琵琶湖

ROUTE 44. LAKE BIWA. KYŌTO TO LAKE BIWA. ŌTSU. ISHI-YAMA-DERA. MIIDERA. KARASAKI. ASCENT OF HIEI-ZAN. HIKONE. NAGAHAMA. CHIKUBU-SHIMA.

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1.-GENERAL INFORMATION. Glimpses of this beautiful lake, whose southern and eastern shores are classic ground, can be obtained from the carriage windows by those travelling on the Tōkaidō Railway between the stations of Maibara and Baba; but they are glimpses only. To explore the best portions of the Lake Biwa district thoroughly, the proper plan is, taking Kyōto as the starting-point, to go to Ōtsu either by rail or jinrikisha, or else to go over Hiei-zan, as explained in detail below, to do the southern end of the lake from Ōtsu as a centre, and then to take one of the little lake steamers from Ōtsu to Hikone and Nagahama, returning to Ōtsu by rail, and thence either westwards to Kyōto or eastwards in the direction of Yokohama. The Lake of Ōmi, generally called Lake Biwa (Biwa-ko in Japanese) on account of a fancied resemblance between its shape and that of the Chinese guitar, is about 36 m. long and 12 m. wide. Its area is approximately equal to that of the Lake of Geneva. Its height is stated by Dr. Rein to be about 100 metres (333 ft.) above the level of the sea; and its greatest depth is said to be the same, but in most places is much less. From Katata towards Seta it becomes very narrow, while the northern part is oval in shape. On the W. side the mountain ranges of Hiei-zan and Hirayama descend nearly to the shore, while on the E. a wide plain extends between Musa and Toriimoto towards the boundary of Mino. There are a few small islands in the lake, of which Chikubu-shima near the N. end is the most celebrated. According to a legend long firmly believed in by the Japanese, the lake was produced by an earthquake in the year 286 B.C., while Mount Fuji rose out of the plains of Suruga at the same moment. Constant reference is made in Japanese poetry and art to the "Eight Beauties of Ōmi" (Ōmi Hak-kei), the idea of which was derived, like most other Japanese things, from China, where there are or were eight beauties at a place called Siao-Siang.

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The Eight Beauties of Ōmi are: the Autumn Moon seen from Ishiyama, the Evening Snow on Hirayama, the Blaze of Evening at Seta, the Evening Bell of Miidera, the Boats sailing back from Yabase, a Bright Sky with a Breeze at Awazu, Rain by Night at Karasaki, and the Wild Geese alighting at Katata. As usual, convention enters a good deal into this Japanese choice of specially lovely scenes; but all foreigners will admit the great general beauty of the southern portion of the lake.

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A new feature-useful though not beautiful-added to the neighbourhood of Ōtsu by the modern thirst for progress is the Lake Biwa Canal, begun in 1885, and consisting of two branches, one for purposes of navigation, the other for irrigation and water power. The main branch is 6 7/8 m. long, the secondary branch 5 1/2 m., the total fall 143 ft. Some portions of the Canal are open, others pass through long tunnels.

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The main branch connects with the Kamogawa, the river by which Kyōto is watered. At Keage near the entrance of the city, where the branches divide, the boat traffic is worked by an inclined plane, the boats being put into a wheeled cradle, which is pulled up and let down by means of a wire rope worked by water power from the Canal above. From the foot of this plane there is another stretch of open Canal, with a regulating lock between it and the river.

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A curious personal item worth mentioning in connection with this Canal is the fact that the idea of it originated with a young student of the College of Engineering at Tōkyō, who, having propounded it in his graduation essay, obtained permission to put it into practice himself, and thus, though a mere youth and though deprived of the use of his right hand-all his drawings having been beautifully executed with his left-rose immediately to the position of one of the leading engineers in the country. His name is Tanabe Sakurō.

