their season, though not belonging strictly to city life, forms
one of the greatest of the pleasures of city people. The river Sumida,
on which T[=o]ky[=o] is situated, has lining its eastern shore for some
miles the famous cherry-trees of Japan, with their large, double pink
blossoms, and when, in April and May, these flowers are in their
perfection, great crowds of sightseers flock to Muk[=o]jima to enjoy the
blossoms under the trees. The river is crowded with picnic parties in
boats. Every tea-house along the banks is full of guests, and the little
stalls and resting-places on the way find a quick sale for fruit,
confectionery, and light lunches. _Sake_ is often too freely imbibed by
the merrymakers, whose flushed faces show, when returning homeward, how
their day was spent. There is much quiet enjoyment, too, of the lovely
blossoms, the broad, calm river, and the gayly dressed crowds. Hundreds
and thousands of visitors crowd to the suburban places about
T[=o]ky[=o],--to Uyeno Park for its cherry and peach blossoms, Kameido
for the plum and wistaria, Oji for its famous maple-trees, and many
others, each noted for some special beauty. Dango Zaka has its own
peculiar attraction, the famous chrysanthemum dolls. These ingenious
figures are arranged so as to form tableaux,--scenes from history or
fiction well known to all the people. They are of life size, and the
faces, hands, and feet are made of some composition, and closely
resemble life in every detail. But the curious thing in these tableaux
is that the scenery, whether it be the representation of a waterfall,
rocks, or bushes, the animals, and the dresses of the figures are made
entirely of chrysanthemum twigs, leaves, and flowers, not cut and woven
in, as at the first glance they seem to be,--so closely are the leaves
and flowers bound together to make the flat surface of different
objects,--but alive and growing on the plants. It is impossible to tell
where the roots and stems are hidden, for nothing is visible but (for
example) the white spray and greenish shadows of a waterfall, or the
parti-colored figures in a young girl's dress. But, should it be the
visitor's good fortune to watch the repairing of one of these lifelike
images, he will find that the entire body is a frame woven of split
bamboo, within which the plants are placed, their roots packed in damp
earth and bound about with straw, while their leaves and flowers are
pulled through the basket frame and