Kanagawa

“ Every train is crowded, especially on Sundays; and the pilgrims bound for the capital from Mount Fuji or Oyama, hail the foreign engine and train waiting for them at Kanagawa as a godsend and a saving of many hours of weary travelling and, what is more important, much cash. The childish delight of the natives at being rattled over the ground at twenty miles an hour is ludicrous; and although the novelty has worn off, there are still numbers who simply travel up and down the line for the sake of the sensation. ”

“ Leaving Yokohama, the train crosses the spit of land connecting the settlement with the promontory known as Kawasaki Point, passes through the pleasure part of the town—a sort of suburb, consisting entirely of large tea-houses and places of entertainment, and stops at the first station, Kanagawa. ”

“ From Kanagawa the railway passes under the great road, and enters a broad fertile plain ablaze with many tinted crops, fringed on the left hand by a picturesque range of hills, and bounded on the right by the sea. The peasants are becoming accustomed to the sight of the locomotive and its string of carriages, and rarely stop on their path or rest from their work to gaze at what was but a few months back a wonderful phenomenon. ”

“ This morning the native population of Kanagawa and Yokohama became greatly excited over the appearance in the Bay of a huge three-decked ship with painted ports and a great swarm of men on board. It turned out to be the English transport Conqueror, which brings 530 marines to be stationed in Yokohama. ”

“ News comes from Yedo to the effect that yesterday the Shōgun's Government ordered Sakai Saemon-no-jo to summon the Chōshiu samurai to surrender and deliver up their yashiki and their persons to him. The demand was peacefully complied with. The late Governor of Kanagawa, Gohara Isaburo, and another officer have been appointed Ometsuke, and ordered to Europe to settle about the Convention with France, signed by the late ambassadors, Ikeda and Kawadzu-Izu-no-kami.
The green-coated soldiers have arrested an outlaw who was testing dynamite in the neighbourhood of Kanagawa. ”

“ By virtue of the treaties Kanagawa had been at first fixed upon for the residence of Europeans, but, lying on the Tôkaidô, or principal highway between Yedo and Kiôto, it was only too well calculated to afford occasion for collision between the armed followers of the Japanese nobles and the foreign settlers. Early in the day the Tycoon's government sought to avoid this difficulty by erecting a Custom House and rows of wooden bungalows at the fishing village of Yokohama, across the shallow bay to the south. ”

“ It is only such men as he, men who experienced the horrors of our downfall to the bitter end, who could lead us to victory—such men as Dayton and Winstanley.
[1] Perry, the American commodore, with a fleet of only eight ships, forced Japan to sign the agreement of Kanagawa, opening the chief harbors in Japan to American trading-vessels, in the year 1854. ”

“ Your Lordships, the Tokugawa has admitted barbarians within the realm of the divine ancestors. They are now upsetting all our time-honored customs at Kanagawa, and demand admittance at Hyogo. Your humble servant has dwelt for six weeks among them. I desired to study them, because I was anxious [Pg 143] to know if their unhallowed presence foreboded evil to our country. I am convinced that it does. The five relations [78] upon which our social system rests are disregarded and set at nought by them. They respect nothing we respect. ”

“ We have just committed an act of vigour. In place of going into the harbour of Kanagawa where Count Putiatine is at anchor, I have determined to proceed to a point several miles higher up nearer to Yeddo. We completely foil by our audacity all the poor Japanese officials. I have said nothing of the bazaar of Simoda, where there were a great many pretty things, of which I bought some, nor of a visit which the Governor paid to me. ”

“ The very proximity of Kanagawa to the Tōkaidō, which led foreigners to prefer it when the treaties were made, proved to be an objection in the disordered times that followed. On this account Yokohama rapidly rose to the importance which it still holds.279.The word means Curtain Government, in reference to the curtain with which the camp of a general was surrounded. The term is equivalent to Military Government, and is used to designate the shōgun's as distinguished from the emperor's court.280.See The Life of Ii Naosuke, by Shimada Saburo, Tōkyō, 1888 ”