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The Canal was opened to traffic in the spring of 1890, and while answering the purposes for which it was intended, has not verified the fears of some who imagined that the level of the lake would be permanently lowered. The cost of the undertaking is officially stated at 1 1/4 million yen. The natural drainage of the lake is by a river flowing out of its S. end, which bears in succession the names of Setagawa, Ujigawa, and Yodogawa.

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It passes close to Fushimi, a suburb of Kyōto, and falls into the sea at Ōsaka. Small steamers ply daily between Ōtsu and Hikone, Maibara, and Nagahama on the E. coast of the lake, and along the W. coast between Ōtsu, Katata, Katsuno, etc., on the W. coast, ending up at Shiotsu on the N. extremity.

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2.-KYŌTO TO ŌTSU BY JINRIKISHA. ŌTSU AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. The run from Kyōto to Ōtsu by the Tōkaidō Railway takes about 3/4 hr. The Ōtsu station, called Baba, stands some way out of the town. For this reason, and also on account of the excellence of the highway, which is part of the historic Tōkaidō and still retains some of the bustle and picturesqueness of former days, many prefer to do the distance by jinrikisha.

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One may also thus advantageously combine a visit to the Kinkōzan Potteries at Awata on the E. outskirt of Kyōto, which are extensive and most interesting, the visitor being shown the whole process, from the kneading of the clay to the painting in gold and colours and the firing of the completed pieces. Leaving Awata, we pass l. the Lake Biwa Canal, just at the place (Keage) where the portage by rail takes place. After ascending a gentle rise called Hino-oka-tōge, we next see r. the former Execution Ground (shi-oki-ba), now turned into a rice-field, and then l. the Tumulus of Tenji Tennō, a Mikado of the 7th century.

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It is a mound overgrown with pine-trees, like all the hillsides hereabout. The vill. of Yamashina, which stands on the boundary between the provinces of Yamashiro and Ōmi, and which has furnished a title to one of Japan's Imperial Princes, is soon reached, and after it the villages of Oiwake and Ōtani, where the highroad and the railway run side by side. The gentle hill next ascended is called Ōsaka (properly Au saka, "the hill of meeting," of course having nothing whatever to do with the city of Ōsaka). On the top formerly stood a barrier, or octroi, constantly referred to in Japanese poetry.

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It is thus described by Semi-maro, one of the bards of the Hyaku-nin Is-shu, or "Century of Poets," in a stanza which every Japanese knows by heart: The stranger here from distant lands, The friend his home-bound friend may greet, For on this hill the barrier stands, The gate where all must part and meet. Just over the top of the hill there is a tiny shrine to Semi-maro. Lake Biwa then comes in view, and in a minute more we are in Ōtsu (Hotel, Minarai-tei, semi-foreign), a flourishing town, capital of the province of Ōmi and of the prefecture of Shiga, standing on the shore of the lake.

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This city has gained an unenviable place in the annals of contemporary Japan, through the attempted murder there of the Czarewitch on the 11th May, 1891. The would-be assassin, Tsuda Sanzō, had distinguished himself on the loyal side in the Satsuma Rebellion, and having subsequently entered the police service, was actually on duty at the time as one of the Czarewitch's guards. Some of the good people of Ōtsu proposed to alter the name of their city, which had thus become infamous; but though such changes are by no means rare in Japan, this particular suggestion has not been adopted. On a hill close to the town stands the famous Buddhist temple of Miidera, dedicated to Kwannon.

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This monastery was founded in A.D. 675 by the Emperor Tenji, and rebuilt in magnificent style in the following century. The present structure, which dates only from 1690, is poor. The granite obelisk is quite modern, having been erected to the memory of the soldiers from this prefecture who fell fighting on the loyal side against the Satsuma rebels. The view is entrancing, especially from the obelisk.

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On the spectator's extreme l. is Hiei-zan, then Hirayama; next, in faint outline, the island of Chikubu-shima near the N. end of the lake, with the high land of Echizen behind; straight ahead are other mountains not specially famous, excepting pointed Chōmeiji-yama, and Mikami-yama (Mukade-yama) shaped like a miniature Fuji. To the extreme r. is Tanakami-zan. At the spectator's feet are the lake and the town of Ōtsu, with the Canal coming straight towards him.

