 1846. The porch has some excellent carvings of tortoises and lions' heads, and the birds in the brackets of the transverse beams are good.

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The interior is very simple, its only decoration being four large panels carved with dragons, and a coffered ceiling with the Mikado's crest painted in each compartment. On the altar stands a handsome black and gold shrine, containing a life-like image of the saint, who is represented as reading from a richly gilt scroll containing a portion of the Hoke-kyō. The doors of the shrine are closed except during service, when they are thrown open in order that the worshippers may gaze upon Nichiren's countenance. Two and a half ri from Kominato, and 1½ ri to the N. of Amatsu, stands the vill. of Kiyosumi, celebrated for its temple dedicated to Kokuzō Bosatsu.

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Kiyosumi lies about 1,000 ft. above the sea, and being free from mosquitoes owing to the dryness of the tuff of which the hills consist, is much frequented during the summer months by Japanese desiring to escape the damp heat of Tōkyō. The temple contains some good carvings. Those not caring to return from Kominato the way they came, may follow the coast road right round the peninsula. This road diverges from the route already given at Matsuda. The itinerary is as follows. KOMINATO to:— Matsuda, 8 ri 13 chō, 20½ m.; Shirako, 1 ri 5 chō, 2¾ m.; Asaina, 33 chō, 2¼ m.; Shirahama, 2 ri 27 chō, 5¾ m.; Mera, 1 ri 34 chō, 4¾ m.; Sunosaki, 2 ri 27 chō, 5¾ m.; TATEYAMA, 3 ri 6 chō, 7¾ m. Total, 21 ri 1 chō, 51¼ m.

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The road is mostly sandy and heavy for jinrikishas. The best accommodation is at Matsuda and Shirahama, the latter vill. being at the extreme S. point of the peninsula. Here, on the low headland of Nojima, stands a fine lighthouse, the light of which is visible for 20 m. This place enjoys a much warmer climate than other parts of the province. Luxuriant beds of jonquils and other flowers abound near the sea-shore, and fill the air with their fragrance at Christmas-time. The fishing boats of Mera put out in large numbers during the season to catch bonitos round Vries Island and others of the chain extending S. towards Hachijō. The scenery from Mera onwards is very pretty.

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