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You are part way up a steep hill above the river Daiya, about a hundred miles north of Tokyo.  The country all around here is beautiful with mountains, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, and tall cryptomeria trees like these you see now dappled with summer sunshine.  A thousand years ago a saintly hermit spent the most of his life up here, fasting and praying and seeing marvelous visions.  Ever since the hermit's day there have been shrines near this spot for the worship of the High Gods, and for centuries devout men have made pious pilgrimages to kneel before the old altars.

Three hundred years ago the greatest military ruler in all Japanese history — the Shogun Ieyasu, died at the end of a long and glorious career.  He was a man of immense military and executive ability, the founder of the splendid feudal system of Japanese government which lasted until fifty years ago.

Now these moss-grown stone stairs that you see climbing the hill side lead up to a magnificent tomb where the old Shogun lies buried.

Miss Scidmore in her "Jinrikisha Days in Japan" says: — "On that velvety green stairway leading to Ieyasu's tomb, I met one day a scholar of fine taste and great culture, a man of distinction in his native West.  'I am overwhelmed with the beauty and magnificence of all this' he said.  'I must concede the greatness of any religion that could provide and preserve this and teach its followers to appreciate it.'

"Afterwards, almost on the same step, a dear missionary friend stopped me, with eyes full of tears.  'Oh!' she sighed 'this fills me with sadness and sorrow.  These emblems and monuments of heathenism!  I see nothing beautiful or admirable in those wicked temples.  They show me how hard it will be to uproot such heathen creeds.  I wish I had not come.'"

(See Fraser's "Letters from Japan," etc.)

From Notes of Travel, No. 9, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood.


Ancient stairway to Ieyasu's tomb;  Nikko, Japan.
Ancien escalier conduisant au tombeau de Ieyasu: Nikko, Japon.
Alte Treppe nach Ieyasu's Grab; Nikko, Japan.
Antigua escalera conduciendo á la tumba de Ieyasu; Nikko, Japón.
Antik trappa till Ieyasu's graf, Nikko, Japan.
Лpeвняя лѣcтницa къ rpoбy Ieюacy, Hиккo, Япoнiя.

Transcription Notes:
French: àâæ éèêë ïî ôœ ùûüÿ ç German: äöüß Spanish: áéíñóúü Swedish: äåéö Russian uppercase: Я Ш Е Р Т Ы У И О П Ю Щ Э А С Д Ф Г Ч Й К Л Ь Ж З Х Ц В Б Н М Ъ Ё Russian lowercase: я ш е р т ы у и о п ю щ э а с д ф г ч й к л ь ж з х ц в б н м ъ ё Japan - Япoнiя