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Not quite 1 1/2 ri N. of Ōtsu, along the W. shore of the lake by a level jinrikisha road, is Karasaki, famous all over Japan for its giant pine-tree, which is one of the most curious trees in the world and perhaps the very largest of its species-not in height, but in extent. Its dimensions are stated as follows: Height, over 90 ft.; Circumference of trunk, over 37 ft.; Length of branches from E. to W. 240 ft.; Length of branches from N. to S. 288 ft.; Number of branches, over 380.

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Most of the branches spread downwards and outwards, fan-like, towards the ground, being in most places so low that one has to crouch in order to pass under them, and are supported by a whole scaffolding of wooden legs and stone cushions. The holes in the trunk are carefully stopped with plaster, and the top of the tree has a little roof over it to ward off the rain from a spot supposed to be delicate. In front of this tree, for which immemorial age has gained the reputation of sanctity, stands a trumpery little Shinto shrine called Karasaki Jinja.

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Those having time to spare should continue on 20 chō further along this road to Sakamoto (several inns), where, on the slope of Hiei-zan, embosomed among tall pines and cryptomerias, is a large Shinto temple dedicated to Hiyoshi, or Sannō Sama, the god of the mountain, together with a number of subsidiary shrines, some so small as almost to look like toys. The stillness of the now half-deserted temples, the shade of the grand old trees, and the plashing of rills of water through the spacious grounds, produce a charming impression. No spot could be better fitted for a picnic.

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There are two more Shinto shrines 8 chō higher up the hill. The best expedition on the opposite, or S.E., side of Ōtsu is to the long bridge of Seta and the temple of Ishiyama-dera, a charming jinrikisha ride. After leaving Ōtsu, one passes through Zeze, which is practically a suburb of Ōtsu (most Japanese prefer the Sakamoto-ya inn at Zeze to any of those at Ōtsu). Observe r. the barn-like temple of Empuku-in, with quaint images-some painted, some unpainted-of the Five Hundred Rakan seated on shelves placed round three sides of the hall. On leaving Zeze, the road leads over a sort of common called Awazu-no-hara.

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Here the cultivated plain to the r., the avenue of pine-trees lining the road, the blue lake to the l., and the hills encircling the horizon-some brilliantly green with pine-trees, some bare and white, some blue in the distance, with broad spaces between, and the cone of Mikami-yama ahead-this tout ensemble forms an ideal picture of tranquil and varied loveliness. Two chō past the vill. of Torigawa, stands the celebrated Long Bridge of Seta (Seta no Naga-hashi), spanning the waters of the lake at the picturesque spot where it narrows to form the Setagawa, so called from the vill. of Seta on the opposite bank. A bridge has existed in this spot from the earliest times. The present structure was last repaired in 1875.

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Properly speaking, the bridge is two bridges, there being an island in mid-stream, on which they meet. The first bridge is 215 Japanese ft. long, the second 576 ft. A tiny Shinto shrine on the opposite bank of the river, to the r., is dedicated to the memory of Tawara Tōda Hidesato, a famous hero of romance, who is said to have lived in the tenth century. The following legend concerning him and the Long Bridge and Mikami-yama hard by, which is also called Mukade-yama, that is, Centipede Mountain, is taken from the "Japanese Fairy Tale Series," where it bears the title of

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My Lord Bag-O'-Rice. Once upon a time there was a brave warrior, called My Lord Bag-o'-Rice, who spent all his time in waging war against the Mikado's enemies. One day, when he had sallied forth to seek adventures, he came to the Long Bridge of Seta, spanning the river just at the place where it flows out of the Lake. When he set foot on this bridge, he saw that a Serpent twenty feet long was lying there basking in the sun, in such a way that he could not cross the bridge without treading on it. Most men would have taken to their heels at so frightful a sight. But My Lord Bag-o'-Rice was not to be daunted. He simply walked right ahead-squash, scrunch, over the Serpent's body.

