of visiting them. A
fine collation was served. The Emperor and Empress, however, did not
appear, and the usual extremely formal ceremonies were dispensed with.
It is the custom to give the inmates of the hospitals in Tokio a rare
feast from what is left of the banquet. I had a busy day in Yokohama,
which I found an attractive modern city, with beautiful shops, pleasant
hotels, and a great crowd of visitors. I left early the following
morning, April 28th, for Nikko.

* * * * *

NIKKO, _April 28th_: The sky was overcast when we started, and before
noon there was a heavy rain which prevented any enjoyment of the really
fine landscape. The Japanese proverb in substance runs: "Do not use the
word 'magnificent' until you have seen Nikko." This had been ringing in
my ears all the way, and to be compelled to proceed through the long
street of the village in a closed jinrikisha was tantalizing. The Nikko
Hotel was to have been my destination, but I met friends on the train
and was persuaded to accompany them to the new Kanaya Hotel, situated
nearer the village on a height. My programme in Nikko could only include
three days; hence I decided that a study of the various temples, a
general view of the city, and an excursion to Lake Chuzenji must
suffice.

The following morning the sun was shining, and I departed early to visit
the temples. The way lay down to the river Daiya-gawa. From the bridge
in actual use and at a short distance I beheld the "Red Bridge,"
formerly lacquered and having brass ornaments, sacred to royal use only,
and held in veneration by the Japanese. A long avenue of cryptomerias
followed. This tree is like the redwood of California when used in the
interior of a building; indeed, after a long period of time, the
coloring is precisely the same. This I noticed in the Imperial palaces
at Kyoto.

I walked up the avenue with a feeling of awe, and it seemed as if the
whole atmosphere of Nikko was surcharged with an element of sanctity,
and that no one could gaze on the mountains and the groves of
cryptomerias without being somewhat better than before. At the end of
the avenue the perspective is wonderful, for one looks through a series
of great stone toriis, gray with age, and sees along the way objects
that are of interest, a five-story pagoda being the most striking. This
approach is to the great Temple of Ieyasu, the illustrious Shogun and
founder of the Tokugawa dynasty and,