noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第13章

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XIII。



On　the　Noto　Highway。



On　the　morrow　morning　we　took　the　road　in　kuruma；　the　road　proper；

as　Yejiro　called　it；　for　it　was　the　main　bond　between　Noto　and　the　rest

of　Japan。　　This　was　the　nearest　approach　it　had　to　a　proper　name；

a　circumstance　which　showed　it　not　to　be　of　the　first　importance。　

For　in　Japan；　all　the　old　arteries　of　travel　had　distinctive　names；

the　Nakasendo　or　Mid…Mountain　road；　the　Tokaido　or　Eastern　Sea　road；

and　so　forth。　　Like　certain　other　country　relations；　their　importance

was　due　to　their　city　connections；　not　to　their　own　local　magnitude。　

For；　when　well　out　of　sight　of　the　town；　they　do　not　hesitate　to

shrink　to　anything　but　imposing　proportions。　　In　mid　career　you　might

often　doubt　yourself　to　be　on　so　celebrated　a　thoroughfare。　　But　they

are　always　delightful　to　the　eye；　as　they　wander　through　the　country；

now　bosomed　in　trees　among　the　mountains；　now　stalking　between　their

own　long　files　of　pine；　or　cryptomeria；　across　the　well…tilled　plains。

This　one　had　but　few　sentinels　to　line　it　in　the　open；　but　lost

little　in　picturesqueness　for　its　lack　of　pomp。　　It　was　pretty　enough

to　be　very　good　company　itself。　



It　was　fairly　patronized　by　wayfarers　to　delight　the　soul；　cheerful

bodies；　who；　though　journeying　for　business；　had　plenty　of　time　to　be

happy；　and　radiated　content。　　Take　it　as　you　please；　the　Japanese

people　are　among　the　very　happiest　on　the　face　of　the　globe；　which

makes　them　among　the　most　charming　to　meet。　



Nothing　notable　beyond　such　pleasing　generalities　of　path　and　people

lay　in　our　way；　till　we　came　to　a　place　where　a　steep　and　perfectly

smooth　clay　bank　shot　from　a　spur　of　the　hills　directly　into　the

thoroughfare。　　Three　urchins　were　industriously　putting　this　to　its

proper　use；　coasting　down　it；　that　is；　on　the　seats　of　what　did　them

for　breeches。　　An　over…grown…up　regard　for　my　own　trousers　alone

deterred　me　from　instantly　following　suit。　　No　such　scruples

prevented　my　abetting　them；　however；　to　the　extent　of　a　trifling

bribe　for　a　repetition。　　For　they　had　stopped　abashed　as　soon　as　they

found　they　had　a　public。　　Regardless　of　maternal　consequences；　I　thus

encouraged　the　sport。　　But　after　all；　was　it　so　much　a　bribe　as　an

entrance　fee　to　the　circus；　or　better　yet；　a　sort　of　subsidy　from　an

ex…member　of　the　fraternity？　　Surely；　if　adverse　physical　circumstances

preclude　profession　in　person；　the　next　best　thing　is　to　become　a

noble　patron　of　art。　



From　this　accidental　instance；　I　judged　that　boys　in　Noto　had　about

as　good　a　time　of　it　as　boys　elsewhere；　the　next　sight　we　chanced

upon　made　me　think　that　possibly　women　did　not。　　We　had　hardly　parted

from　the　coasters　on　dry　ground　when　we　met　in　the　way　with　a　lot　of

women　harnessed　to　carts　filled　with　various　merchandise；　which　they

were　toilsomely　dragging　along　towards　Nanao。　　It　was　not　so

picturesque　a　sight　as　its　sex　might　suggest。　　For　though　the　women

were　naturally　not　aged；　and　some　had　not　yet　lost　all　comeliness　of

feature；　this　womanliness　made　the　thing　the　more　appealing。　　Noto

was　evidently　no　Eden；　since　the　local　Adam　had　thus　contrived　to

shift　upon　the　local　Eve　so　large　a　fraction　of　the　primal　curse。

It　was　as　bad　as　the　north　of　Germany。　　The　female　porters　we　had　been

offered　on　the　threshold　of　the　province　were　merely　symptomatic　of

the　state　of　things　within。　　I　wonder　what　my　young　Japanese　friend；

the　new　light；　to　whom　I　listened　once　on　board　ship；　while　he　launched

into　a　diatribe　upon　the　jinrikisha　question；　the　degrading　practice；

as　he　termed　it；　of　using　men　for　horses；I　wonder；　I　say；　what　he

would　have　said　to　this！　　He　was　a　quixotic　youth；　at　the　time

returning　from　abroad；　where　he　had　picked　up　many　new　ideas。

His　proposed　applications　of　them　did　him　great　credit；　more　than

they　are　likely　to　win　among　the　class　for　whom　they　were　designed。

A　cent　and　two　thirds　a　mile；　to　be　had　for　the　running　for　it；　is　as

yet　too　glittering　a　prize　to　be　easily　foregone。　



Of　the　travel　in　question；　we　were　treated　to　forty…three　miles'

