The Village Consists Of Two Short Streets, 8 Feet Wide Composed
Entirely Of Yadoyas Of Various Grades, With A Picturesquely Varied
Frontage Of Deep Eaves, Graceful Balconies, Rows Of Chinese
Lanterns, And Open Lower Fronts.
The place is full of people, and
the four bathing-sheds were crowded.
Some energetic invalids bathe
twelve times a day! Every one who was walking about carried a blue
towel over his arm, and the rails of the balconies were covered
with blue towels hanging to dry. There can be very little
amusement. The mountains rise at once from the village, and are so
covered with jungle that one can only walk in the short streets or
along the track by which I came. There is one covered boat for
excursions on the lake, and a few geishas were playing the samisen;
but, as gaming is illegal, and there is no place of public resort
except the bathing-sheds, people must spend nearly all their time
in bathing, sleeping, smoking, and eating. The great spring is
beyond the village, in a square tank in a mound. It bubbles up
with much strength, giving off fetid fumes. There are broad boards
laid at intervals across it, and people crippled with rheumatism go
and lie for hours upon them for the advantage of the sulphurous
steam. The temperature of the spring is 130 degrees F.; but after
the water has travelled to the village, along an open wooden pipe,
it is only 84 degrees. Yumoto is over 4000 feet high, and very
cold.
IRIMICHI. - Before leaving Yumoto I saw the modus operandi of a
"squeeze." I asked for the bill, when, instead of giving it to me,
the host ran upstairs and asked Ito how much it should be, the two
dividing the overcharge. Your servant gets a "squeeze" on
everything you buy, and on your hotel expenses, and, as it is
managed very adroitly, and you cannot prevent it, it is best not to
worry about it so long as it keeps within reasonable limits. I. L.
B.
LETTER X
Peaceful Monotony - A Japanese School - A Dismal Ditty - Punishment - A
Children's Party - A Juvenile Belle - Female Names - A Juvenile Drama-
-Needlework - Calligraphy - Arranging Flowers - Kanaya - Daily Routine-
-An Evening's Entertainment - Planning Routes - The God-shelf.
IRIMICHI, Nikko, June 23.
My peacefully monotonous life here is nearly at an end. The people
are so quiet and kindly, though almost too still, and I have
learned to know something of the externals of village life, and
have become quite fond of the place.
The village of Irimichi, which epitomises for me at present the
village life of Japan, consists of about three hundred houses built
along three roads, across which steps in fours and threes are
placed at intervals. Down the middle of each a rapid stream runs
in a stone channel, and this gives endless amusement to the
children, specially to the boys, who devise many ingenious models
and mechanical toys, which are put in motion by water-wheels.
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