Thisletterisfartoolong，buttopassoverAsakusaanditsnoveltieswhentheimpressionofthemisfreshwouldbetoomitoneofthemostinterestingsightsinJapan。OnthewaybackwepassedredmailcartslikethoseinLondon，asquadronofcavalryinEuropeanuniformsandwithEuropeansaddles，andthecarriageoftheMinisterofMarine，anEnglishbroughamwithapairofhorsesinEnglishharness，andanescortofsixtroopers——apainfulprecautionadoptedsincethepoliticalassassinationofOkubo，theHomeMinister，threeweeksago。Sotheoldandthenewinthisgreatcitycontrastwithandjostleeachother。TheMikadoandhisministers，navalandmilitaryofficersandmen，thewholeofthecivilofficialsandthepolice，wearEuropeanclothes，aswellasanumberofdissipated-lookingyoungmenwhoaspiretorepresent“youngJapan。“CarriagesandhousesinEnglishstyle，withcarpets，chairs，andtables，arebecomingincreasinglynumerous，andthebadtastewhichregulatesthepurchaseofforeignfurnishingsisasmarkedasthegoodtastewhicheverywherepresidesovertheadornmentofthehousesinpurelyJapanesestyle。
Happilytheseexpensiveandunbecominginnovationshavescarcelyaffectedfemaledress，andsomeladieswhoadoptedourfashionshavegiventhemupbecauseoftheirdiscomfortandmanifolddifficultiesandcomplications。
TheEmpressonStateoccasionsappearsinscarletsatinhakama，andflowingrobes，andsheandtheCourtladiesinvariablywearthenationalcostume。IhaveonlyseentwoladiesinEuropeandress；
andthiswasatadinner-partyhere，andtheywerethewivesofMr。
Mori，thego-aheadVice-MinisterforForeignAffairs，andoftheJapaneseConsulatHongKong；andbothbylongresidenceabroadhavelearnedtowearitwithease。ThewifeofSaigo，theMinisterofEducation，calledonedayinanexquisiteJapanesedressofdove-colouredsilkcrepe，withapalepinkunder-dressofthesamematerial，whichshowedalittleattheneckandsleeves。Hergirdlewasofrichdove-colouredsilk，withaghostofapalepinkblossomhoveringuponithereandthere。Shehadnofrillsorfripperiesofanydescription，orornaments，exceptasinglepininherchignon，and，withasweetandcharmingface，shelookedasgracefulanddignifiedinherJapanesecostumeasshewouldhavelookedexactlythereverseinours。Theircostumehasonestrikingadvantageoverours。AwomanisperfectlyCLOTHEDifshehasonegarmentandagirdleon，andperfectlyDRESSEDifshehastwo。
Thereisadifferenceinfeaturesandexpression——muchexaggerated，however，byJapaneseartists——betweenthefacesofhigh-bornwomenandthoseofthemiddleandlowerclasses。Ideclinetoadmirefat-faces，pugnoses，thicklips，longeyes，turnedupattheoutercorners，andcomplexionswhichowemuchtopowderandpaint。Thehabitofpaintingthelipswithareddish-yellowpigment，andofheavilypowderingthefaceandthroatwithpearlpowder，isarepulsiveone。Butitishardtopronounceanyunfavourablecriticismonwomenwhohavesomuchkindlygraceofmanner。I。L。
Fears——TravellingEquipments——Passports——CoolieCostume——AYedoDiorama——Rice-Fields——Tea-Houses——ATraveller’sReception——TheInnatKasukabe——LackofPrivacy——AConcourseofNoises——ANocturnalAlarm——AVisionofPolicemen——ABudgetfromYedo。
FromthedateyouwillseethatIhavestartedonmylongjourney，thoughnotuponthe“unbeatentracks“whichIhopetotakeafterleavingNikko，andmyfirsteveningaloneinthemidstofthiscrowdedAsianlifeisstrange，almostfearful。Ihavesufferedfromnervousnessallday——thefearofbeingfrightened，ofbeingrudelymobbed，asthreatenedbyMr。CampbellofIslay，ofgivingoffencebytransgressingtherulesofJapanesepoliteness——of，I