worth　that　day；　by　relays　of　runners。　　The　old　men　fell　off

gradually；　to　be　replaced　by　new　ones；　giving　our　advance　the

character　of　a　wave；　where　the　particles　merely　oscillated；　but　the

motion　went　steadily　on。　　The　oscillations；　however；　were　not

insignificant　in　amount。　　Some　of　the　men　must　have　run　their

twenty…five　miles　or　more；　broken　only　by　short　halts；　and　this　at　a

dog…trot；　changed　of　course　to　a　slower　pull　on　bad　bits；　and　when

going　up　hill。　　A　fine　show　of　endurance；　with　all　allowances。

In　this　fashion　we　bowled　along　through　a　smiling　agricultural

landscape；　relieved　by　the　hills　upon　the　left；　and　with　the　faintest

suspicion；　not　amounting　to　a　scent；　of　the　sea　out　of　sight　on　the

right。　　The　day　grew　more　beautiful　with　every　hour　of　its　age。

The　blue　depths　above；　tenanted　by　castles　of　cloud；　granted　fancy

eminent　domain　to　wander　where　she　would。　　Even　the　road　below　gave

free　play　to　its　caprice；　and　meandered　like　any　stream　inquisitively

through　the　valley；　visiting　all　the　villages　within　reach；　after　a

whimsical　fashion　of　its　own。　　All　about　it；　meadows　were　tilling；

and　the　whole　landscape　breathed　an　air　of　well…established　age；　amid

the　lustiness　of　youth。　　The　very　farmhouses　looked　to　have　grown

where　they　stood；　as　indeed　the　upper　part　of　them　had。　　For　from　the

thatch　of　their　roofs；　deep　bedded　in　mud；　sprang　all　manner　of

plants　that　made　of　the　eaves　gardens　in　the　air。　　The　ridgepoles

stood　transformed　into　beds　of　flowers；　their　long　tufts　of　grass

waved　in　the　wind；　the　blossoms　nodding　their　heads　amicably　to　the

passers…by。　　What　a　contented　folk　this　should　be　whose　very　homes

can　so　vegetate！　　Surely　a　pretty　conceit　it　is　for　a　peasantry　thus

to　sleep　every　night　under　the　sod；　and　yet　awake　each　morning　to

life　again！



At　the　threshold　of　Kaga　we　turned　abruptly　to　the　left；　and　attacked

the　pass　leading　over　into　Etchiu。　　As　we　wound　our　way　up　the　narrow

valley；　day　left　the　hollows　to　stand　on　rosy　tiptoe　on　the　sides　of

the　hills；　the　better　to　take　flight　into　the　clouds。　　There　it

lingered　a　little；　folding　the　forests　about　with　its　roseate　warmth。　

Even　the　stern　old　pines　flushed　to　the　tips　of　their　shaggy　branches；

while　here　and　there　a　bit　of　open　turned　a　glowing　cheek　full　to　the

good…night　kiss　of　the　sun。　　And　over　beyond　it　all　rose　the　twilight

bow；　in　purplish　insubstantiality　creeping　steadily　higher　and

higher；　above　the　pine…clad　heights。　



I　reached　the　top　before　the　jinrikisha；　and　as　a　sort　of　reward　of

merit　scrambled　a　little　farther　up　the　steep　slope　to　the　left。　

From　here　I　commanded　the　pass；　especially　that　side　of　it　I　had　not

come　up。　　The　corkscrew　of　the　road　carried　the　eye　most　pleasingly

down　with　it。　　I　could　see　a　teahouse　a　few　hundred　feet　below；　and

beyond　it；　at　a　much　lower　level；　a　bridge。　　Beyond　this　came　a

comparatively　flat　stretch；　and　then　the　road　disappeared　into　a

gorge。　　Here　and　there　it　was　pointed　with　people　toiling　slowly　up。　

Of　the　encircling　hills　the　shoulders　alone　were　visible。　　While　I

was　still　surveying　the　scene；　the　jinrikisha　men；　one　after　the

other；　emerged　from　the　gulf　out　of　sight　on　the　right　and　proceeded

to　descend　into　the　one　on　the　left。　　When　the　last　had　well　passed；

and　I　had　tickled　myself　with　the　sense　of　abandonment；　I　scrambled

back；　took　a　jump　into　the　road　and　slipped　down　after　them。　　The

