noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第3章

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sentiment？　　Both　are　so　subtly　busy　canonizing　the　past；　and　crowning

with　aureoles　very　every…day　things　as　well　as　very　ordinary　people。　

Not　men　alone　take　on　a　sanctity　when　they　are　no　more。　







III。　



The　Usui　Pass。



The　first　object　to　catch　my　eye；　when　the　shoji　were　pushed　apart；

the　next　morning；　was　a　string　of　the　ubiquitous　paper　fish；　dangling

limp　in　the　motionless　May　air　from　a　pole　in　a　neighboring　yard；

highly　suggestive　of　having　just　been　caught　for　breakfast。　　The

sight　would　have　been　painfully　prophetic　but　for　the　food　we　had

brought　with　us；　for；　of　all　meals；　a　Japanese　breakfast　is　the　most

cold；　the　most　watery；　and　the　most　generally　fishy　in　the　world。

As　it　was；　breakfast　consisted　of　pathetic　copies　of　consecrated

originals。　　It　might　have　been　excellent　but　for　the　canned　milk。　



No　doubt　there　are　persons　who　are　fond　of　canned　milk；　but；　for　my

part；　I　loathe　it。　　The　effect　of　the　sweetish　glue　upon　my　inner　man

is　singularly　nauseating。　　I　have　even　been　driven　to　drink　my

matutinal　coffee　in　all　its　after…dinner　strength　rather　than

adulterate　it　with　the　mixture。　　You　have；　it　is　true；　the　choice　of

using　the　stuff　as　a　dubious　paste；　or　of　mixing　it　with　water　into　a

non…committal　wash；　and；　whichever　plan　you　adopt；　you　wish　you　had

adopted　the　other。　　Why　it　need　be　so　unpalatably　cloying　is　not

clear　to　my　mind。　　They　tell　me　the　sugar　is　needed　to　preserve　the

milk。　　I　never　could　make　out　that　it　preserved　anything　but　the

sugar。　Simply　to　see　the　stuff　ooze　out　of　the　hole　in　the　can　is

deterrent。　　It　is　enough　to　make　one　think　seriously　at　times　of

adding　a　good　milch　cow　to　his　already　ample　trip　encumberment；　at

the　certain　cost　of　delaying　the　march；　and　the　not　improbable　chance

of　being　taken　for　an　escaped　lunatic。　　Indeed；　to　the　Japanese　mind；

to　be　seen　solemnly　preceding　a　caravan　of　cattle　for　purposes　of

diet　would　certainly　suggest　insanity。　　For　cows　in　Japan　are　never

milked。　　Dairy　products；　consequently；　are　not　to　be　had　on　the　road；

and　the　man　who　fancies　milk；　butter；　or　cheese　must　take　them　with

him。　



It　used　to　be　the　same　in　Tokyo；　but　in　these　latter　days　a　dairy　has

been　started　at　Hakone；　which　supplies　fresh　butter　to　such　Tokyoites

as　like　it。　　One　of　my　friends；　who　had　been　many　years　from　home；

was　much　taken　with　the　new　privilege；　and　called　my　attention　to　it

with　some　pride。　　The　result　was　a　colorless　lardy　substance　that

looked　like　poor　oleomargarine　（not　like　good　oleomargarine；　for　that

looks　like　butter）；　but　which　was　held　in　high　esteem；　nevertheless。

My　friend；　indeed；　seriously　maintained　to　me　once　that　such　was　the

usual　color　of　fresh　butter；　and　insisted　that　the　yellow　hue　common

elsewhere　must　be　the　result　of　dyes。　　He　was　so　positive　on　the

point　that　he　almost　persuaded　me；　until　I　had　left　him　and　reason

returned。　　It　took　me　some　time　to　recover　from　the　pathos　of　the

thing：　a　man　so　long　deprived　of　that　simple　luxury　that　he　had　quite

forgotten　how　it　looked；　and　a　set　of　cows　utterly　incapable；　from

desuetude；　of　producing　it　properly。　



After　I　had　duly　swallowed　as　much　as　I　could　of　the　doubtful　dose

supposed　to　be　cafe　au　lait；　the　cans　were　packed　up　again；　and　we

issued　from　the　inn　to　walk　a　stone's　throw　to　the　train。



Takasaki　stands　well　toward　the　upper　end　of　the　plain；　just　below

where　the　main　body　of　it　thrusts　its　arms　out　into　the　hills。

Up　one　of　these　we　were　soon　wending。　　Every　minute　the　peaks　came

