CHARMING NIKKO.
Many hundreds of years ago one of the Tycoons, as the Emperors of Japan were once called, sent one of his retainers to look for a burial-place in Japan for his father, who had just died. The retainer, after having looked for a long time found a barren place which was, however, very beautiful, and seemed suitable to him for an Emperor's burial-place. He planted there an avenue of trees now called the "Tokaido," and after many years Nikko was founded.
This is one of the most beautiful country-places, about seven hours in the railway from Yokohama. It is a lovely place in the mountains, about 3500 feet above the level of the sea, famous for its scenery and lovely temples. Many people go only to see these magnificent buildings. There is something so lonely, so mysterious, around these temples situated in damp low ground! Around these holy places grow huge cryptomerias, a kind of fir-tree, the stems covered with moss and climbing plants; altogether they are very beautiful to look at.
The interior of the temples is even more lovely and grand than the outside. The walls are decorated with valuable old carvings and glistening lacquer. Even the floors are sometimes lacquer, and here and there in some temples are images of gods entirely of gold. There is said to be one temple in Nikko wholly covered with gold. One other thing so lovely in Nikko is the abundance of running water and cascades. One cannot go out of hearing of the constant rushing and rippling of water. If you see this water, you will notice that it is as clear as crystal.
There are no hot springs in Nikko as there are in other Japanese country-places. Instead, all are icy cold. People are often tempted to drink this water, as it is so clear, but it is not so clean as it looks, because the Japanese wash all their pots and pans in it. There are also many pretty water-falls in Nikko. The "Kirifuri," which means "the beautiful mist," is the biggest and grandest. This water-fall falls about forty feet over stones into a rocky basin which leads into the little and wild river "Diagawa," which flows through the whole of Nikko. The way down to the water-fall is very steep and rocky, but on the damp rocky walls on both sides grows a kind of maiden-hair fern.
The "Urami" water-fall is the next in size and beauty. Before you get to this one you come to some tea-houses, where you are supposed to rest and take refreshments. Here the wild river comes rushing past. To get to the water-fall you must go through a kind of ravine which is very beautiful and rocky. One side of this is a damp wall overgrown with all sorts of climbing plants and beautiful moss. Moss, by-the-way, is another thing for which Nikko is famous. The Urami fall rushes down in three cascades, one on each side of the big one. You are able to go behind the big one so you can see it rushing in front of you.
The "Red Lacquered or Sacred Bridge" is another wonder of Nikko, and is known all over Japan. It is made entirely of red lacquer, and anybody who walks on it, except the Mikado, is shot! It is only unlocked when he is in the place. As lovely as Nikko is in summer-time, when all the various flowers are in blossom, it is even more lovely in autumn. Then the foliage takes the prettiest colors; the Japanese maple is wonderfully beautiful with its dark and light red or green shades. Nikko is a place which I should advise any one who comes to Japan to visit. I am sure he would be well paid for the tiresome journey there.
Cecile Rogers.