We also procured a permit to visit the Imperial Palace, which is placed in a large garden like a park. This was spacious, but not so artistic as Nijo; there were many different buildings. We visited several, one known as the Temple of 33,333 Buddhas, and after gazing at the long array of walls and corridors with their ornaments, we accepted the estimate as accurate. One afternoon the great Shinto procession of the year was in progress. We took jinrikishas for quite a long ride, and then arrived at a small suburb of Kyoto, where we had places engaged on the upper gallery of a house. There were great crowds of people, and we waited a long time before the arrival of the first shrine. There were five in all. These shrines were large and ornamental, with a great deal of gilt about them, and they were placed on poles borne upon the shoulders of men. Four other small shrines followed, and before the pageant was over, the afternoon was nearly consumed. This procession was on its way to the great Temple of Inari, several miles distant.
One morning we devoted to visiting two cloisonné studios and some curio shops. The first studio, Nakamura's, was very artistically arranged; one large room encircled a miniature garden laid out in true Japanese style with dwarf trees, rockeries, and a tiny little lake. We saw the whole process of manufacture and it was also explained to us.[7] The specimens were very rare and beautiful. Tea and little cakes were served and great courtesy extended to us. The second studio was similar to this, but a little larger, and again we saw the garden, and again tea was served. Several interesting curio shops were visited, and we then went to the large establishment of Yamanaka, who had fine collections at the Chicago and St. Louis Expositions. We then went over some silk stores, the manufacture of silk being the chief industry; one may purchase all kinds of embroidered goods.
The annual Cherry Blossom Dance—repeated at intervals for one week—occurred at this time. It is preceded by a ceremonial tea. We went at five in the afternoon and were seated around the sides of a large room. Special places were arranged for the pouring of tea, and presently a very pretty Japanese girl appeared and proceeded to heat the water, measure out the tea, put it in the teapot, with many other movements, pouring a little water on it, all in the most deliberate manner, and finally the preliminaries were over, and three pretty little maidens passed the tea around. Another girl in a bright kimono appeared and went through the process again. This was repeated three or four times. We then adjourned to a very large room, like a small theatre, with a gallery at the back, in which we sat. Opposite us was a wide stage, and on either side was arranged a platform about two feet wide, extending the whole length of the room. Here sat the musicians dressed as geisha girls, and the dancers, called Maiko, were also clad in the same manner, with long artistic kimonos and flowers in their hair. The dancers entered and proceeded to the stage; then commenced a slow and measured tread, every movement being graceful. Cherry blossoms were everywhere, even forming the decorations on the wall. Different figures were repeated, but all in that deliberate manner, very little like dancing but more like a devotional exercise. We sat there for about an hour, but cannot truthfully say that we enjoyed the music, as it was somewhat discordant.
Our last day in Kyoto was a very full one. We visited shops in the morning, and in the afternoon went quite a distance to see a historical procession. We were seated in about the same manner as previously described. Those who took part in the procession were geisha girls and novitiates who were to be educated as future geisha girls, their parents giving them over to the instructors at an early age. This was a very interesting pageant. First only one or two would appear in a historical costume of very rich brocade, the hair most elaborately dressed with the ornaments peculiar to that particular period. Next two little girls would appear, also dressed in historical costumes. Then, after a considerable pause, there followed another geisha girl; and thus the procession continued for over an hour. We did not realize until the day following that most of the persons who took part were of questionable morals.
In the evening we attended a Japanese theatre. The play was a historical tragedy called "The Forty-seven Ronans." The stage was well arranged and the action very good; it was far more interesting than the Chinese theatre previously described.
During the week a large Collver party of eighteen arrived at the hotel; they were later to go to North China and by the Trans-Siberian route to Russia. Their Director gave a Japanese dinner in which we were included, Mr. Burton Holmes and his friend being the only other guests present. The dining-room was in the Japanese portion of the hotel, arranged with rugs and draperies covering the hardwood floors in quite an artistic manner, and at the sides were placed cushions on which we were supposed to sit or kneel. The formal exercises were mostly conducted by geisha and Maiko girls, three officiating as musicians, several more dancing, and others serving as attendants. Everything was done in the most measured manner. First, boxes were placed before us containing four articles, all dishes of peculiar concoctions. These were intended, we imagined, for us to look at for a time until the musicians and dancers appeared. The programme was opened with a musical number, which was anything but musical; the dancers then took their positions and went through the usual formal measures. There was more music, then another dance. This was repeated three or four times. The attendant geisha girls were seated at intervals in front of the guests.
At a certain signal the music and dancing ceased, and trays were brought us on which were soup (we imagined the famous bird's-nest), a cup of saké, two more peculiar dishes, and also chopsticks! By this time the kneeling process had become rather painful, and I availed myself of the cup of saké, feeling I needed some stimulant. This was the only refreshment I tried, but some of the party had the courage to experiment further. After some deliberation and a little more converse, we arose from our repast and proceeded to the hotel dining-room, where a substantial dinner was served us at nine o'clock. This was altogether the most unique affair of the week and greatly enjoyed by all. The eight days in Kyoto had flown and we would gladly have remained longer. The atmosphere of the place was so truly of the past, the temples so very interesting, and the quaint customs of the olden times so well retained, that it gave a peculiar charm to the place.
