Lateintheafternoontherailroadwasre-opened，andIcameherewithMr。Wilkinson，gladtosettledowntoaperiodofrestandeaseunderthishospitableroof。Theafternoonwasbrightandsunny，andTokiyowaslookingitsbest。Thelonglinesofyashikislookedhandsome，thecastlemoatwassofullofthegiganticleavesofthelotus，thatthewaterwashardlyvisible，thegrassembankmentsoftheuppermoatwereabrilliantgreen，thepinesontheirsummitsstoodoutboldlyagainsttheclearsky，thehillonwhichtheLegationstandslookeddryandcheerful，and，betterthanall，Ihadamostkindlywelcomefromthosewhohavemadethishousemyhomeinastrangeland。
Tokiyoistranquil，thatis，itisdisturbedonlybyfearsforthericecrop，andbythefallinsatsu。Themilitarymutineershavebeentried，popularrumoursaystortured，andfifty-twohavebeenshot。Thesummerhasbeentheworstforsomeyears，andnowdarkheat，moistheat，andnearlyceaslessrainprevail。Peoplehavebeen“rainedup“intheirsummerquarters。“Surelyitwillchangesoon，“peoplesay，andtheyhavesaidthesamethingforthreemonths。
FineWeather——CremationinJapan——TheGovernorofTokiyo——AnAwkwardQuestion——AnInsignificantBuilding——EconomyinFuneralExpenses——SimplicityoftheCremationProcess——TheLastofJapan。
Ihavespentthelasttendayshere，insettledfineweather，suchasshouldhavebeguntwomonthsagoiftheclimatehadbehavedasitought。Thetimehasflownbyinexcursions，shopping，selectlittledinner-parties，farewellcalls，andvisitsmadewithMr。
ChamberlaintothefamousgrovesandtemplesofIkegami，wheretheBuddhistbishopandpriestsentertainedusinoneoftheguest-
rooms，andtoEnoshimaandKamakura，“vulgar“resortswhichnothingcanvulgarisesolongasFujisantowersabovethem。
Iwillmentionbutone“sight，“whichissofaroutofthebeatentrackthatitwasonlyafterprolongedinquirythatitswhereaboutswasascertained。AmongBuddhists，speciallyoftheMontosect，cremationwaslargelypractisedtillitwasforbiddenfiveyearsago，assomesupposeindeferencetoEuropeanprejudices。Threeyearsago，however，theprohibitionwaswithdrawn，andinthisshortspaceoftimethenumberofbodiesburnedhasreachednearlyninethousandannually。SirH。ParkesappliedforpermissionformetovisittheKirigayaground，oneoffive，andafterafewdelaysitwasgrantedbytheGovernorofTokiyoatMr。Mori’srequest，soyesterday，attendedbytheLegationlinguist，I
presentedmyselfatthefineyashikioftheTokiyoFu，andquiteunexpectedlywasadmittedtoanaudienceoftheGovernor。Mr。
Kusamotoisawell-bredgentleman，andhisfaceexpressestheenergyandabilitywhichhehasgivenproofofpossessing。HewearshisEuropeanclothesbecomingly，andinattitude，aswellasmanner，iseasyanddignified。AfteraskingmeagreatdealaboutmynortherntourandtheAinos，heexpressedawishforcandidcriticism；butasthisintheEastmustnotbetakenliterally，I
merelyventuredtosaythattheroadslagbehindtheprogressmadeinotherdirections，uponwhichheentereduponexplanationswhichdoubtlessapplytothepastroad-historyofthecountry。Hespokeofcremationandits“necessity“inlargecities，andterminatedtheinterviewbyrequestingmetodismissmyinterpreterandkuruma，ashewasgoingtosendmetoMeguroinhisowncarriagewithoneoftheGovernmentinterpreters，addingverycourteouslythatitgavehimpleasuretoshowthisattentiontoaguestoftheBritishMinister，“forwhosecharacterandimportantservicestoJapanhehasahighvalue。“
