There,throughthegoodofficesofthepolice,IwasenabledtoattendaBuddhistfuneralofamerchantofsomewealth。Itinterestedmeverymuchfromitssolemnityanddecorum,andIto’sexplanationsofwhatwentbeforewereremarkablydistinctlygiven。
IwentinaJapanesewoman’sdress,borrowedatthetea-house,withabluehoodovermyhead,andthusescapedallnotice,butIfoundtherestraintofthescanty“tiedforward“kimonoverytiresome。
ItogavememanyinjunctionsastowhatIwastodoandavoid,whichIcarriedoutfaithfully,beingnervouslyanxioustoavoidjarringonthesensibilitiesofthosewhohadkindlypermittedaforeignertobepresent。
Theillnesswasashortone,andtherehadbeennotimeeitherforprayersorpilgrimagesonthesickman’sbehalf。Whendeathoccursthebodyislaidwithitsheadtothenorth(apositionthatthelivingJapanesescrupulouslyavoid),nearafoldingscreen,betweenwhichanditanewzenisplaced,onwhichareasaucerofoilwithalightedrush,cakesofuncookedricedough,andasaucerofincensesticks。Thepriestsdirectlyafterdeathchoosethekaimiyo,orposthumousname,writeitonatabletofwhitewood,andseatthemselvesbythecorpse;hiszen,bowls,cups,etc。,arefilledwithvegetablefoodandareplacedbyhisside,thechopsticksbeingputonthewrong,i。e。theleft,sideofthezen。
Attheendofforty-eighthoursthecorpseisarrangedforthecoffinbybeingwashedwithwarmwater,andthepriest,whilesayingcertainprayers,shavesthehead。Inallcases,richorpoor,thedressisoftheusualmake,butofpurewhitelinenorcotton。
AtOmagori,atownnearRokugo,largeearthenwarejarsaremanufactured,whicharemuchusedforintermentbythewealthy;butinthiscasethereweretwosquareboxes,theouteronebeingoffinelyplanedwoodoftheRetinosporaobtusa。Thepoorusewhatiscalledthe“quick-tub,“acoveredtubofpinehoopedwithbamboo。
Womenaredressedforburialinthesilkrobewornonthemarriageday,tabiareplacedbesidethemorontheirfeet,andtheirhairusuallyflowslooselybehindthem。Thewealthiestpeoplefillthecoffinwithvermilionandthepoorestusechaff;butinthiscaseI
heardthatonlythemouth,nose,andearswerefilledwithvermilion,andthatthecoffinwasfilledupwithcoarseincense。
Thebodyisplacedwithinthetuborboxintheusualsquattingposition。Itisimpossibletounderstandhowahumanbody,manyhoursafterdeath,canbepressedintothelimitedspaceaffordedbyeventheoutermostoftheboxes。Ithasbeensaidthattherigidityofacorpseisovercomebytheuseofapowdercalleddosia,whichissoldbythepriests;butthisideahasbeenexploded,andtheprocessremainsincomprehensible。
Banneretsofsmallsizeandornamentalstaveswereoutsidethehousedoor。Twomeninbluedresses,withpaleblueover-garmentsresemblingwingsreceivedeachperson,twomorepresentedalacqueredbowlofwaterandawhitesilkcrepetowel,andthenwepassedintoalargeroom,roundwhichwerearrangedanumberofveryhandsomefoldingscreens,onwhichlotuses,storks,andpeonieswererealisticallypaintedonadeadgoldground。Neartheendoftheroomthecoffin,underacanopyofwhitesilk,uponwhichtherewasaverybeautifularrangementofartificialwhitelotuses,restedupontrestles,thefaceofthecorpsebeingturnedtowardsthenorth。Sixpriests,verymagnificentlydressed,satoneachsideofthecoffin,andtwomorekneltinfrontofasmalltemporaryaltar。
Thewidow,anextremelyprettywoman,squattednearthedeceased,belowthefatherandmother;andafterhercamethechildren,relatives,andfriends,whosatinrows,dressedinwingedgarmentsofblueandwhite。Thewidowwaspaintedwhite;herlipswerereddenedwithvermilion;herhairwaselaboratelydressedandornamentedwithcarvedshellpins;sheworeabeautifuldressofsky-bluesilk,withahaorioffinewhitecrepeandascarletcrepegirdleembroideredingold,andlookedlikeabrideonhermarriagedayratherthanawidow。
Indeed,owingtothebeautyofthedressesandtheamountofblueandwhitesilk,theroomhadafestalratherthanafunereallook。
Whenalltheguestshadarrived,teaandsweetmeatswerepassedround;incensewasburnedprofusely;litaniesweremumbled,andthebustleofmovingtothegravebegan,duringwhichIsecuredaplacenearthegateofthetemplegrounds。
Theprocessiondidnotcontainthefatherormotherofthedeceased,butIunderstoodthatthemournerswhocomposeditwereallrelatives。Theoblongtabletwiththe“deadname“ofthedeceasedwascarriedfirstbyapriest,thenthelotusblossombyanotherpriest,thentenpriestsfollowed,twoandtwo,chantinglitaniesfrombooks,thencamethecoffinonaplatformbornebyfourmenandcoveredwithwhitedrapery,thenthewidow,andthentheotherrelatives。Thecoffinwascarriedintothetempleandlaidupontrestles,whileincensewasburnedandprayersweresaid,andwasthencarriedtoashallowgravelinedwithcement,andprayersweresaidbythepriestsuntiltheearthwasraisedtotheproperlevel,whenalldispersed,andthewidow,inhergayattire,walkedhomeunattended。Therewerenohiredmournersoranysignsofgrief,butnothingcouldbemoresolemn,reverent,anddecorousthanthewholeservice。[Ihavesinceseenmanyfunerals,chieflyofthepoor,and,thoughshornofmuchoftheceremony,andwithonlyoneofficiatingpriest,thedecorumwasalwaysmostremarkable。]Thefeestothepriestsarefrom2upto40or50