“ What do you mean?” exclaimed Hattori.
[Pg 22] “Where is Yokohama?” asked Kano.
Ito replied first to the question of his host.
“Yokohama is a little distance from the Tokaido, [33] near Kanagawa, the last post station at this side of Yedo.” Then, turning toward Hattori, he continued:—“Yes; the new treaty permits them to buy land and to build houses.”
“But,” said Hattori, aghast, “that means that Japan is invaded. These foreign devils have come with their fire ships and guns, and by threats have accomplished their purpose. What has become of the Tokugawa? ”

“ As foreign trade has nearly ruined us, and as fortifications and numerous other unforeseen expenses are deemed necessary in all the parts which have been opened to barbarians, we not only demand that the new ports Osaka, Neëgata, and Yedo shall not be opened, but that Kanagawa be closed. ”

“ Niigata, on the 1st of January, 1860; Hyogo, on the 1st of January, 1863.
... Six months after the opening of Kanagawa, the port of Shimoda shall be closed as a place of residence and trade for American citizens. ”

“ A film of mist covers everything, wall-paper loosens, glued things fall apart, and humanity wilts.
Yokohama has its divisions—the Settlement, the Bluff, and Japanese Town—each of which is a considerable place by itself. The Settlement, or region originally set apart by the Japanese in 1858 for foreign merchants, was made by filling in a swampy valley opening to the Bay. This Settlement, at first separated from the Tokaido and the Japanese town of Kanagawa, has become the centre of a surrounding Japanese population of over eighty thousand. ”

“ The only great concourses of armed [34] men which the foreign residents were in the way of seeing were the Daimio processions, which, hundreds, sometimes thousands strong, were constantly travelling along the highroad; and in the long town of Kanagawa they could observe the people prostrated by the sides of the road with heads abased while the great man with his scowling retainers passed. ”

“ Soldiers, coolies, and low-class women seem to compose the street population of this suburb; whilst every other house is either a 'rowdy' tea-house or a 'buvette' of the commonest type. Equestrians and pedestrians therefore, if Europeans, may look out for a repetition of the scowls and abuse of Kanagawa. Leaving the station, and proceeding towards the terminus within the city gates, the train passes the temple, formerly the seat of the British Legation, where the murderous attack was made by hired bravoes of the anti-European party in Japan on Sir Rutherford Alcock and suite, some years back. ”

“ Tokio, or the old city of Yeddo, is situated near the head of Yeddo Bay, but a few miles from Yokohama, and but little farther from Uraga where the first reception to Commodore Perry was given. Among the other more important cities on the sea coast are Nagasaki, Yokohama, Hakodate, Hiogo, Ozaka, Hiroshima, and Kanagawa.
Nagasaki is situated on the southwest coast of the island of Kiushiu, and is built in the form of an amphitheater. The European quarter in the east, stands upon land reclaimed from the sea at considerable labor and expense. ”

“ There is not a house in the town whose occupants have arranged this attic with windows and stairways to make it a pleasant room; a few such were, however, seen near the capital, at Kanagawa, and in its vicinity.
“The roofs of all the best buildings are hipped, and covered with bluish tiling, each tile being about eight inches square, shaped somewhat like a wedge; the thick side is so made that, when laid on the rafters, it laps sideways over the thin edge of the adjoining tile in the next row, and thus forms gutters somewhat like the Chinese roofs. ”

“ After passing across the moat, they came to the great highway and turned eastward. When the sun rose they had covered ten miles, and decided to stop for breakfast at the first yadoya [47] they should see.
After six days’ traveling without meeting any adventure, although they had met several ruffian-looking rônin, they approached Hyogo. They had carefully discussed their plans and decided to take passage in some trading junk, bound for Yedo or Kanagawa. If they could not do so, they would hire a boat. Kano had been many times along this road, in charge of Mori’s procession, and knew Hyogo well. ”

