TheceremonydidnotcorrespondwiththeruleslaiddownformarriagesinthebooksofetiquettethatIhaveseen，butthisisaccountedforbythefactthattheywereforpersonsofthesamuraiclass，whilethisbrideandbridegroom，thoughthechildrenofwell-to-domerchants，belongtotheheimin。
Inthiscasethetrousseauandfurniturewereconveyedtothebridegroom’shouseintheearlymorning，andIwasallowedtogotoseethem。Therewereseveralgirdlesofsilkembroideredwithgold，severalpiecesofbrocadedsilkforkimonos，severalpiecesofsilkcrepe，alargenumberofmade-upgarments，apieceofwhitesilk，sixbarrelsofwineorsake，andsevensortsofcondiments。
JewelleryisnotwornbywomeninJapan。
Thefurnitureconsistedoftwowoodenpillows，finelylacquered，oneofthemcontainingadrawerforornamentalhairpins，somecottonfutons，twoveryhandsomesilkones，afewsilkcushions，alacquerworkbox，aspinning-wheel，alacquerricebucketandladle，twoornamentalironkettles，variouskitchenutensils，threebronzehibachi，twotabako-bons，somelacquertrays，andzens，chinakettles，teapots，andcups，somelacquerricebowls，twocopperbasins，afewtowels，somebambooswitches，andaninlaidlacqueretagere。Asthethingsareallveryhandsometheparentsmustbewelloff。Thesakeissentinaccordancewithrigidetiquette。
Thebridegroomistwenty-two，thebrideseventeen，andverycomely，sofarasIcouldseethroughthepaintwithwhichshewasprofuselydisfigured。Towardseveningshewascarriedinanorimon，accompaniedbyherparentsandfriends，tothebridegroom’shouse，eachmemberoftheprocessioncarryingaChineselantern。Whenthehouse-masterandIarrivedtheweddingpartywasassembledinalargeroom，theparentsandfriendsofthebridegroombeingseatedononeside，andthoseofthebrideontheother。Twoyounggirls，verybeautifullydressed，broughtinthebride，averypleasing-lookingcreaturedressedentirelyinwhitesilk，withaveilofwhitesilkcoveringherfromheadtofoot。
Thebridegroom，whowasalreadyseatedinthemiddleoftheroomnearitsupperpart，didnotrisetoreceiveher，andkepthiseyesfixedontheground，andshesatoppositetohim，butneverlookedup。Alowtablewasplacedinfront，onwhichtherewasatwo-
spoutedkettlefullofsake，somesakebottles，andsomecups，andonanotherthereweresomesmallfiguresrepresentingafir-tree，aplum-treeinblossom，andastorkstandingonatortoise，thelastrepresentinglengthofdays，andtheformerthebeautyofwomenandthestrengthofmen。Shortlyazen，loadedwitheatables，wasplacedbeforeeachperson，andthefeastbegan，accompaniedbythenoiseswhichsignifygastronomicgratification。
Afterthis，whichwasonlyapreliminary，thetwogirlswhobroughtinthebridehandedroundatraywiththreecupscontainingsake，whicheachpersonwasexpectedtodraintillhecametothegodofluckatthebottom。
Thebrideandbridegroomthenretired，butshortlyreappearedinotherdressesofceremony，butthebridestillworeherwhitesilkveil，whichonedaywillbehershroud。Anoldgoldlacquertraywasproduced，withthreesakecups，whichwerefilledbythetwobridesmaids，andplacedbeforetheparents-in-lawandthebride。
Thefather-in-lawdrankthreecups，andhandedthecuptothebride，who，afterdrinkingtwocups，receivedfromherfather-in-
lawapresentinabox，drankthethirdcup，andthenreturnedthecuptothefather-in-law，whoagaindrankthreecups。Riceandfishwerenextbroughtin，afterwhichthebridegroom’smothertookthesecondcup，andfilledandemptieditthreetimes，afterwhichshepassedittothebride，whodranktwocups，receivedapresentfromhermother-in-lawinalacquerbox，drankathirdcup，andgavethecuptotheelderlady，whoagaindrankthreecups。Soupwasthenserved，andthenthebridedrankoncefromthethirdcup，andhandedittoherhusband’sfather，whodrankthreemorecups，thebridetookitagain，anddranktwo，andlastlythemother-in-