nearer；　frowning　at　us　from　their　crumbling　volcanic　crags。　　At　last

they　closed　in　completely；　standing　round　about　in　threatening

pinnacles；　and　barring　the　way　in　front。　　At　this；　the　train；

contrary　to　the　usual　practice　of　trains　in　such　seemingly　impassable

places；　timidly　drew　up。　



In　truth；　the　railway　comes　to　an　end　at　the　foot　of　the　Usui　toge

（toge；　meaning　〃pass〃）；　after　having　wandered　up；　with　more　zeal　than

discretion；　into　a　holeless　pocket。　　Such　untimely　end　was　far　from

the　original　intention；　for　the　line　was　meant　for　a　through　line

along　the　Nakasendo　from　Tokyo　to　Kioto；　and　great　things　were

expected　of　it。　　But　the　engineering　difficulties　at　this　point；　and

still　more　at　the　Wada　toge；　a　little　farther　on；　proving　too　great；

the　project　was　abandoned；　and　the　through　line　built　along　the

Tokaido　instead。　　The　idea；　however；　had　got　too　much　headway　to　be

stayed。　　So　it　simply　jumped　the　Usui　toge；　rolled　down　the　Shinano

valley；　climbed　another　divide；　and　came　out；　at　last；　on　the　sea　of

Japan。　



The　hiatus　caused　by　the　Usui　pass　is　got　over　by　a　horse　railroad！

Somehow；　the　mere　idea　seemed　comic。　　A　horse　railroad　in　the　heart

of　Japan　over　a　pass　a　mile　high！　　To　have　suddenly　come　upon　the

entire　Comedie　Francaise　giving　performances　in　a　teahouse　at　the　top

could　hardly　have　been　more　surprising。　　The　humor　of　the　thing　was

not　a　whit　lessened　by　its　looks。　



To　begin　with；　the　cars　were　fairly　natural。　　This　was　a　masterly

stroke　in　caricature；　since　it　furnished　the　necessary　foil　to　all

that　followed。　　They　were　not；　to　my　eye；　of　any　known　species；　but；

with　the　exception　of　being　evidently　used　to　hard　lines；　they　looked

enough　like　trams　to　pass　as　such。　　Inside　sat；　in　all　seriousness；

a　wonderful　cageful　of　Japanese。　　To　say　that　they　were　not　to　the　　

horse…car　born　conveys　but　a　feeble　notion　of　their　unnaturalness。　

They　were　propped；　rather　than　seated；　bolt　upright；　with　a　decorum

which　would　have　done　more　than　credit　to　a　funeral。　　They　did　not

smile；　they　did　not　even　stir；　except　to　screw　their　heads　round　to

stare　at　me。　　They　were　dummies　pure　and　simple；　and　may　pass　for　the

second　item　in　the　properties。　



The　real　personnel　began　with　the　horses。　These　were　very　sorry…looking

animals；　but　tough　enough　admirably　to　pull　through　the　performance。　

Managing　them　with　some　difficulty　stood　the　driver　on　the　front

platform；　arrayed　in　a　bottle…green　livery；　with　a　stiff　military　cap

which　gave　him　the　combined　look　of　a　German　officer　and　of　a

musician　from　a　street　band。　　His　energy　was　spent　in　making　about

three　times　as　much　work　for　himself　as　was　needed。　　On　the　tail　of

the　car　rode　the　guard；　also　notably　appareled；　whose　importance

outdid　even　his　uniform。　　He　had　the　advantage　of　the　driver　in　the

matter　of　a　second…class　fish…horn；　upon　which　he　tooted　vigorously

whenever　he　thought　of　it；　and　he　was　not　a　forgetful　man。　



Comedie　Francaise；　indeed！　　Why；　here　it　all　was　in　Japanese　farce！

From　the　passivity　of　the　passengers　to　the　pantomime　of　the　driver

and　guard；　it　could　hardly　have　been　done　better；　and　the　actors　all

kept　their　countenances；　too；　in　such　a　surprising　manner。

A　captious　critic　might　have　suggested　that　they　looked　a　thought　too

much　at　the　audience；　but；　on　the　whole；　I　think　that　rather　added　to

the　effect。　　At　all　events；　they　were　excellently　good；　especially

the　guard；　whose　consequential　airs　could　not　have　been　happier　if

they　had　been　studied　for　years。　



There　was　no　end　of　red　tape　about　the　company。　　Though　the　cars　were

some　time　in　starting；　so　that　I　got　well　ahead　of　them；　they　could