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Instantly the Serpent turned into a tiny Dwarf, who, humbly bowing the knee, and knocking the planks of the bridge three times with his head in token of respect, said: "My Lord! you are a man, you are! For many a weary day have I lain here, waiting for one who should avenge me on mine enemy. But all who saw me were cowards and ran away. You will avenge me, will you not? I live at the bottom of this lake, and my enemy is a Centipede who dwells at the top of yonder mountain. Come along with me, I beseech you. If you help me not, I am undone."

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The Warrior was delighted at having found such an adventure. He willingly followed the Dwarf to his summer-house beneath the waters of the lake. It was all curiously built of coral and metal sprays in the shape of sea-weed and other water-plants, with fresh-water crabs as big as men, and water-monkeys, and newts, and tadpoles, as servants and body-guards. When they had rested awhile, dinner was brought in on trays shaped like the leaves of water-lilies.

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The dishes were water-cress leaves-not real ones, but much more beautiful than real ones; for they were of water-green porcelain with a shimmer of gold; and the chopsticks were of beautiful petrified wood, like black ivory. As for the wine in the cups, it looked like water; but as it tasted all right, what did its looks signify? Well, there they were, feasting and singing; and the Dwarf had just pledged the Warrior in a goblet of hot steaming wine. Tawara, part of the hero's name, means "rice-bag."

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Then thud! thud! thud! like the tramp of an army, the fearful monster of whom the Dwarf had spoken was heard approaching. It sounded as if a continent were in motion; and on either side there seemed to be a row of a thousand men with lanterns.

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But the Warrior was able to make out, as the danger drew nearer, that all this fuss was made by a single creature, an enormous Centipede over a mile long; and that what had seemed like men with lanterns on either side of it, were in reality its own feet, of which it had exactly one thousand on each side of its body, all of them glistening and glinting with the sticky poison that oozed out of every pore. There was no time to be lost. The Centipede was already half-way down the mountain. So the Warrior snatched up his bow-a bow so big and heavy that it would have taken five ordinary men to pull it-fitted an arrow into the bow-notch, and let fly. He was not one ever to miss his aim.

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The arrow struck right in the middle of the monster's forehead. But alas! it rebounded as if that forehead had been made of brass. A second time did the Warrior take his bow and shoot. A second time did the arrow strike and rebound; and now the dreadful creature was down to the water's edge, and would soon pollute the lake with its filthy poison. Said the Warrior to himself: "Nothing kills Centipedes so surely as human spittle." And with these words, he spat upon the tip of the only arrow that remained to him-for there had been but three in his quiver. This time again the arrow hit the Centipede right in the middle of the forehead.

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But instead of rebounding, it went right in and came out again at the back of the creature's head, so that the Centipede fell down dead, shaking the whole country-side like an earthquake; and the poisonous light on its two thousand feet darkened to a dull glare like that of the twilight of a stormy day. Then the Warrior found himself wafted back to his own castle; and round him stood a row of presents, on each of which were inscribed the words, "From your grateful Dwarf." One of these presents was a large bronze bell, which the Warrior, who was a religious man as well as a brave one, hung up in the temple that contained the tombs of his ancestors.

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The second was a sword, which enabled him ever after to gain the victory over all his enemies. The third was a suit of armour which no arrow could penetrate. The fourth was a roll of silk which never grew smaller, though he cut off large pieces from time to time to make himself a new court dress. The fifth was a bag of rice, which, though he took from it day after day for meals for himself, his family, and his trusty retainers, never got exhausted as long as he lived.

