priestswhogaveitsplendourarescattered，andsixShintopriestsalternatelyattenduponitasmuchforthepurposeofsellingticketsofadmissionasforanypriestlyduties。
Allroads，bridges，andavenueshereleadtotheseshrines，butthegrandapproachisbytheRedBridge，andupabroadroadwithstepsatintervalsandstone-facedembankmentsateachside，onthetopofwhicharebeltsofcryptomeria。Atthesummitofthisascentisafinegranitetorii，27feet6incheshigh，withcolumns3feet6
inchesindiameter，offeredbythedaimiyoofChikuzenin1618fromhisownquarries。Afterthiscome118magnificentbronzelanternsonmassivestonepedestals，eachofwhichisinscribedwiththeposthumoustitleofIyeyasu，thenameofthegiver，andalegendoftheoffering——allthegiftsofdaimiyo——aholywatercisternmadeofasolidblockofgranite，andcoveredbyaroofrestingontwentysquaregranitepillars，andabronzebell，lantern，andcandelabraofmarvellousworkmanship，offeredbythekingsofCoreaandLiukiu。Ontheleftisafive-storiedpagoda，104feethigh，richlycarvedinwoodandasrichlygildedandpainted。Thesignsofthezodiacrunroundthelowerstory。
Thegrandentrancegateisatthetopofahandsomeflightofstepsfortyyardsfromthetorii。AloopedwhitecurtainwiththeMikado’screstinblack，hangspartiallyoverthegateway，inwhich，beautifulasitis，onedoesnotcaretolinger，toexaminethegildedamainuinniches，orthespiritedcarvingsoftigersundertheeaves，fortheviewofthefirstcourtoverwhelmsonebyitsmagnificenceandbeauty。Thewholestyleofthebuildings，thearrangements，theartofeverykind，thethoughtwhichinspiresthewhole，areexclusivelyJapanese，andtheglimpsefromtheNi-ogateisarevelationofapreviouslyundreamed-ofbeauty，bothinformandcolour。
Roundtheneatlypebbledcourt，whichisenclosedbyabrightredtimberwall，arethreegorgeousbuildings，whichcontainthetreasuresofthetemple，asumptuousstableforthethreesacredAlbinohorses，whicharekeptfortheuseofthegod，amagnificentgranitecisternofholywater，fedfromtheSomendakicascade，andahighlydecoratedbuilding，inwhichacompletecollectionofBuddhistScripturesisdeposited。Fromthisaflightofstepsleadsintoasmallercourtcontainingabell-tower“ofmarvellousworkmanshipandornamentation，“adrum-tower，hardlylessbeautiful，ashrine，thecandelabra，bell，andlanternmentionedbefore，andsomeverygrandbronzelanterns。
FromthiscourtanotherflightofstepsascendstotheYomeigate，whosesplendourIcontemplateddayafterdaywithincreasingastonishment。Thewhitecolumnswhichsupportithavecapitalsformedofgreatred-throatedheadsofthemythicalKirin。Abovethearchitraveisaprojectingbalconywhichrunsallroundthegatewaywitharailingcarriedbydragons’heads。Inthecentretwowhitedragonsfighteternally。Underneath，inhighrelief，therearegroupsofchildrenplaying，thenanetworkofrichlypaintedbeams，andsevengroupsofChinesesages。Thehighroofissupportedbygildeddragons’headswithcrimsonthroats。Intheinteriorofthegatewaythereareside-nichespaintedwhite，whicharelinedwithgracefullydesignedarabesquesfoundedonthebotanorpeony。Apiazza，whoseouterwallsoftwenty-onecompartmentsareenrichedwithmagnificentcarvingsofbirds，flowers，andtrees，runsrightandleft，andenclosesonthreeofitssidesanothercourt，thefourthsideofwhichisaterminalstonewallbuiltagainstthesideofthehill。Ontherightaretwodecoratedbuildings，oneofwhichcontainsastagefortheperformanceofthesacreddances，andtheotheranaltarfortheburningofcedarwoodincense。Ontheleftisabuildingforthereceptionofthethreesacredcarswhichwereusedduringfestivals。Topassfromcourttocourtistopassfromsplendourtosplendour；oneisalmostgladtofeelthatthisisthelast，andthatthestrainonone’scapacityforadmirationisnearlyover。
