Thereisadeepsolemnityaboutthisgloriousavenuewithitsbroadshadeanddancinglights，andtherareglimpsesofhighmountains。
Instinctalonewouldtellonethatitleadstosomethingwhichmustbegrandandbeautifullikeitself。Itisbrokenoccasionallybysmallvillageswithbigbellssuspendedbetweendoublepoles；bywaysideshrineswithofferingsofragsandflowers；bystoneeffigiesofBuddhaandhisdisciples，mostlydefacedoroverthrown，allwearingthesameexpressionofbeatifiedrestandindifferencetomundaneaffairs；andbytemplesoflacqueredwoodfallingtodecay，whosebellssenttheirsurpassinglysweettonesfarontheeveningair。
Imaichi，wherethetwostatelyaislesunite，isalonguphillstreet，withaclearmountainstreamenclosedinastonechannel，andcrossedbyhewnstoneslabsrunningdownthemiddle。Inaroombuiltoverthestream，andcommandingaviewupanddownthestreet，twopolicemensatwriting。Itlooksadullplacewithoutmuchtraffic，asifoppressedbythestatelinessoftheavenuesbelowitandtheshrinesaboveit，butithasaquietyadoya，whereIhadagoodnight’srest，althoughmycanvasbedwasnearlyontheground。Weleftearlythismorningindrizzlingrain，andwentstraightuphillunderthecryptomeriaforeightmiles。Thevegetationisasprofuseasonewouldexpectinsodampandhotasummerclimate，andfromtheprodigiousrainfallofthemountains；
everystoneiscoveredwithmoss，andtheroad-sidesaregreenwiththeProtococcusviridisandseveralspeciesofMarchantia。WewereamongthefoothillsoftheNantaizanmountainsataheightof1000
feet，abruptintheirforms，woodedtotheirsummits，andnoisywiththedashandtumbleofathousandstreams。ThelongstreetofHachiishi，withitssteep-roofed，deep-eavedhouses，itswarmcolouring，anditssteeproadwaywithstepsatintervals，hasasortofSwisspicturesquenessasyouenterit，asyoumust，onfoot，whileyourkurumasarehauledandliftedupthesteps；noristheresemblancegivenbysteeproofs，pines，andmountainspatchedwithconiferae，altogetherlostasyouascendthesteepstreet，andseewoodcarvingsandquaintbasketsofwoodandgrassofferedeverywhereforsale。Itisatrulydull，quaintstreet，andthepeoplecomeouttostareataforeignerasifforeignershadnotbecomecommoneventssince1870，whenSirH。andLadyParkes，thefirstEuropeanswhowerepermittedtovisitNikko，tookuptheirabodeintheImperialHombo。Itisadoll’sstreetwithsmalllowhouses，sofinelymatted，soexquisitelyclean，sofinicallyneat，solightanddelicate，thatevenwhenIenteredthemwithoutmybootsIfeltlikea“bullinachinashop，“asifmymereweightmustsmashthroughanddestroy。ThestreetissopainfullycleanthatIshouldnomorethinkofwalkingoveritinmuddybootsthanoveradrawing-roomcarpet。Ithasasilentmountainlook，andmostofitsshopssellspecialties，lacquerwork，boxesofsweetmeatsmadeofblackbeansandsugar，allsortsofboxes，trays，cups，andstands，madeofplain，polishedwood，andmoregrotesquearticlesmadefromtherootsoftrees。