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And it was from this fifth and last present that he took his name and title of "My Lord Bag-o'-Rice;" for all the people thought that there was nothing stranger in the whole world than this wonderful bag, which made its owner such a rich and happy man. Returning to the vill. of Torigawa, we follow for a short distance down the r. bank of the Setagawa to Ishiyama-dera. In the vill. just before reaching the temple are numerous tea-houses where lunch may conveniently be taken. This famous monastery was founded in 749 by the monk Ryōben Sōjō, in obedience to a command of the Emperor Shōmu. Having been destroyed by fire in 1078, it was rebuilt a century later by Yoritomo.

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The present main temple was built by Yodo-Gimi, the mother of Hideyori, towards the end of the 16th century. The name Ishiyama-dera, lit. "the temple of the rocky mountain," is derived from some large black rocks of fantastic shape, which crop up out of the soil in the middle of the grounds, and have been utilised by the priests for purposes of landscape gardening. The temple grounds occupy the lower part of a thickly wooded hill on the r. bank of the river, and extend almost down to the water's edge.

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Passing along an avenue of maple-trees and ascending a flight of steps, the visitor reaches the platform where stand the already-mentioned black rocks, above which again is the Main Temple, dedicated to the Two-Armed Omnipotent Kwannon. The building, which is partly supported on piles, is dingy within. The altar is so dark that the image of Kwannon can scarcely be distinguished. It is 16 ft. high, and is attributed to Ryōben. In its interior is hidden the real object of worship, a small image six inches in height, once owned by the famous Prince Shōtoku Taishi.

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On pillars in front of the altar hang prayer-wheels and a fortune-box (o mikuji-bako), the latter being a cylinder containing little brass chopsticks marked with notches-one, two, three, and so on up to twelve. The anxious enquirer shakes one of these out of a small hole at one end of the cylinder, notes the number of notches on it, and then reads off, from a board hanging higher up, a verse containing what may be called his fortune, but is in many cases rather a short homily addressed to his characteristic defect.

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The date inscribed on the cylinder is 1888. The paper labels that will be noticed on the pillars are stuck there by pilgrims, and contain their names, addresses, and date of pilgrimage-are in fact a sort of visiting card. The small image near the entrance is Bishamon. A little room to the r., known as the Genji no Ma, is said to have been occupied by Murasaki Shikibu, a famous authoress of about A.D. 1000, during the composition of her great romance, the Genji Monogatari.

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A small fee to the custodian will unlock the door, and enable the visitor to inspect the ink-slab she used, a M.S. Buddhist Sūtra said to be in her handwriting, and some mineralogical specimens. The grounds contain several minor temples and other buildings. Walking up past the pagoda, one reaches the Tsuki-mi no Chin, whose name means literally "the Moon-Gazing Arbour." This point affords a charming view of the lake, the river, the long bridge, and the mountains enclosing the basin of the lake to the E., the foreground being, however, somewhat spoilt by rising ground all along the l. bank of the river.

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Ishiyama-dera is famous for the beauty of its maple-trees in autumn. All the above can easily be seen within the limits of one day-Miidera, Karasaki, and Sakamoto being taken in the morning, and the Long Bridge with Ishiyama-dera in a short afternoon. A second day will be required to do the chief places on the E. shore of the lake-Hikone and Nagahama, with perhaps Chikubu-shima.

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Hikone (Inns, *Raku-raku-tei, near the castle-moat, with beautiful garden; Matsu-ya) is picturesquely situated on the shore of the lake, and possesses the remains of a fine feudal castle, formerly the seat of a Daimyō called Ii-Kamon-no-Kami. This castle was about to perish in the general ruin of such buildings which accompanied the mania for all things European and the contempt of their national antiquities, whereby the Japanese were actuated during the first two decades of the present régime.

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It so chanced, however, that the Mikado, on a progress through Central Japan, spent a night at Hikone, and finding the local officials busy pulling down the old castle, commanded them to desist. The lover of the picturesque will probably be more grateful to His Majesty for this gracious act of clemency towards a doomed edifice than for many scores of the improvements which the present Government has set on foot, more especially when the so-called improvements relate to architecture. About 3 1/2 ri from Hikone, in the hills towards Seki-ga-hara, is a fish-breeding establishment (Yōgyoba), where salmon and salmon-trout are reared according to the most approved modern methods.