Inthemiddleisthesacredenclosure，formedofgildedtrellis-
workwithpaintedbordersaboveandbelow，formingasquareofwhicheachsidemeasures150feet，andwhichcontainsthehaidenorchapel。Underneaththetrellisworkaregroupsofbirds，withbackgroundsofgrass，veryboldlycarvedinwoodandrichlygildedandpainted。Fromtheimposingentrancethroughadoubleavenueofcryptomeria，amongcourts，gates，temples，shrines，pagodas，colossalbellsofbronze，andlanternsinlaidwithgold，youpassthroughthisfinalcourtbewilderedbymagnificence，throughgoldengates，intothedimnessofagoldentemple，andthereis——simplyablacklacquertablewithacircularmetalmirroruponit。
Withinisahallfinelymatted，42feetwideby27fromfronttoback，withloftyapartmentsoneachside，onefortheShogunandtheother“forhisHolinesstheAbbot。“Both，ofcourse，areempty。Theroofofthehallispanelledandrichlyfrescoed。TheShogun’sroomcontainssomeveryfinefusuma，onwhichkirin(fabulousmonsters)aredepictedonadeadgoldground，andfouroakpanels，8feetby6，finelycarved，withthephoenixinlowreliefvariouslytreated。IntheAbbot’sroomtherearesimilarpanelsadornedwithhawksspiritedlyexecuted。Theonlyecclesiasticalornamentamongthedimsplendoursofthechapelistheplaingoldgohei。Stepsatthebackleadintoachapelpavedwithstone，withafinepanelledceilingrepresentingdragonsonadarkblueground。Beyondthissomegildeddoorsleadintotheprincipalchapel，containingfourroomswhicharenotaccessible；
butiftheycorrespondwiththeoutside，whichisofhighlypolishedblacklacquerrelievedbygold，theymustbeseverelymagnificent。
ButnotinanyoneofthesegorgeousshrinesdidIyeyasudecreethathisdustshouldrest。Re-enteringthelastcourt，itisnecessarytoleavetheenclosuresaltogetherbypassingthroughacoveredgatewayintheeasternpiazzaintoastonegallery，greenwithmossesandhepaticae。Within，wealthandarthavecreatedafairylandofgoldandcolour；without，Nature，atherstateliest，hassurroundedthegreatShogun’stombwithapompofmournfulsplendour。Astaircaseof240stonestepsleadstothetopofthehill，where，aboveandbehindallthestatelinessoftheshrinesraisedinhishonour，thedustofIyeyasusleepsinanunadornedbutCyclopeantombofstoneandbronze，surmountedbyabronzeurn。
Infrontisastonetabledecoratedwithabronzeincense-burner，avasewithlotusblossomsandleavesinbrass，andabronzestorkbearingabronzecandlestickinitsmouth。Aloftystonewall，surmountedbyabalustrade，surroundsthesimplebutstatelyenclosure，andcryptomeriaoflargesizegrowingupthebackofthehillcreateperpetualtwilightroundit。Slantraysofsunshinealonepassthroughthem，noflowerbloomsorbirdsings，onlysilenceandmournfulnesssurroundthegraveoftheablestandgreatestmanthatJapanhasproduced。
ImpressedasIhadbeenwiththegloriousworkmanshipinwood，bronze，andlacquer，Iscarcelyadmiredlessthemasonryofthevastretainingwalls，thestonegallery，thestaircaseanditsbalustrade，allputtogetherwithoutmortarorcement，andsoaccuratelyfittedthatthejointsarescarcelyaffectedbytherain，damp，andaggressivevegetationof260years。Thestepsofthestaircasearefinemonoliths，andthecopingattheside，themassivebalustrade，andtheheavyrailatthetop，arecutoutofsolidblocksofstonefrom10to18feetinlength。Noristheworkmanshipofthegreatgranitecisternforholywaterlessremarkable。Itissocarefullyadjustedonitsbedthatthewaterbroughtfromaneighbouringcascaderisesandpoursovereachedgeinsuchcarefullyequalisedcolumnsthat，asMr。Satowsays，“itseemstobeasolidblockofwaterratherthanapieceofstone。“