yen。Thegraveyard,whichsurroundsthetemple,wasextremelybeautiful,andthecryptomeriaspeciallyfine。Itwasveryfullofstonegravestones,and,likeallJapanesecemeteries,exquisitelykept。Assoonasthegravewasfilledin,alife-sizepinklotusplantwasplaceduponit,andalacquertray,onwhichwerelacquerbowlscontainingteaorsake,beans,andsweetmeats。
ThetempleatRokugowasverybeautiful,and,exceptthatitsornamentsweresuperiorinsolidityandgoodtaste,differedlittlefromaRomishchurch。Thelowaltar,onwhichwereliliesandlightedcandles,wasdrapedinblueandsilver,andonthehighaltar,drapedincrimsonandclothofgold,therewasnothingbutaclosedshrine,anincense-burner,andavaseoflotuses。
ACasualInvitation——ALudicrousIncident——PolitenessofaPoliceman——AComfortlessSunday——AnOutrageousIrruption——A
Atawaysidetea-house,soonafterleavingRokugoinkurumas,ImetthesamecourteousandagreeableyoungdoctorwhowasstationedatInnaiduringtheprevalenceofkak’ke,andheinvitedmetovisitthehospitalatKubota,ofwhichheisjuniorphysician,andtoldItoofarestaurantatwhich“foreignfood“canbeobtained——apleasantprospect,ofwhichheisalwaysremindingme。
Travellingalongaverynarrowroad,Iasusualfirst,wemetamanleadingaprisonerbyarope,followedbyapoliceman。Assoonasmyrunnersawthelatterhefelldownonhisfacesosuddenlyintheshaftsasnearlytothrowmeout,atthesametimetryingtowriggleintoagarmentwhichhehadcarriedonthecrossbar,whiletheyoungmenwhoweredrawingthetwokurumasbehind,crouchingbehindmyvehicle,triedtoscuttleintotheirclothes。Ineversawsuchapictureofabjectnessasmymanpresented。Hetrembledfromheadtofoot,andillustratedthatqueerphraseoftenheardinScotchPresbyterianprayers,“Layourhandsonourmouthsandourmouthsinthedust。“Heliterallygrovelledinthedust,andwitheverysentencethatthepolicemanspokeraisedhisheadalittle,tobowityetmoredeeplythanbefore。Itwasallbecausehehadnoclotheson。Iintercededforhimasthedaywasveryhot,andthepolicemansaidhewouldnotarresthim,asheshouldotherwisehavedone,becauseoftheinconveniencethatitwouldcausetoaforeigner。Hewasquiteanelderlyman,andneverrecoveredhisspirits,but,assoonasaturnoftheroadtookusoutofthepoliceman’ssight,thetwoyoungermenthrewtheirclothesintotheairandgambolledintheshafts,shriekingwithlaughter!
OnreachingShingoji,beingtootiredtogofarther,Iwasdismayedtofindnothingbutalow,dark,foul-smellingroom,enclosedonlybydirtyshoji,inwhichtospendSunday。Onesidelookedintoalittlemildewedcourt,withaslimygrowthofProtococcusviridis,andintowhichthepeopleofanotherhouseconstantlycametostare。Theothersideopenedontheearthenpassageintothestreet,wheretravellerswashtheirfeet,thethirdintothekitchen,andthefourthintothefrontroom。Evenbeforedarkitwasalivewithmosquitoes,andthefleashoppedonthematslikesand-flies。Therewerenoeggs,nothingbutriceandcucumbers。
AtfiveonSundaymorningIsawthreefacespressedagainsttheouterlattice,andbeforeeveningtheshojiwereriddledwithfinger-holes,ateachofwhichadarkeyeappeared。Therewasastill,finerainallday,withthemercuryat82degrees,andtheheat,darkness,andsmellsweredifficulttoendure。Intheafternoonasmallprocessionpassedthehouse,consistingofadecoratedpalanquin,carriedandfollowedbypriests,withcapesandstolesovercrimsonchasublesandwhitecassocks。Thisark,theysaid,containedpapersinscribedwiththenamesofpeopleandtheevilstheyfeared,andthepriestswerecarryingthepaperstothrowthemintotheriver。
Iwenttobedearlyasarefugefrommosquitoes,withtheandon,asusual,dimlylightingtheroom,andshutmyeyes。AboutnineI
heardagooddealofwhisperingandshuffling,whichcontinuedforsometime,and,onlookingup,sawoppositetomeabout40men,women,andchildren(Itosays100),allstaringatme,withthelightupontheirfaces。Theyhadsilentlyremovedthreeoftheshojinextthepassage!IcalledItoloudly,andclappedmyhands,buttheydidnotstirtillhecame,andthentheyfledlikeaflockofsheep。Ihavepatiently,andevensmilingly,borneallout-of-
doorscrowdingandcuriosity,butthiskindofintrusionisunbearable;andIsentItotothepolicestation,muchagainsthiswill,tobegthepolicetokeepthepeopleoutofthehouse,asthehouse-masterwasunabletodoso。Thismorning,asIwasfinishingdressing,apolicemanappearedinmyroom,ostensiblytoapologiseforthebehaviourofthepeople,butinrealitytohaveaprivilegedstareatme,and,aboveall,atmystretcherandmosquitonet,fromwhichhehardlytookhiseyes。Itosayshecouldmakeayenadaybyshowingthem!Thepolicemansaidthatthepeoplehadneverseenaforeigner。