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Tues. 23  

Nikko Waterfall.

[[strikethrough]] February 15 [[/strikethrough]]

two hundred suicides yearly committed there, and it was both awful & fascinating, in the midst of this indescribable beauty, to see - in the swirling depth of a whirlpool at the foot of the mts - the latest suicide - a nude male body infinitely graceful looking, fantastically alive, turning with slow graceful movements of the head, hands & legs, in rythm with the swirling waters in an unforgettable 'Danse macabre'.

Returning thru the tunnel cut in the mountain & ascending in the elevator, also seeing them in - we again took the bus for return to see the Buddhist Shrines. just stopping for luncheon specially prepared for the Delegation, by the Priest, in the guest house of the Shrine. Traditionally, we all had to remove our shoes before entering. The house is built a large square room with moving partitions & a small narrow hallway



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[[image]] front of Japanese house [[/image]]A rock garden window the length of entire house  hallway all around 
stairs, front

On right side of hallway - rest rooms.

[[strikethrough]] February 16 [[/strikethrough]]
Tues. 23

extending all around it. The entire space of the house was used & mats (cushions placed around the room in double squares. [[image]] Tray was placed in front of each mat containing unusual delicacies the priest himself had prepared. Beside each tray a wooden box, prettily wrapped, also containing varieties of differently wrapped rice, the arrangement lovely in design called norimaki. To end it a bowl of hot vegetables served in red lacquer bowls called soup with Koynako. I specially liked the fried custard beans with sugar called Shinododeshi.

The priest, a serious, mild looking man, named Eikai Sugawara & whose title is the Right Reverend, Lord Abbot of Rinnoji, Nikko, greeted the delegation & welcomed them in a quiet voice that barely could be heard. The hospitality was kind and completely unobtrusive. At the end of the meal, a little metal stand on wooden