“ It happened just before the time when we were dismissed for the day, and I found Teraji waiting for me. He told me that he wished to speak to me right after supper, and I knew at once that my sword would be required. So I hastened to Kanagawa, and had no difficulty in securing speech with you. After you had given me my swords, I told you to be at our yashiki here the next day, and returned to the yadoya, where I found Teraji, standing motionless in the shadow of a house. ”

“ While a Daimio is not permitted to add to his territories [219] by purchase or marriage, these may be increased at the will and by the favor of the Shiogoon, or they may be diminished by his fiat. While, if any officer has been thought deserving of a little punishment, he may be desired to build a fort or a bridge, or make a road, or do something which shall benefit the country, and at the same time act as a pecuniary fine upon the person upon whom the honor is conferred.—The fort at Kanagawa was built in this way. ”

“ Then, too, they are more eager after novelty because of having been kept in ignorance by the stringent laws against foreigners; and they have been taught that they are beneath laws.
Such is the intense curiosity of the Japanese character, and the great rush to gratify it, that at one time, before the signing of the treaty, there was as many as seventy thousand people from all parts of the country, congregated in Kanagawa and its im261mediate vicinity, eager to get a look at our ships, and endeavoring to get aboard. ”

“ To the northward of Treaty point, and N. N. W. from Cape Kami-Saki, distant fourteen miles, is Yokuhama bay. To reach this anchorage, bring the wooded bluff which terminates the high land on372 the north side of the bay to bear N. by W. 1⁄2 W., and steer for it until Treaty point bears S. W. by S.— (this clears the spit off the point) ; then haul up about N. W. by N. for the bluff over the town of Kanagawa, and anchor in five and a half or six fathoms, with the Haycock just open to the eastward of Mandarin bluff. Mandarin is the steep bluff a mile to the northward of Treaty point. ”

“ Only members of the Tokugawa clan were permitted to serve the Shogun. But this did not prevent the Council from profiting by the wisdom of Kano the Councillor, and it was to secure this benefit that he, Sawa, had been directed to reside in the clan.”
Kano bowed, and replied. “It is a very great honor, indeed, and, no doubt, well deserved by such an able man as my guest. Pray, make yourself at home in the clan. You will find every Choshiu gentleman glad to receive a samurai from the capital, where he has advantages to learn manners which we in the country do not possess. ”

“ We place him at the beginning of Japanese pictorial art, for, though the logic of evolution would be better consulted by putting him at the climax of an epoch, the fact is that we can only infer the existence of his predecessors. Their names [1] alone are known, and we may fairly call Kanaoka the father of the various schools to which the term “classical” is usually applied, though he can not be justly regarded as the “founder” of any school, since he did but transmit the inspiration emanating from the Tang masters. ”

“ Kano resumed suddenly, with a slightly elevated voice:
“Aye, the divine ancestors must be placated, peace must be restored within the sacred walls of the Gosho, but the barbarians must be expelled before it can be accomplished. Hark ye! my lords. Myriads of samurai have come to this capital, and there is but one shout: Sonno-Joï! Revere the Emperor! Expel the foreigners! The breeze from the ocean gently fans our cheeks, so long as the gods look placidly down, while we, their humble servants, pay them our dues in respectful homage. But sometimes we fail in our duty. ”

“ Kanaya and his sister often pay me an evening visit, and, with Brunton’s map on the floor, we project astonishing routes to Niigata, which are usually abruptly abandoned on finding a mountain-chain in the way with never a road over it. The life of these people seems to pass easily enough, but Kanaya deplores the want of money; he would like to be rich, and intends to build a hotel for foreigners.
The only vestige of religion in his house is the kamidana, or god-shelf, on which stands a wooden shrine like a Shintô temple, which contains the memorial tablets to deceased relations. ”

“ His mother, a venerable old lady, and his sister, the sweetest and most graceful Japanese woman but one that I have seen, live with him. She moves about the house like a floating fairy, and her voice has music in its tones. A half- witted servant-man and the sister's boy and girl complete the family. Kanaya is the chief man in the village, and is very intelligent and apparently well educated. ”