last　had　waited　for　me　at　the　teahouse；　and　stowing　me　in　started　to

rattle　down　the　descent。　　The　road；　unlike　us；　seemed　afraid　of　its

own　speed；　and　brought　itself　up　every　few　hundred　feet　with　a　round

turn。　　About　each　of　these　we　swung；　only　to　dash　down　the　next　bend；

and　begin　the　oscillation　over　again。　　The　men　were　in　fine　excitement；

and　kept　up　a　shouting　out　of　mere　delight。　　In　truth　we　all　enjoyed

the　dissipated　squandering　in　a　few　minutes　of　the　energy　of　position

we　had　so　laboriously　gained　by　toiling　up　the　other　side。　　Over　the

bridge　we　rattled；　bowled　along　the　level　stretch；　and　then　into　the

gorge　and　once　more　down；　till　in　another　ten　minutes　the　last　fall

had　shot　us　out　into　the　plain　with　mental　momentum　enough　to　carry

us　hilariously　into　Imaisurugi；　where　we　put　up　for　the　night。　



At　breakfast　the　next　morning　the　son　of　the　house；　an　engaging　lad；

presented　me　with　an　unexpected　dish；　three　fossil　starfish　on　a

platter。　　They　were　found；　he　said；　in　numbers；　on　the　sides　of　the

hill　hard　by；　a　fact　which　would　go　to　prove　that　this　part　of　Japan

has　been　making　in　later　geologic　time。　　Indeed；　I　take　it　the　better

part　of　Etchiu　has　thus　been　cast　up　by　the　sea；　and　now　lies　between

its　semicircle　of　peaks　and　its　crescent　of　beach；　like　a　young　moon

in　the　western　sky；　a　new　bay　of　ricefield　in　the　old　bay's　arms。

We　had　come　by　way　of　its　ocean　terminator　along　its　fringe　of　sand；

we　were　now　to　cross　its　face。　



As　we　pulled　out　from　the　town　and　entered　the　great　plain　of

paddyfields　it　was　like　adventuring　ourselves　in　some　vast　expanse　of

ocean；　cut　up　only　by　islets　of　trees。　　So　level　the　plain　and　so

still　the　air　on　this　warm　May　morning；　the　clumps　shimmered　in

mirage　in　the　distance　like　things　at　sea。　　Farmhouses　and　peasants

at　work　in　the　fields　loomed　up　as　ships；　past　which　we　slowly　tacked

and　then　dropped　them　out　of　sight　behind。　　And　still　no　end　of　the

same　infinite　level。　　New　clumps　rose　doubtfully　afar；　took　on　form

and　vanished　in　their　turn。　　Our　men　rolled　along　at　a　good　six…knot

gait；　and　mile　went　to　join　mile　with　little　perceptible　effect　on

the　surroundings。　　Only　the　misty　washes　of　the　mountains；　glistening

in　spots　with　snow；　came　out　to　the　south　and　then　swung　slowly　round

like　the　sun　himself。　　Occasionally；　we　rolled　into　a　village　of

which　I　duly　inquired　the　distance　from　the　last　known　point。　　One　of

these；　Takaoka；　was　a　very　large　place　and　stretched　a　mile　or　more

along　the　road；　with　ramifications　to　the　side。　



At　last　we　neared　some　foothills　which　we　crossed　by　a　baby　pass；　and

from　the　farther　side　looked　off　against　the　distant　Tateyama　range。　

Descending　again；　another　stretch　of　plain　brought　us　to　Toyama；

the　old　feudal　capital　of　the　province。　　It　is　still　a　bustling　town；

and　does　a　brisk　business；　I　was　told；　in　patent　medicine；　which　is

hawked　over　Japan　generally　and　cures　everything。　　But　the　former

splendor　of　the　place　has　left　it　forever。　　The　rooms　in　the　inn；

where　neighboring　daimyos　were　wont　to　rest　on　their　journeys

through；　are　still　superb　with　carving；　lacquer　and　paintings；　but　no

daimyo　will　ever　again　hold　his　traveling　court　before　their　tokonoma。

The　man　perchance　may　again　tarry　there；　but　the　manner　of　it　all　has

gone　to　join　the　past。　　Now　he　who　wills　may　ensconce　himself　in　the

daimyo's　corner；　a