noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第2章

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I　purposed　to　forego　that　agreeable　beverage；　but　because；　in　this

Europeanized　age；　it　can　be　got　in　all　the　larger　towns。　　Indeed；

the　beer　brewed　in　Yokohama　to…day　ranks　with　the　best　in　the　world。　

It　is　in　great　demand　in　Tokyo；　while　its　imported；　or　professedly

imported；　rivals　have　freely　percolated　into　the　interior；　so　popular

with　the　upper　and　upper　middle　classes　have　malt　liquors　become。

Nowadays；　when　a　Japanese　thinks　to　go　in　for　Capuan　dissipation

regardless　of　expense；　he　treats　himself　to　a　bottle　of　beer。



These　larder…like　details　are　not　meant　to　imply　that　I　made　a　god　of

my　palate；　but　that　otherwise　my　digestion　would　have　played　the

devil　with　me。　　In　Japan；　to　attempt　to　live　off　the　country　in　the

country　is　a　piece　of　amateur　acting　the　average　European　bitterly

regrets　after　the　play；　if　not　during　its　performance。　　We　are　not

inwardly　contrived　to　thrive　solely　on　rice　and　pickles。



It　is　best；　too；　for　a　journey　into　the　interior；　to　take　with　you

your　own　bedding；　sheets；　that　is；　and　blankets。　　The　bed　itself

Yejiro　easily　improvised　out　of　innumerable　futons；　as　the　quilts

used　at　night　by　the　Japanese　are　called。　　A　single　one　is　enough　for

a　native；　but　Yejiro；　with　praiseworthy　zeal；　made　a　practice　of

asking　for　half…a…dozen；　which　he　piled　one　upon　the　other　in　the

middle　of　the　room。　　Each　had　a　perceptible　thickness　and　a　rounded

loglike　edge；　and　when　the　time　came　for　turning　in　on　top　of　the

lot；　I　was　always　reminded　of　the　latter　end　of　a　Grecian　hero；

the　structure　looked　so　like　a　funeral　pyre。　　When　to　the　above

indispensables　were　added　clothes；　camera；　dry　plates；　books；

and　sundries；　it　made　a　collection　of　household　gods　quite　appalling

to　consider　on　the　march。　I　had　no　idea　I　owned　half　so　much　in　the

world　from　which　it　would　pain　me　to　be　parted。　　As　my　property　lay

spread　out　for　packing；　I　stared　at　it　aghast。



To　transport　all　these　belongings；　native　ingenuity　suggested　a　thing

called　a　yanagigori；　several　of　them；　in　fact。　　Now　the　construction

of　a　kori　is　elementally　ingenious。　It　consists　simply　of　two　wicker

baskets；　of　the　same　shape；　but　of　slightly　different　size；　fitting

into　each　other　upside　down。　　The　two　are　then　tied　together　with　cord。

The　beauty　of　the　idea　lies　in　its　extension；　for　in　proportion　as

the　two　covers　are　pulled　out　or　pushed　home　will　the　pair　hold　from

a　maximum　capacity　of　both　to　a　minimum　capacity　of　one。　　It　is

possible　even　to　start　with　more　than　a　maximum；　if　the　contents　be

such　as　are　not　given　to　falling　out　by　the　way。　　The　contrivance　is

simply　invaluable　when　it　comes　to　transporting　food；　for　then；　as

you　eat　your　way　down；　the　obliging　covers　shrink　to　meet　the　vacuum。　

If　more　than　one　kori　be　necessary；　an　easy　step　in　devices　leads　to

a　series　of　graded　sizes。　　Then　all　your　baskets　eventually　collapse

into　one。



The　last　but　most　important　article　of　all　was　my　passport；　which

carefully　described　my　proposed　route；　and　which　Yejiro　at　once　took

charge　of　and　carried　about　with　him　for　immediate　service；　for　a

wise　paternal　government　insisted　upon　knowing　my　intentions　before

permitting　me　to　visit　the　object　of　my　choice。







II。　　



Off　and　On。



It　was　on　the　day　but　one　before　the　festival　of　the　fifth　moon　that

we　set　out；　or；　in　English；　the　third　of　May；　and　those　emblems　of

good　luck；　the　festival　fishes；　were　already　swimming　in　the　air

above　the　house　eaves；　as　we　scurried　through　the　streets　in

jinrikisha　toward　the　Uyeno　railway　station。　　We　had　been　a　little

behindhand　in　starting；　but　by　extra　exertions　on　the　part　of　the

runners　we　succeeded　in　reaching　the　station　just　in　time　to　be　shut

out　by　the　gatekeeper。　　Time　having　been　the　one　thing　worthless　in

old　Japan；　it　was　truly　sarcastic　of　fate　that　we　should　reach　our

first　goal　too　late。　　As　if　to　point　chagrin；　the　train　still　stood