ThetemplesofIyemitsuareclosetothoseofIyeyasu，andthoughsomewhatlessmagnificentareevenmorebewildering，astheyarestillinBuddhisthands，andarecrowdedwiththegodsoftheBuddhistPantheonandthesplendidparaphernaliaofBuddhistworship，instrikingcontrasttothesimplicityofthelonelyShintomirrorinthemidstoftheblazeofgoldandcolour。InthegrandentrancegatearegiganticNi-o，theBuddhistGogandMagog，vermilioncoloured，andwithdraperiespaintedinimitationoffloweredsilk。Asecondpair，paintedredandgreen，removedfromIyemitsu’stemple，areinnicheswithinthegate。Aflightofstepsleadstoanothergate，inwhosegorgeousnichesstandhideousmonsters，inhumanform，representingthegodsofwindandthunder。
Windhascrystaleyesandahalf-jolly，half-demoniacalexpression。
Heispaintedgreen，andcarriesawind-bagonhisback，alongsacktiedateachend，withtheendsbroughtoverhisshouldersandheldinhishands。Thegodofthunderispaintedred，withpurplehaironend，andstandsoncloudsholdingthunderboltsinhishand。
Moresteps，andanothergatecontainingtheTenno，orgodsofthefourquarters，boldlycarvedandinstrongaction，withlongeye-
teeth，andatlasttheprincipaltempleisreached。Anoldpriestwhotookmeoveritonmyfirstvisit，onpassingthegodsofwindandthundersaid，“Weusedtobelieveinthesethings，butwedon’tnow，“andhismannerinspeakingoftheotherdeitieswasrathercontemptuous。Herequestedme，however，totakeoffmyhataswellasmyshoesatthedoorofthetemple。Withintherewasagorgeousshrine，andwhenanacolytedrewasidethecurtainofclothofgoldtheinteriorwasequallyimposing，containingBuddhaandtwootherfiguresofgildedbrass，seatedcross-leggedonlotus-flowers，withrowsofpetalsseveraltimesrepeated，andwiththatlookofeternalreposeontheirfaceswhichisreproducedinthecommonestroad-sideimages。Infrontoftheshrineseveralcandleswereburning，theofferingsofsomepeoplewhowerehavingprayerssaidforthem，andthewholewaslightedbytwolampsburninglow。Onastepofthealtaramuch-contorteddevilwascrouchinguneasily，forhewassubjugatedand，byagrimirony，madetocarryamassiveincense-burneronhisshoulders。Inthistemplethereweremorethanahundredidolsstandinginrows，manyofthemlife-size，someofthemtramplingdevilsundertheirfeet，butallhideous，partlyfromthebrightgreens，vermilions，andblueswithwhichtheyarepainted。Remarkablemusculardevelopmentcharacterisesall，andthefiguresorfacesareallinvigorousactionofsomekind，generallygrosslyexaggerated。
Whilewewerecrossingthecourtthereweretwoshocksofearthquake；allthegoldenwind-bellswhichfringetheroofsrangsoftly，andanumberofpriestsranintothetempleandbeatvariouskindsofdrumsforthespaceofhalfanhour。Iyemitsu’stombisreachedbyflightsofstepsontherightofthechapel。ItisinthesamestyleasIyeyasu’s，butthegatesinfrontareofbronze，andareinscribedwithlargeSanskritcharactersinbrightbrass。Oneofthemostbeautifulofthemanyviewsisfromtheuppermostgateofthetemple。ThesunshoneonmysecondvisitandbrightenedthespringtintsofthetreesonHotokeIwa，whichwasvignettedbyaframeofdarkcryptomeria。
Someofthebuildingsareroofedwithsheet-copper，butmostofthemaretiled。Tiling，however，hasbeenraisedalmosttothedignityofafineartinJapan。Thetilesthemselvesareacopperygrey，withasuggestionofmetalliclustreaboutit。Theyareslightlyconcave，andthejointsarecoveredbyothersquiteconvex，whichcomedownlikemassivetubesfromtheridgepole，andterminateattheeaveswithdiscsonwhichtheTokugawabadgeisemblazonedingold，asitiseverywhereontheseshrineswhereitwouldnotbequiteoutofkeeping。Theroofsaresomassivethattheyrequireallthestrengthoftheheavycarvedtimbersbelow，and，likeallelse，theygleamwithgold，orthatwhichsimulatesit。
TheshrinesarethemostwonderfulworkoftheirkindinJapan。Intheirstatelysettingofcryptomeria，fewofwhicharelessthan20