lawdrankthreemorecups。Now，ifyoupossesstheclear-
sightednesswhichIlabouredtopreserve，youwillperceivethateachofthethreehadinbibedninecupsofsomegenerousliquor！
{16}
Afterthisthetwobridesmaidsraisedthetwo-spoutedkettleandpresentedittothelipsofthemarriedpair，whodrankfromitalternately，tilltheyhadexhausteditscontents。Thisconcludingceremonyissaidtobeemblematicofthetastingtogetherofthejoysandsorrowsoflife。Andsotheybecamemanandwifetilldeathordivorcepartedthem。
Thisdrinkingofsakeorwine，accordingtoprescribedusage，appearedtoconstitutethe“marriageservice，“towhichnonebutrelationswerebidden。Immediatelyafterwardstheweddingguestsarrived，andtheeveningwasspentinfeastingandsakedrinking；
butthefareissimple，andintoxicationishappilyoutofplaceatamarriagefeast。Everydetailisamatterofetiquette，andhasbeenhandeddownforcenturies。Exceptfortheinterestoftheceremony，inthatlightitwasaverydullandtediousaffair，conductedinmelancholysilence，andtheyoungbride，withherwhitenedfaceandpaintedlips，lookedandmovedlikeanautomaton。
AHolidayScene——AMatsuri——AttractionsoftheRevel——MatsuriCars——
GodsandDemons——APossibleHarbour——AVillageForge——ProsperityofSakeBrewers——A“GreatSight。“
ThreemilesofgoodroadthrongedwithhalfthepeopleofKubotaonfootandinkurumas，redvansdrawnbyhorses，pairsofpolicemeninkurumas，hundredsofchildrenbeingcarried，hundredsmoreonfoot，littlegirls，formalandprecociouslooking，withhairdressedwithscarletcrepeandflowers，hobblingtoilsomelyalongonhighclogs，groupsofmenandwomen，neverintermixing，stallsdrivinga“roaringtrade“incakesandsweetmeats，womenmakingmochiasfastasthebuyersateit，broadrice-fieldsrollinglikeagreenseaontheright，anoceanofliquidturquoiseontheleft，thegreyroofsofKubotalookingoutfromtheirgreensurroundings，Taiheisanindeepestindigoblockingtheviewtothesouth，agloriousday，andasummersunstreamingoverall，madeupthecheeriestandmostfestalscenethatIhaveseeninJapan；men，women，andchildren，vansandkurumas，policemenandhorsemen，allontheirwaytoamean-lookingtown，Minato，thejunkportofKubota，whichwaskeepingmatsuri，orfestival，inhonourofthebirthdayofthegodShimmai。Toweringabovethelowgreyhousestherewereobjectswhichatfirstlookedlikefiveenormousblackfingers，thenliketreeswiththeirbrancheswrappedinblack，andthen——comparisonsceased；theywereamystery。
Dismissingthekurumas，whichcouldgonofarther，wedivedintothecrowd，whichwaswedgedalongameanstreet，nearlyamilelong——amiserablestreetofpoortea-housesandpoorshop-fronts；
but，infact，youcouldhardlyseethestreetforthepeople。
Paperlanternswerehungclosetogetheralongitswholelength。
Therewererudescaffoldingssupportingmattedandcoveredplatforms，onwhichpeopleweredrinkingteaandsakeandenjoyingthecrowdbelow；monkeytheatresanddogtheatres，twomangysheepandaleanpigattractingwonderingcrowds，forneitheroftheseanimalsisknowninthisregionofJapan；aboothinwhichawomanwashavingherheadcutoffeveryhalf-hourfor2senaspectator；