Anhour’sdrive，withanextraamountofyellingfromthebettos，tookustoasuburboflittlehillsandvalleys，whereredcamelliasandfeatherybambooagainstbackgroundsofcryptomeriacontrastwiththegreymonotoneofBritishwinters，and，alightingatafarmroadtooroughforacarriage，wepassedthroughfieldsandhedgerowstoanerectionwhichlookstooinsignificantforsuchsolemnuse。Don’texpectanyghastlydetails。Alongishbuildingof“wattleanddab，“muchlikethenorthernfarmhouses，ahighroof，andchimneysresemblingthoseofthe“oasthouses“inKent，combinewiththeruralsurroundingstosuggest“farmbuildings“
ratherthanthe“funeralpyre，“andallthatishorribleislefttotheimagination。
Theendnearesttheroadisalittletemple，muchcrowdedwithimages，andsmall，red，earthenwareurnsandtongsforsaletotherelativesofdeceasedpersons，andbeyondthisarefourroomswithearthenfloorsandmudwalls；nothingnoticeableaboutthemexcepttheheightofthepeakedroofandthedarkcolouroftheplaster。
Inthemiddleofthelargestareseveralpairsofgranitesupportsatequaldistancesfromeachother，andinthesmallestthereisasolitarypair。Thiswasliterallyallthatwastobeseen。Inthelargeroomseveralbodiesareburnedatonetime，andthechargeisonlyoneyen，about3s。8d。，solitarycremationcostingfiveyen。
Faggotsareused，and1s。worthordinarilysufficestoreduceahumanformtoashes。Afterthefuneralserviceinthehousethebodyisbroughttothecremationground，andisleftinchargeoftheattendant，amelancholy，smoked-lookingman，aswellhemaybe。
Thericherpeoplesometimespayprieststobepresentduringtheburning，butthisisnotusual。Therewerefive“quick-tubs“ofpinehoopedwithbamboointhelargerroom，containingtheremainsofcoolies，andafewoblongpinechestsinthesmallroomscontainingthoseofmiddle-classpeople。At8p。m。each“coffin“
isplacedonthestonetrestles，thefaggotsarelightedunderneath，thefiresarereplenishedduringthenight，andby6
a。m。thatwhichwasahumanbeingisasmallheapofashes，whichisplacedinanurnbytherelativesandishonourablyinterred。
Insomecasesthepriestsaccompanytherelationsonthislastmournfulerrand。Thirteenbodieswereburnedthenightbeforemyvisit，buttherewasnottheslightestodourinoraboutthebuilding，andtheinterpretertoldmethat，owingtotheheightofthechimneys，thepeopleoftheneighbourhoodneverexperiencetheleastannoyance，evenwhiletheprocessisgoingon。Thesimplicityofthearrangementisveryremarkable，andtherecanbenoreasonabledoubtthatitservesthepurposeoftheinnocuousandcompletedestructionofthecorpseaswellasanycomplicatedapparatus(ifnotbetter)，whileitscheapnessplacesitwithinthereachoftheclasswhichismostheavilyburdenedbyordinaryfuneralexpenses。{23}ThismorningtheGovernorsenthissecretarytopresentmewithatranslationofaninterestingaccountofthepracticeofcremationanditsintroductionintoJapan。
SS。“Volga，“ChristmasEve，1878——ThesnowydomeofFujisanreddeninginthesunriseroseabovethevioletwoodlandsofMississippiBayaswesteamedoutofYokohamaHarbouronthe19th，andthreedayslaterIsawthelastofJapan——aruggedcoast，lashedbyawintrysea。
ThisisanaltogetherexceptionalaspectofFujisan，underexceptionalatmosphericconditions。Themountainusuallylooksbroaderandlower，andisoftencomparedtoaninvertedfan。
