Thiswould-beparagonhadnorecommendations，andaccountedforthisbysayingthattheyhadbeenburnedinarecentfireinhisfather’shouse。Mr。Marieswasnotforthcoming，andmorethanthis，Isuspectedanddislikedtheboy。However，heunderstoodmyEnglishandIhis，and，beingveryanxioustobeginmytravels，I
engagedhimfortwelvedollarsamonth，andsoonafterwardshecamebackwithacontract，inwhichhedeclaresbyallthatheholdsmostsacredthathewillservemefaithfullyforthewagesagreedupon，andtothisdocumentheaffixedhissealandImyname。Thenextdayheaskedmeforamonth’swagesinadvance，whichIgavehim，butDr。H。consolinglysuggestedthatIshouldneverseehimagain！
EversincethesolemnnightwhenthecontractwassignedIhavefeltunderanincubus，andsinceheappearedhereyesterday，punctualtotheappointedhour，IhavefeltasifIhadaveritable“oldmanofthesea“uponmyshoulders。Hefliesupstairsandalongthecorridorsasnoiselesslyasacat，andalreadyknowswhereIkeepallmythings。Nothingsurprisesorabasheshim，hebowsprofoundlytoSirHarryandLadyParkeswhenheencountersthem，butisobviously“quiteathome“inaLegation，andonlyallowedoneoftheorderliestoshowhimhowtoputonaMexicansaddleandEnglishbridleoutofcondescensiontomywishes。Heseemsassharpor“smart“ascanbe，andhasalreadyarrangedforthefirstthreedaysofmyjourney。HisnameisIto，andyouwilldoubtlesshearmuchmoreofhim，ashewillbemygoodorevilgeniusforthenextthreemonths。
AsnoEnglishladyhasyettravelledalonethroughtheinterior，myprojectexcitesaveryfriendlyinterestamongmyfriends，andI
receivemuchwarninganddissuasion，andalittleencouragement。
Thestrongest，becausethemostintelligent，dissuasioncomesfromDr。Hepburn，whothinksthatIoughtnottoundertakethejourney，andthatIshallnevergetthroughtotheTsugaruStrait。IfI
acceptedmuchoftheadvicegiventome，astotakingtinnedmeatsandsoups，claret，andaJapanesemaid，Ishouldneedatrainofatleastsixpack-horses！Astofleas，thereisalamentableconcensusofopinionthattheyarethecurseofJapanesetravellingduringthesummer，andsomepeoplerecommendmetosleepinabagdrawntightlyroundthethroat，otherstosprinklemybeddingfreelywithinsectpowder，otherstosmeartheskinalloverwithcarbolicoil，andsometomakeaplentifuluseofdriedandpowderedflea-bane。Alladmit，however，thatthesearebutfeeblepalliatives。HammocksunfortunatelycannotbeusedinJapanesehouses。
The“FoodQuestion“issaidtobethemostimportantoneforalltravellers，anditisdiscussedcontinuallywithstartlingearnestness，notaloneasregardsmytour。Howeverapatheticpeopleareonothersubjects，themerementionofthisonerousesthemintointerest。Allhavesufferedormaysuffer，andeveryonewishestoimparthisownexperienceortolearnfromthatofothers。Foreignministers，professors，missionaries，merchants——
alldiscussitwithbecominggravityasaquestionoflifeanddeath，whichbymanyitissupposedtobe。Thefactisthat，exceptatafewhotelsinpopularresortswhicharegotupforforeigners，bread，butter，milk，meat，poultry，coffee，wine，andbeer，areunattainable，thatfreshfishisrare，andthatunlessonecanliveonrice，tea，andeggs，withtheadditionnowandthenofsometastelessfreshvegetables，foodmustbetaken，asthefishyandvegetableabominationsknownas“Japanesefood“canonlybeswallowedanddigestedbyafew，andthatafterlongpractice。
Another，butfarinferior，difficultyonwhichmuchstressislaidisthepracticecommonamongnativeservantsofgettinga“squeeze“
outofeverymoneytransactionontheroad，sothatthecostoftravellingisoftendoubled，andsometimestrebled，accordingtotheskillandcapacityoftheservant。ThreegentlemenwhohavetravelledextensivelyhavegivenmelistsofthepriceswhichI
oughttopay，varyingindifferentdistricts，andlargelyincreasedonthebeatentrackoftourists，andMr。WilkinsonhasreadthesetoIto，whoofferedanoccasionalremonstrance。Mr。W。remarkedaftertheconversation，whichwasinJapanese，thathethoughtI
shouldhaveto“looksharpaftermoneymatters“——apainfulprospect，asIhaveneverbeenabletomanageanybodyinmylife，andshallsurelyhavenocontroloverthisclever，cunningJapaneseyouth，whoonmostpointswillbeabletodeceivemeashepleases。