knownotwhat！Itoismysolereliance，andhemayprovea“brokenreed。“Ioftenwishedtogiveupmyproject，butwasashamedofmycowardicewhen，onthebestauthority，Ireceivedassurancesofitssafety。{6}
Thepreparationswerefinishedyesterday，andmyoutfitweighed110
lbs。，which，withIto’sweightof90lbs。，isasmuchascanbecarriedbyanaverageJapanesehorse。Mytwopaintedwickerboxeslinedwithpaperandwithwaterproofcoversareconvenientforthetwosidesofapack-horse。Ihaveafolding-chair——forinaJapanesehousethereisnothingbutthefloortositupon，andnotevenasolidwalltoleanagainst——anair-pillowforkurumatravelling，anindia-rubberbath，sheets，ablanket，andlast，andmoreimportantthanallelse，acanvasstretcheronlightpoles，whichcanbeputtogetherintwominutes；andbeing2。5feethighissupposedtobesecurefromfleas。The“FoodQuestion“hasbeensolvedbyamodifiedrejectionofalladvice！IhaveonlybroughtasmallsupplyofLiebig’sextractofmeat，4lbs。ofraisins，somechocolate，bothforeatinganddrinking，andsomebrandyincaseofneed。IhavemyownMexicansaddleandbridle，areasonablequantityofclothes，includingaloosewrapperforwearingintheevenings，somecandles，Mr。Brunton’slargemapofJapan，volumesoftheTransactionsoftheEnglishAsiaticSociety，andMr。Satow’sAnglo-JapaneseDictionary。Mytravellingdressisashortcostumeofdust-colouredstripedtweed，withstronglacedbootsofunblackedleather，andaJapanesehat，shapedlikealargeinvertedbowl，oflightbambooplait，withawhitecottoncover，andaverylightframeinside，whichfitsroundthebrowandleavesaspaceof1。5inchesbetweenthehatandtheheadforthefreecirculationofair。Itonlyweighs2。5ounces，andisinfinitelytobepreferredtoaheavypithhelmet，and，lightasitis，itprotectstheheadsothoroughly，that，thoughthesunhasbeenuncloudedalldayandthemercuryat86degrees，nootherprotectionhasbeennecessary。
Mymoneyisinbundlesof50yen，and50，20，and10sennotes，besideswhichIhavesomerouleauxofcoppercoins。Ihaveabagformypassport，whichhangstomywaist。Allmyluggage，withtheexceptionofmysaddle，whichIuseforafootstool，goesintoonekuruma，andIto，whoislimitedto12lbs。，takeshisalongwithhim。
Ihavethreekurumas，whicharetogotoNikko，ninetymiles，inthreedays，withoutchangeofrunners，foraboutelevenshillingseach。
Passportsusuallydefinetherouteoverwhichtheforeigneristotravel，butinthiscaseSirH。Parkeshasobtainedonewhichispracticallyunrestricted，foritpermitsmetotravelthroughallJapannorthofTokiyoandinYezowithoutspecifyinganyroute。
Thispreciousdocument，withoutwhichIshouldbeliabletobearrestedandforwardedtomyconsul，isofcourseinJapanese，butthecovergivesinEnglishtheregulationsunderwhichitisissued。Apassportmustbeappliedfor，forreasonsof“health，botanicalresearch，orscientificinvestigation。“Itsbearermustnotlightfiresinwoods，attendfiresonhorseback，trespassonfields，enclosures，orgame-preserves，scribbleontemples，shrines，orwalls，drivefastonanarrowroad，ordisregardnoticesof“Nothoroughfare。“Hemust“conducthimselfinanorderlyandconciliatingmannertowardstheJapaneseauthoritiesandpeople；“he“mustproducehispassporttoanyofficialswhomaydemandit，“underpainofarrest；andwhileintheinterior“isforbiddentoshoot，trade，toconcludemercantilecontractswithJapanese，ortorenthousesorroomsforalongerperiodthanhisjourneyrequires。“