IcontinuehereaftertousetheJapanesewordkurumainsteadoftheChinesewordJin-ri-ki-sha。Kuruma，literallyawheelorvehicle，isthewordcommonlyusedbytheJin-ri-ki-shamenandotherJapaneseforthe“man-power-carriage，“andiscertainlymoreeuphonious。Fromkurumanaturallycomeskurumayaforthekurumarunner。
OfteninthelatermonthsofmyresidenceinJapan，whenI
askededucatedJapanesequestionsconcerningtheirhistory，religions，orancientcustoms，Iwasputoffwiththeanswer，“YoushouldaskMr。Satow，hecouldtellyou。“
Afterseveralmonthsoftravellinginsomeoftheroughestpartsoftheinterior，Ishouldadviseapersoninaveragehealth——
andnoneothershouldtravelinJapan——nottoencumberhimselfwithtinnedmeats，soups，claret，oranyeatablesordrinkables，exceptLiebig’sextractofmeat。
{5}Ivisitedthistemplealonemanytimesafterwards，andeachvisitdeepenedtheinterestofmyfirstimpressions。Thereisalwaysenoughofchangeandnoveltytopreventtheinterestfromflagging，andthemild，butprofoundlysuperstitious，formofheathenismwhichprevailsinJapanisnowherebetterrepresented。
Thelistofmyequipmentsisgivenasahelptofuturetravellers，especiallyladies，whodesiretotravellongdistancesintheinteriorofJapan。Onewickerbasketisenough，asI
afterwardsfound。
{Myfears，thoughquitenaturalforaladyalone，hadreallynojustification。Ihavesincetravelled1200milesintheinterior，andinYezo，withperfectsafetyandfreedomfromalarm，andI
believethatthereisnocountryintheworldinwhichaladycantravelwithsuchabsolutesecurityfromdangerandrudenessasinJapan。
InmynorthernjourneyIwasveryfrequentlyobligedtoputupwithroughanddirtyaccommodation，becausethebettersortofhouseswereofthisclass。Iftherearefewsightswhichshockthetraveller，thereismuchevenonthesurfacetoindicateviceswhichdegradeandenslavethemanhoodofJapan。
IadviseeverytravellerintheruderregionsofJapantotakeasimilarstretcherandagoodmosquitonet。Withthesehemaydefyallordinarydiscomforts。
ThiscanonlybetrueofthebehaviourofthelowestexcursionistsfromtheTreatyPorts。
Manyunpleasantdetailshavenecessarilybeenomitted。Ifthereaderrequiresanyapologyforthosewhicharegivenhereandelsewhere，itmustbefoundinmydesiretogivesuchafaithfulpictureofpeasantlife，asIsawitinNorthernJapan，asmaybeacontributiontothegeneralsumofknowledgeofthecountry，and，atthesametime，servetoillustratesomeofthedifficultieswhichtheGovernmenthastoencounterinitsendeavourtoraisemassesofpeopleasdeficientastheseareinsomeofthefirstrequirementsofcivilisation。
Theexcessofmalesoverfemalesinthecapitalis36，000，andinthewholeEmpirenearlyhalfamillion。
Byoneofthese，notfittedupforpassengers，IhavesentoneofmybasketstoHakodate，andbydoingsohavecomeupononeofthevexatiousrestrictionsbywhichforeignersareharassed。ItwouldseemnaturaltoallowaforeignertosendhispersonalluggagefromoneTreatyPorttoanotherwithoutgoingthroughanumberofformalitieswhichrenderitnearlyimpossible，butitwasonlymanagedbyItosendingmineinhisownnametoaJapaneseatHakodatewithwhomheisslightlyacquainted。
Thishospitalislargeandwellventilated，buthasnotasyetsucceededinattractingmanyin-patients；out-patients，speciallysufferersfromophthalmia，areverynumerous。TheJapanesechiefphysicianregardsthegreatprevalenceofthemaladyinthisneighbourhoodastheresultofdamp，thereflectionofthesun’sraysfromsandandsnow，inadequateventilationandcharcoalfumes。