OnreturninghereIfoundthatLadyParkeshadmademostofthenecessarypreparationsforme，andthattheyincludetwolightbasketswithcoversofoiledpaper，atravellingbedorstretcher，afolding-chair，andanindia-rubberbath，allwhichsheconsidersasnecessariesforapersoninfeeblehealthonajourneyofsuchlongduration。ThisweekhasbeenspentinmakingacquaintancesinTokiyo，seeingsomecharacteristicsights，andintryingtogetlightonmytour；butlittleseemsknownbyforeignersofnorthernJapan，andaGovernmentdepartment，onbeingappliedto，returnedanitinerary，leavingout140milesoftheroutethatIdreamoftaking，onthegroundof“insufficientinformation，“onwhichSirHarrycheerilyremarked，“Youwillhavetogetyourinformationasyougoalong，andthatwillbeallthemoreinteresting。“Ah！buthow？I。L。B。
Kwan-nonTemple——UniformityofTempleArchitecture——AKurumaExpedition——APerpetualFestival——TheNi-o——TheLimboofVanity——
HeathenPrayers——Binzuru——AGroupofDevils——ArcheryGalleries——NewJapan——AnElegante。
OnceforallIwilldescribeaBuddhisttemple，anditshallbethepopulartempleofAsakusa，whichkeepsfairandfestivalthewholeyearround，andisdedicatedtothe“thousand-armed“Kwan-non，thegoddessofmercy。Writinggenerally，itmaybesaidthatindesign，roof，andgeneralaspect，JapaneseBuddhisttemplesareallalike。Thesacredarchitecturalideaexpressesitselfinnearlythesameformalways。Thereisasingleordouble-roofedgateway，withhighly-colouredfiguresinnichesoneitherside；thepavedtemple-court，withmoreorfewerstoneorbronzelanterns；amainu，orheavenlydogs，instoneonstonepedestals；stonesarcophagi，roofedoverornot，forholywater；aflightofsteps；aportico，continuedasaverandahallroundthetemple；aroofoftremendouslydisproportionatesizeandweight，withapeculiarcurve；asquareoroblonghalldividedbyarailingfroma“chancel“withahighandlowaltar，andashrinecontainingBuddha，orthedivinitytowhomthechapelisdedicated；anincense-burner，andafewecclesiasticalornaments。Thesymbols，idols，andadornmentsdependuponthesecttowhichthetemplebelongs，orthewealthofitsvotaries，orthefancyofthepriests。Sometemplesarepackedfullofgods，shrines，banners，bronzes，brasses，tablets，andornaments，andothers，likethoseoftheMontosect，aresoseverelysimple，thatwithscarcelyanalterationtheymightbeusedforChristianworshipto-morrow。
Thefoundationsconsistofsquarestonesonwhichtheuprightsrest。Theseareofelm，andareunitedatintervalsbylongitudinalpieces。Thegreatsizeandenormousweightoftheroofsarisefromthetrussesbeingformedofoneheavyframebeingbuiltuponanotherindiminishingsquarestillthetopisreached，themainbeamsbeingformedofverylargetimbersputonintheirnaturalstate。Theyareeitherveryheavilyandornamentallytiled，orcoveredwithsheetcopperornamentedwithgold，orthatchedtoadepthoffromonetothreefeet，withfineshinglesorbark。Thecasingofthewallsontheoutsideisusuallythickelmplankingeitherlacqueredorunpainted，andthatoftheinsideisofthin，finely-planedandbevelledplankingofthebeautifulwoodoftheRetinosporaobtusa。Theliningoftheroofisinflatpanels，andwhereitissupportedbypillarstheyareinvariablycircular，andformedofthestraight，finely-grainedstemoftheRetinosporaobtusa。Theprojectingendsoftheroof-beamsundertheeavesareeitherelaboratelycarved，lacqueredindullred，orcoveredwithcopper，asarethejointsofthebeams。Veryfewnailsareused，thetimbersbeingverybeautifullyjoinedbymorticesanddovetails，othermethodsofjunctionbeingunknown。
