noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第13章

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sparkling　with　a　faint　saffron　glamour　of　its　own。　　Shifting　my　look

a　little　I　saw　another　and　then　another　of　the　visions；　like　puffs　of

steam；　rising　above　the　plain。　　Half　apparitions；　below　a　certain

line；　the　snow　line；　they　vanished　into　air；　for　between　them　and　the

solid　earth　there　looked　to　be　blue　sky。　　The　haze　of　distance；　on

this　soft　May　day；　hid　their　lower　slopes　and　left　the　peaks　to　tower

alone　into　the　void。　　They　were　the　giants　of　the　Tateyama　range；

standing　there　over　against　me　inaccessibly　superb。　



A　pair　of　teahouses；　rivals；　crowned　the　summit　of　the　pass；　which；

like　most　Japanese　passes；　was　a　mere　knife…edge　of　earth。　　With　a

quickened　pulse　if　a　slackened　gait；　I　topped　the　crest；　walked

straight　past　the　twin　teahouses　and　their　importunities　to　stop

another　half…dozen　paces　to　the　brink；　and　in　one　sweep　looked　down

over　a　thousand　feet　on　the　western　side。　　Noto；　eyelashed　by　the

branches　of　a　tree　just　breaking　into　leaf；　lay　open　to　me　below。　



After　the　first　glow　of　attainment；　this　initial　view　was；　I　will

confess；　disillusioning。　　Instead　of　what　unfettered　fancy　had　led　me

to　expect；　I　saw　only　a　lot　of　terraced　rice…fields　backed　by　ranges


of　low　hills；　for　all　the　world　a　parquet　in　green　and　brown　tiles。　

And　yet；　as　the　wish　to　excuse　prompted　me　to　think；　was　this　not；

after　all；　as　it　should　be？　　For　I　was　looking　but　at　the　entrance　to

the　land；　its　outer　hallway；　as　it　were；　Nanao；　its　capital；　its

inland　sea；　all　its　beyond　was　still　shut　from　me　by　the　nearer

hills。　　And　feeling　thus　at　liberty　to　be　amused；　I　forthwith　saw　it

as　a　satire　on　panoramas　generally。　



Panoramic　views　are　painfully　plain。　　They　must　needs　be　mappy　at

best；　for　your　own　elevation　flattens　all　below　it　to　one　topographic

level。　　Field　and　woodland；　town　or　lake；　show　by　their　colors　only

as　if　they　stood　in　print；　and　you　might　as　well　lay　any　good　atlas

on　the　floor　and　survey　it　from　the　lofty　height　of　a　footstool。　

Such　being　the　inevitable；　it　was　refreshing　to　see　the　thing　in

caricature。　　No　pains；　evidently；　had　been　spared　by　the　inhabitants

to　make　their　map　realistic。　　There　the　geometric　lines　all　stood　in

ludicrous　insistence；　any　child　could　have　drawn　the　thing　as

mechanically。　



The　two　teahouses　were　well　patronized　by　wayfarers　of　both　sexes；

resting　after　their　climb。　　Some　simply　sipped　tea；　chatting；　others

made　a　regular　meal　of　the　opportunity。　　The　greater　number　sat；　as

we　did；　on　the　sill；　for　the　trouble　of　taking　off　their　straw　sandals。

Our　landlady　was　the　model　of　what　a　landlady　should　be；　for　it　was

apparently　a　feminine　establishment。　　If　there　was　a　man　attached　to

it；　he　kept　himself　discreetly　in　the　background。　　She　was　a　kind；

sympathetic　soul；　with　a　word　for　every　one；　and　a　deliberateness　of

action　as　effective　as　it　was　efficient。　　And　in　the　midst　of　it　all；

she　kept　up　a　refrain　of　welcomes　and　good…bys；　as　newcomers　appeared

or　old　comers　left。　　The　unavoidable　preliminary　exercise　and　the

crisp　air　whetted　all　our　appetites。　　So　I　doubt　not　she　drove　a

thriving　trade；　although　to　Western　ideas　of　value　her　charges　were

infinitesimally　small。　



Midday　halts　for　lunch　are　godsends　to　tramps　who　travel　with　porters。

They　compel　the　porters　to　catch　up；　and　give　the　hirer　opportunity

to　say　things　which　at　least　relieve　him；　if　they　do　no　good。　　I　had

begun　to　fear　ours　would　deprive　me　of　this　pleasure；　and　indeed　had

got　so　far　on　in　my　meal　as　to　care　little　whether　they　did；　when

automatically　they　appeared。　　Fortunately　they　needed　but　a　short　rest；

and　as　the　descent　on　the　Noto　side　was　much　steeper　than　on　the　other；

half　an　hour's　walk　brought　us　to　the　level　of　kuruma　once　more。　



A　bit　of　lane　almost　English　in　look；　bowered　in　trees　and　winding

delightfully　like　some　human　stream；　led　us　to　a　teahouse。　　While　we

were　ordering　chaises　a　lot　of　children　gathered　to　inspect　us；　thus