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The place may be also reached from Maibara station, whence the distance is but 2 ri 13 chō. Nagahama (Inn, Masu-ya at railway station), also on the lake, is the finest town between Ōtsu and Tsuruga, and enjoys a delightful view. This place is celebrated for its crape called Hama-chirimen, for tsumugi woven from spun silk, and for mosquito netting, most of which is made in the surrounding villages by weavers who receive the thread from the dealers in the town and return it to them made up. When the crape comes from the weavers, it presents the appearance of gauze, and has to be boiled by persons called neriya. Upon drying it shrinks considerably in breadth, and assumes the wrinkled texture proper to crape.

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There are two qualities, one perfectly white, which alone is suitable for dyeing scarlet, and another of a pale bluish tint, which will take all other dyes. A large quantity of the raw silk used in this manufacture is produced in the neighbourhood. The island of Chikubu-shima, which is not often touched at by the lake steamers, can be reached from Nagahama, 3 ri by boat.

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A better plan still is to take a jinrikisha from Nagahama to the vill. of Hayazaki, whence it is only a passage of 50 chō. Remember that Lake Biwa, like most lakes, is subject to sudden squalls, so that it is always advisable to engage an extra boatman in case of need. Chikubu-shima, which is high and thickly wooded, has a small temple to the goddess Benten. It is a wonderful sight, at the approach of evening, to see the birds flocking in thousands to the island to roost. The return journey by train from Nagahama to Ōtsu calls for no special description, the mountains etc. that are seen being those already often mentioned.

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3.-KYŌTO TO ŌTSU OVER HIEI-ZAN. This delightful alternative way of reaching Ōtsu from Kyōto may be taken either on foot or on horseback, jinrikishas also being available for about 1 1/2 ri at the beginning of the excursion and for 2 ri at the end, from Sakamoto (see p. 319) along the shore of Lake Biwa to Ōtsu. The whole trip can be accomplished on ponies in about 6 hrs., or say one short day, including a picnic on the mountain. The same time is required if, instead of proceeding on to Ōtsu, the party prefer to return to Kyōto.

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In either case the day's programme may be so arranged, on starting from Kyōto, as to include a visit to Ginkakuji and Shugaku-in (the latter only for those having admission to the Kyōto palaces, see p. 287). The view from the summit of Hiei-zan is among the finest in Japan, comprising, as it does, a magnificent panorama of the valley of Kyōto and of Lake Biwa and its shores. Only towards the N. is the prospect cut off by Hirayama. Arrangements should be made for lunching at the summit, in order to enjoy the view at leisure. The spot, known by the name of Shimei-ga-take, is grassy, and rises to a height of some 2,700 ft. above the sea level.

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The original name of Hiei-zan was Hieno-yama, perhaps meaning the "Chilly Mountain;" and the Shinto temple of Hie at Sakamoto at the E. foot of the mountain, popularly known as Sannō Sama, is called after it. During the middle ages Hiei-zan was covered with Buddhist temples and seminaries, the total aggregate of such buildings being stated at the extraordinary number of 3,000; and the monks, who were often ignorant, truculent, and of disorderly habits, became the terror of Kyōto, on which peaceful city they would sweep down after the manner of banditti.

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At last, in the 16th century, the great warrior Nobunaga, in order to revenge himself upon the monks for having sided with his enemy Asakura, Lord of Echizen, attacked the temples and committed them to the flames. The monks were dispersed far and wide until the accession to power of the Tokugawa Shōguns, who re-established the institution on a smaller scale, the number of the seminaries being limited to 125. On the way down the mountain towards the lake many now deserted shrines are passed, till at the base the fine temple buildings just above the vill. of Sakamoto are reached. The way thence into Ōtsu is through Sakamoto and Karasaki, where a halt should be made to look at the giant pine-tree (see p. 319).

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