in　waiting。　Remonstrances　with　the　wicket　man　about　the　imported

five…minute　regulation；　or　whatever　it　was；　proved　of　no　avail。

Not　one　jot　or　tittle　of　the　rule　would　he　yield；　which　perhaps　was

natural；　inasmuch　as；　however　we　might　have　managed　alone；　our

companions　the　baskets　never　could　have　boarded　the　train　without

offical　help。　　The　intrinsic　merits　of　the　baggage　failed；　alas；

to　affect　its　mobility。　　Then　the　train　slowly　drew　out。



To　be　stopped　on　the　road　is　the　common　lot　of　travelers；　but　to　be

stopped　before　one　has　fairly　started　is　nothing　less　than　to　be

mocked　at。　　It　is　best；　however；　to　take　such　gibes　in　good　part。　

Viewing　the　situation　in　this　light；　the　ludicrousness　of　the

disconnection　struck　me　so　forcibly　as　very　nearly　to　console　me　for

my　loss；　which　was　not　trifling；　since　the　next　train　did　not　leave

for　above　three　hours；　too　late　to　push　on　beyond　Takasaki　that　night；

a　thing　I　had　most　firmly　purposed　to　do。　　Here　I　was；　the　miserable

victim　of　a　punctuality　my　own　people　had　foisted　on　a　land　only　too

happy　without　it！　　There　was　poetic　justice　in　the　situation；　after　all。

Besides；　the　course　of　one's　true　love　should　not　run　too　smooth。　

Judicious　difficulty　whets　desire。



There　was　nothing　to　turn　to　on　the　spot；　and　I　was　ashamed　to　go　home。

Then　I　opportunely　remembered　something。



I　have　always　thought　we　limited　our　pharmacopoeia。　　We　prescribe

pills　enough　for　the　body；　while　we　leave　the　mind　to　look　after　itself。

Why　should　not　the　spirit　also　have　its　draughts　and　mixtures；

properly　labeled　and　dispensed！　　For　example；　angling　appears　to　be　a

strong　mental　opiate。　　I　have　seen　otherwise　normal　people　stupefied

beyond　expression　when　at　the　butt　of　a　rod　and　line。　Happening　to

recall　this　effect；　I　instantly　prescribed　for　my　perturbed　state　of

mind　a　good　dose　of　fishing；　to　be　taken　as　suited　the　day。　　So　I

betook　me　down　a　by…street；　where　the　aerial　carp　promised　the

thickest；　and；　selecting　a　house　well　placed　for　a　view；　asked

permission　to　mount　upon　the　roof。　　It　chanced　to　be　a　cast…off

clothing　shop；　along　whose　front　some　fine；　if　aged；　garments　were

hung　to　catch　the　public　eye。　　The　camera　and　I　were　inducted　up　the

ascent　by　the　owner；　while　my　boots；　of　course；　waited　dog…like　in

the　porch　below。



The　city　made　a　spectacle　from　above。　　On　all　sides　superb　paper　carp

floated　to　the　breeze；　tugging　at　the　strings　that　held　them　to　the

poles　quite　after　the　manner　of　the　real　fish。　　One　felt　as　though；

by　accident；　he　had　stepped　into　some　mammoth　globe　of　goldfish。

The　whole　sky　was　alive　with　them。　　Eighty　square　miles　of　finny　folk

inside　the　city；　and　an　untold　company　without。　　The　counterfeit

presentments　were　from　five　to　ten　feet　long；　and　painted　to　mimic

life。　　The　breeze　entered　at　the　mouth　and　passed　out　somewhat　less

freely　at　the　tail；　thus　keeping　them　well　bellied　and　constantly　in

motion。　　The　way　they　rose　and　dove　and　turned　and　wriggled　was

worthy　of　free　will。　　Indeed；　they　had　every　look　of　spontaneity；

and　lacked　only　the　thing　itself　to　turn　the　sky　into　an　ocean；

and　Tokyo　into　a　sea　bottom　with　a　rockery　of　roof。　　Each　fish

commemorates　the　birth　of　a　boy　during　the　year。　　It　would　thus　be

possible　to　take　a　census　of　the　increase　of　the　male　population

yearly；　at　the　trifling　cost　of　scaling　a　housetop；a　set　of

statistics　not　without　an　eventual　value。



While　we　were　strolling　back；　Yejiro　and　I；　we　came；　in　the　way；

upon　another　species　of　fish。　　The　bait；　which　was　well　designed　to

captivate；　bade　for　the　moment　to　exceed　even　the　angler's

anticipations。　　It　was　a　sort　of　un…Christmas　tree　with　fishing…pole

branches；　from　which　dangled　articulated　figures；　bodied　like　men；

but　with　heads　of　foxes；　tortoises；　and　other　less　likelybeasts；

bewitching　objects　in　impossible　evolution　to　a　bald…pated

urchin　who　stood　gazing　at　it　with　all　his　soul。　　The　peddler　sat　with

his　eyes　riveted　on　the　boy；　visions　of　a　possible　catch　chasing

themse