not　admit　me　on　the　road；　when　my　baggage　kuruma　turned　out　to　be　too

slow；　because　I　had　not　bought　a　ticket　at　the　office。　　So　I　was

obliged　to　continue　to　tramp　afoot；　solacing　myself　with　short　cuts；

by　which　I　gained　on　them；　to　my　satisfaction；　and　by　which　I　gained

still　more　on　my　own　baggage；　to　my　disgust；　in　that　I　ceased　to　be

near　enough　to　hasten　it。　



I　had　to　wait　for　the　latter　at　the　parting　of　the　ways；　for　the　tram

had　a　brand…new　serpentine　track　laid　out　for　it；　while　the　old　trail

at　this　point　struck　up　to　the　right；　coming　out　eventually　at　a

shrine　that　crowned　the　summit　of　the　pass。　　Horse…railroads　not

being　as　new　to　me　as　to　the　Japanese；　I　piously　chose　the　narrow　way

leading　to　the　temple；　to　the　lingering　regret　of　the　baggage

trundlers；　who　turned　sorry　eyes　down　upon　the　easier　secular　road　at

every　bend　in　our　own。



A　Japanese　pass　has　one　feature　which　is　invariable：　it　is　always

longer　than　you　think　it　is　going　to　be。　　I　can；　of　my　own

experience；　recall　but　two　exceptions　to　this　distressing　family

likeness；　both　of　which　were　occasions　of　company　which　no　doubt

forbade　proper　appreciation　of　their　length；　and　vitiates　them　as

scientific　observations。　　When　toiling　up　a　toge　I　have　been　tempted

to　impute　acute　ascentomania　to　the　Japanese　mind；　but　sober　second

thought　has　attributed　this　inference　to　an　overheated　imagination。　

It　seems　necessary；　therefore；　to　lay　the　blame　on　the　land；　which；

like　some　people；　is　deceptive　from　very　excess　of　uprightness。　

There　is　so　much　more　soil　than　can　possibly　be　got　in　by　simple

directness　of　purpose；　or　even　by　one；　more　or　less　respectable；

slope。　



It　was　cold　enough　at　the　summit　to　cool　anything；　imaginary　or

otherwise。　　Even　devotion　shivered；　as；　in　duty　bound；　it　admired　the

venerable　temple　and　its　yet　more　venerable　tree。　　The　roofs　of　the

chalets　stood　weighted　with　rocks　to　keep　them　there；　and　the　tree；

raised　aloft　on　its　stone…girded　parapet；　stretched　bare　branches

imploringly　toward　the　sky。　　So　much　for　being　a　mile　or　so　nearer

heaven；　while　still　of　the　earth　and　earthy。　



Half…way　down　the　descent；　Asamayama　came　out　from　behind　the　brow　of

a　hill；　sending　his　whiffs　of　smoke　dreamily　into　the　air；　and　a

little　lower　still；　beyond　a　projecting　spur　on　the　opposite　side；

the　train　appeared；　waiting　in　the　plain；　with　its　engine　puffing　a

sort　of　antiphonal　response。　　The　station　stood　at　the　foot　of　the

tramway；　which　tumbled　to　it　after　the　manner　of　a　cascade　over　what

looked　to　be　a　much　lower　pass；　thus　apparently　supporting　the　theory

of　〃supererogatory　climb。〃　The　baggage　passed　on；　and　Yejiro　and　I

followed　leisurely；　admiring　the　view。　



Either　the　old　trail　failed　to　connect　with　the　railway　terminus；

which　I　suspect；　or　else　we　missed　the　path；　for　we　had　to　supply　a

link　ourselves。　　This　resulted　in　a　woefully　bad　cut　across　a

something　between　a　moor　and　a　bog；　supposed　to　be　drained　by

ditches；　most　of　which　lay　at　right　angles　to　our　course。　　We　were

not　much　helped；　half…way　over；　by　a　kindly　intentioned　porter；　who

dawned　upon　us　suddenly　in　the　distance；　rushing　excitedly　out　from

behind　the　platform；　gesticulating　in　a　startling　way　and　shouting

that　time　was　up。　　We　made　what　sorry　speed　was　possible　under　the

circumstances；　getting　very　hot　from　exertion；　and　hotter　still　from

anxiety；　and　then　waited　impatiently　ten　good　minutes　in　our　seats　in

the　railway　carriage　for　the　train　to　start。　　I　forget　whether　I

tipped　that　well…meaning　but　misguided　man。　



The　tram　contingent　had　already　arrived；had　in　fact　finished

feeding　at　the　many　mushroom　teahouses　gathered