kindly　giving　us　our　first　view　of　the　natives。　　They　looked　more

open…eyed　than　Japanese　generally；　but　such　effect　may　have　been　due

to　wonder。　　At　all　events；　the　stare；　if　it　was　a　stare；　seemed　like

a　silent　sort　of　welcome。　



Leaving　the　children　still　gazing　after　us　we　bowled　away　toward

Nanao；　and　in　the　course　of　time　caught　our　first　glimpse　of　it　from

the　upper　end　of　a　sweep　of　meadows。　　It　sat　by　the　water's　edge　at

the　head　of　a　landlocked　bay；　the　nearer　arm　of　the　inland　sea；　and

an　apology　for　shipping　rode　in　the　offing。　　It　seemed　a　very

fair…sized　town；　and　altogether　a　more　lively　place　than　I　had

thought　to　find。　　Clearly　its　life　was　as　engrossing　to　it　as　if　no

wall　of　hills　notching　the　sky　shut　out　the　world　beyond。　　Having

heard；　however；　that　a　watering…place　called　Wakura　was　the　sight　of

the　province；　and　learning　now　that　it　was　but　six　miles　further；　we

decided；　as　it　was　yet　early　in　the　afternoon；　to　push　on；　and　take

the　capital　later。　　We　did　take　it　later；　very　much　later　the　next

night；　than　was　pleasing。　



Wakura；　indeed；　was　the　one　thing　in　Noto；　except　the　charcoal；　which

had　an　ultra…Noto…rious　reputation。　　Rumors　of　it　had　reached　us　as

far　away　as　Shinshiu；　and　with　every　fresh　inquiry　we　made　as　we

advanced　the　rumors　had　gathered　strength。　　Our　informants　spoke　of

it　with　the　vague　respect　accorded　hearsay　honor。　　Clearly；　it　was　no

place　to　pass　by。　



The　road　to　it　from　Nanao　was　not　noteworthy；　but　for　two　things；　one

officially　commended　to　sight…seers；　the　other　not。　　The　first　was　a

curious　water…worn　rock　upon　the　edge　of　the　bay；　some　waif　of　a

boulder；　doubtless；　since　it　stuck　up　quite　alone　out　of　the　sand。

A　shrine　perched　atop；　and　a　larger　temple　encircled　it　below；　to　which

its　fantastic　cuttings　served　as　gateway　and　garden。　　The　uncommended

sight　was　a　neighboring　paddyfield；　in　which　a　company　of　frogs；

caught　trespassing；　stood　impaled　on　sticks　a　foot　high；　as　awful

warnings　to　their　kind。　　Beyond　this　the　way　passed　through　a　string

of　clay　cuttings　following　the　coast；　and　in　good　time　rolled　us　into

the　midst　of　a　collection　of　barnlike　buildings　which　it　seemed　was

Wakura。　



The　season　for　the　baths　had　not　yet　begun；　so　that　the　number　of

people　at　the　hotels　was　still　quite　small。　　Not　so　the　catalogue　of

complaints　for　which　they　were　visited。　　The　list　appalled　me　as　I

sat　on　the　threshold　of　my　prospective　lodging；　listening　to　mine

host's　encomiums　on　the　virtues　of　the　waters。　　He　expatiated

eloquently　on　both　the　quantity　and　quality　of　the　cures；　quite

unsuspicious　that　at　each　fresh　recommendation　he　was　in　my　eyes

depreciating　his　own　wares。　　Did　he　hope　that　among　such　a　handsome

choice　of　diseases　I　might　at　least　have　one！　　I　was　very　near　to

beating　a　hasty　retreat　on　the　spot。　　For　the　accommodation　in

Japanese　inns　is　of　a　distressingly　communistic　character　at　best；

and　although　at　present　there　were　few　patients　in　the　place；　the

germs　were　presumably　still　there　on　the　lookout　for　a　victim。　



Immediate　comfort；　however；　getting　the　better　of　problematical　risk；

I　went　in。　　The　room　allotted　me　lay　on　the　ground　floor　just　off　the

garden；　and　I　had　not　been　there　many　minutes　before　I　became　aware；

as　one　does；　that　I　was　being　stared　at。　　The　culprit　instantly

pretended；　with　a　very　sheepish　air；　to　be　only　taking　a　walk。　　He

was　the　vanguard　of　an　army　of　the　curious。　　The　people　in　the　next

room　were　much　exercised　over　the　new　arrival；　and　did　all　decency

allowed　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　me；　for　which　in　time　they　were

rewarded。　　Visitors　lodged　farther　off　took　aimless　strolls　to　the

verandas；　and　looked　at　me　when　they　thought　I　was　not　looking　at

them。　　All　envied　the　servants；　who　out…did　Abra　by　coming　when　I

called　nobody；　and　then　lingering　to　talk。　　Altogether　I　was　more　of

a　notoriety　than　I　ever　hope　to　be　again；　especially　as　any　European

would　have　done　them　as　well。　　My　public　wou