NIKKO，June13——ThisisoneoftheparadisesofJapan！Itisaproverbialsaying，“HewhohasnotseenNikkomustnotusethewordkek’ko“splendid，delicious，beautiful；butofthismorehereafter。MyattempttowritetoyoufromKasukabefailed，owingtotheonslaughtofanarmyoffleas，whichcompelledmetoretreattomystretcher，andthelasttwonights，forthisandotherreasons，writinghasbeenoutofthequestion。
IlefttheLegationat11am。onMondayandreachedKasukabeat5
p。m。，therunnerskeepingupaneasytrotthewholejourneyoftwenty-threemiles；butthehaltsforsmokingandeatingwerefrequent。
Thesekuruma-runnersworeshortbluecottondrawers，girdleswithtobaccopouchandpipeattached，shortbluecottonshirtswithwidesleeves，andopeninfront，reachingtotheirwaists，andbluecottonhandkerchiefsknottedroundtheirheads，exceptwhenthesunwasveryhot，whentheytooktheflatflagdiscs，twofeetindiameter，whichalwayshangbehindkurumas，andareusedeitherinsunorrain，andtiedthemontheirheads。Theyworestrawsandals，whichhadtobereplacedtwiceontheway。Blueandwhitetowelshungfromtheshaftstowipeawaythesweat，whichranprofuselydownthelean，brownbodies。Theuppergarmentalwaysflewbehindthem，displayingchestsandbackselaboratelytattooedwithdragonsandfishes。Tattooinghasrecentlybeenprohibited；
butitwasnotonlyafavouriteadornment，butasubstituteforperishableclothing。
Mostofthemenofthelowerclassesweartheirhairinaveryuglyfashion，——thefrontandtopoftheheadbeingshaved，thelonghairfromthebackandsidesbeingdrawnupandtied，thenwaxed，tiedagain，andcutshortoff，thestiffqueuebeingbroughtforwardandlaid，pointingforwards，alongthebackpartofthetopofthehead。Thistop-knotisshapedmuchlikeashortclaypipe。Theshavinganddressingthehairthusrequiretheskillofaprofessionalbarber。Formerlythehairwasworninthiswaybythesamurai，inorderthatthehelmetmightfitcomfortably，butitisnowthestyleofthelowerclassesmostlyandbynomeansinvariably。
Blithely，atamerrytrot，thecoolieshurriedusawayfromthekindlygroupintheLegationporch，acrosstheinnermoatandalongtheinnerdriveofthecastle，pastgatewaysandretainingwallsofCyclopeanmasonry，acrossthesecondmoat，alongmilesofstreetsofshedsandshops，allgrey，throngedwithfoot-passengersandkurumas，withpack-horsesloadedtwoorthreefeetabovetheirbacks，thearchesoftheirsaddlesredandgildedlacquer，theirfrontletsofredleather，their“shoes“strawsandals，theirheadstiedtightlytothesaddle-girthoneitherside，greatwhiteclothsfiguredwithmythicalbeastsinbluehangingdownlooselyundertheirbodies；withcooliesdraggingheavyloadstothegutturalcryofHai！huida！withchildrenwhoseheadswereshavedinhideouspatterns；andnowandthen，asiftopointamorallessoninthemidstofthewhirlingdiorama，afuneralpassedthroughthethrong，withapriestinrichrobes，mumblingprayers，acoveredbarrelcontainingthecorpse，andatrainofmournersinbluedresseswithwhitewings。ThenwecametothefringeofYedo，wherethehousesceasetobecontinuous，butallthatdaytherewaslittleintervalbetweenthem。Allhadopenfronts，sothattheoccupationsoftheinmates，the“domesticlife“infact，wereperfectlyvisible。Manyofthesehouseswereroadsidechayas，ortea-houses，andnearlyallsoldsweet-meats，driedfish，pickles，mochi，oruncookedcakesofricedough，driedpersimmons，rainhats，orstrawshoesformanorbeast。Theroad，thoughwideenoughfortwocarriagesofwhichwesawnone，wasnotgood，andtheditchesonbothsideswerefrequentlyneithercleannorsweet。MustIwriteit？Thehousesweremean，poor，shabby，oftenevensqualid，thesmellswerebad，andthepeoplelookedugly，shabby，andpoor，thoughallwereworkingatsomethingorother。