Mr。ChamberlainandIwentinakurumahurriedalongbythreeliveriedcoolies，throughthethreemilesofcrowdedstreetswhichliebetweentheLegationandAsakusa，onceavillage，butnowincorporatedwiththismonstercity，tothebroadstreetleadingtotheAdzumaBridgeovertheSumidariver，oneofthefewstonebridgesinTokiyo，whichconnectseastTokiyo，anuninterestingregion，containingmanycanals，storehouses，timber-yards，andinferioryashikis，withtherestofthecity。Thisstreet，marvellouslythrongedwithpedestriansandkurumas，istheterminusofanumberofcity“stagelines，“andtwentywretched-lookingcoveredwaggons，withstillmorewretchedponies，weredrawnupinthemiddle，waitingforpassengers。JustthereplentyofrealTokiyolifeistobeseen，fornearashrineofpopularpilgrimagetherearealwaysnumerousplacesofamusement，innocentandvicious，andthevicinityofthistempleisfullofrestaurants，tea-houses，minortheatres，andtheresortsofdancingandsinginggirls。
Abroad-pavedavenue，onlyopentofootpassengers，leadsfromthisstreettothegrandentrance，acolossaltwo-storieddouble-roofedmon，orgate，paintedarichdullred。Oneithersideofthisavenuearelinesofbooths——whichmakeabrilliantandlavishdisplayoftheircontents——toy-shops，shopsforsmokingapparatus，andshopsforthesaleofornamentalhair-pinspredominating。
Nearerthegateareboothsforthesaleofrosariesforprayer，sleeveandbosomidolsofbrassandwoodinsmallshrines，amuletbags，representationsofthejolly-lookingDaikoku，thegodofwealth，themostpopularofthehouseholdgodsofJapan，shrines，memorialtablets，cheapexvotos，sacredbells，candlesticks，andincense-burners，andalltheendlessandvariousarticlesconnectedwithBuddhistdevotion，publicandprivate。Everydayisafestival-dayatAsakusa；thetempleisdedicatedtothemostpopularofthegreatdivinities；itisthemostpopularofreligiousresorts；andwhetherhebeBuddhist，Shintoist，orChristian，nostrangercomestothecapitalwithoutmakingavisittoitscrowdedcourtsorapurchaseatitstemptingbooths。Nottobeanexception，Iinvestedinbouquetsoffireworkflowers，fiftyflowersfor2sen，or1d。，eachofwhich，asitslowlyconsumes，throwsofffierycoruscations，shapedlikethemostbeautifulofsnowcrystals。Iwasalsotemptedbysmallboxesat2seneach，containingwhatlooklikelittleslipsofwitheredpith，butwhich，onbeingdroppedintowater，expandintotreesandflowers。
Downapavedpassageontherightthereisanartificialriver，notoverclean，withabridgeformedofonecurvedstone，fromwhichaflightofstepsleadsuptoasmalltemplewithamagnificentbronzebell。Attheentranceseveralwomenwerepraying。InthesamedirectionaretwofinebronzeBuddhas，seatedfigures，onewithclaspedhands，theotherholdingalotus，bothwith“Thelightoftheworld“upontheirbrows。Thegrandredgatewayintotheactualtemplecourtshasanextremelyimposingeffect，andbesides，itistheportaltothefirstgreatheathentemplethatIhaveseen，anditmademethinkofanothertemplewhosecourtswereequallycrowdedwithbuyersandsellers，andofa“whipofsmallcords“inthehandofOnewhoclaimedboththetempleanditscourtsasHis“Father’sHouse。“NotwithlessrighteouswrathwouldthegentlefounderofBuddhismpurifytheunsanctifiedcourtsofAsakusa。Hundredsofmen，women，andchildrenpassedtoandfrothroughthegatewayinincessantstreams，andsotheyarepassingthrougheverydaylighthourofeverydayintheyear，thousandsbecomingtensofthousandsonthegreatmatsuridays，whenthemikoshi，orsacredcar，containingcertainsymbolsofthegod，isexhibited，andaftersacredmimesanddanceshavebeenperformed，iscarriedinamagnificent，antiqueprocessiontotheshoreandbackagain。UnderthegatewayoneithersidearetheNi-o，ortwokings，giganticfiguresinflowingrobes，oneredandwithanopenmouth，representingtheYo，ormaleprincipleofChinesephilosophy，theothergreenandwiththemouthfirmlyclosed，representingtheIn，orfemaleprinciple。Theyarehideouscreatures，withprotrudingeyes，andfacesandfiguresdistortedandcorruptedintoahighdegreeofexaggeratedandconvulsiveaction。Thesefiguresguardthegatesofmostofthelargertemples，andsmallprintsofthemarepastedoverthedoorsofhousestoprotectthemagainstburglars。Attachedtothegratinginfrontwereanumberofstrawsandals，hungupbypeoplewhopraythattheirlimbsmaybeasmuscularasthoseoftheNi-o。
Passingthroughthisgatewewereinthetemplecourtproper，andinfrontofthetempleitself，abuildingofimposingheightandsize，ofadullredcolour，withagrandroofofheavyirongreytiles，withasweepingcurvewhichgivesgraceaswellasgrandeur。