carswithroofsliketemples，onwhich，withfortymenattheropes，dancingchildrenofthehighestclasswerebeingborneinprocession；atheatrewithanopenfront，ontheboardsofwhichtwomeninantiquedresses，withsleevestouchingtheground，wereperformingwithtediousslownessaclassicdanceoftediousposturings，whichconsistedmainlyindexterousmovementsoftheaforesaidsleeves，andoccasionalemphaticstampings，andutterancesofthewordNoinahoarsehowl。Itisneedlesstosaythataforeignladywasnottheleastoftheattractionsofthefair。Thecultusofchildrenwasinfullforce，allsortsofmasks，dolls，sugarfigures，toys，andsweetmeatswereexposedforsaleonmatsontheground，andfoundtheirwayintothehandsandsleevesofthechildren，fornoJapaneseparentwouldeverattendamatsuriwithoutmakinganofferingtohischild。
Thepolicetoldmethattherewere22，000strangersinMinato，yetfor32，000holiday-makersaforceoftwenty-fivepolicemenwassufficient。Ididnotseeonepersonundertheinfluenceofsakeupto3p。m。，whenIleft，norasolitaryinstanceofrudeorimproperbehaviour，norwasIinanywayrudelycrowdedupon，for，evenwherethecrowdwasdensest，thepeopleoftheirownaccordformedaringandleftmebreathingspace。
Wewenttotheplacewherethethrongwasgreatest，roundthetwogreatmatsuricars，whosecolossalerectionswehadseenfaroff。
Thesewerestructuresofheavybeams，thirtyfeetlong，witheighthuge，solidwheels。Uponthemtherewereseveralscaffoldingswithprojections，likeflatsurfacesofcedarbranches，andtwospecialpeaksofunequalheightatthetop，thewholebeingnearlyfiftyfeetfromtheground。Alltheseprojectionswerecoveredwithblackcottoncloth，fromwhichbranchesofpinesprotruded。Inthemiddlethreesmallwheels，oneaboveanother，overwhichstripedwhitecottonwasrollingperpetually，representedawaterfall；atthebottomanotherarrangementofwhitecottonrepresentedariver，andanarrangementofbluecotton，fitfullyagitatedbyapairofbellowsbelow，representedthesea。ThewholeisintendedtorepresentamountainonwhichtheShintogodsslewsomedevils，butanythingmorerudeandbarbarouscouldscarcelybeseen。Onthefrontsofeachcar，underacanopy，werethirtyperformersonthirtydiabolicalinstruments，whichrenttheairwithatrulyinfernaldiscord，andsuggesteddevilsratherthantheirconquerors。Highupontheflatprojectionsthereweregroupsofmonstrousfigures。Ononeagiantinbrassarmour，muchliketheNiooftemplegates，waskillingarevolting-lookingdemon。Onanotheradaimiyo’sdaughter，inrobesofclothofgoldwithsatinsleevesrichlyflowered，wasplayingonthesamisen。Onanotherahunter，thricethesizeoflife，waskillingawildhorseequallymagnified，whosehidewasrepresentedbythehairywrappingsoftheleavesoftheChamaeropsexcelsa。Onothershighly-colouredgods，anddevilsequallyhideous，weregroupedmiscellaneously。Thesetwocarswerebeingdrawnupanddownthestreetattherateofamileinthreehoursby200meneach，numbersofmenwithleversassistingtheheavywheelsoutofthemud-holes。Thismatsuri，which，likeanEnglishfair，feast，orrevel，haslostitsoriginalreligioussignificance，goesonforthreedaysandnights，andthiswasitsthirdandgreatestday。
Weleftonmild-temperedhorses，quiteunlikethefiercefellowsofYamagataken。BetweenMinatoandKadothereisaverycuriouslagoonontheleft，about17mileslongby16broad，connectedwiththeseabyanarrowchannel，guardedbytwohighhillscalledShinzanandHonzan。TwoDutchengineersarenowengagedinreportingonitscapacities，andifitsoutletcouldbedeepenedwithoutenormouscostitwouldgivenorth-westernJapantheharbouritsogreatlyneeds。Extensiverice-fieldsandmanyvillagesliealongtheroad，whichisanavenueofdeepsandandancientpinesmuchcontortedandgnarled。DownthepineavenuehundredsofpeopleonhorsebackandonfootweretroopingintoMinatofromallthefarmingvillages，gladintheglorioussunshinewhichsucceededfourdaysofrain。Therewerehundredsofhorses，wonderful-