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of entertainment, mostly of large size, though this fact is less apparent from their standing with their gables towards the street. In few towns in Japan does the architecture present such a solid appearance throughout. A traveller who takes the route from Séki or Yokkaichi would approach the Temples through the town of Yamada, north of the Gékû, and pass through Furuichi after visiting it, on his way to the Naikû. Yamada is also a considerable town, and contains numerous hotels.
The Gékû (Outer-Palace) stands in the midst of a large grove of aged cryptomerias. To reach it from Yamada, the street called Taté machi has to be traversed, and a bridge crossed, which gives access to a wide space enclosed by banks faced with stone. On the right hand side is a building occupied by Kannushi, or attendants of the temple, who are to Shintô what the bonzes are to Buddhism. They keep here for sale pieces of the wood used in the construction of the temple wrapped in paper, small packets of the rice which has been offered to the gods, and various other charm. Close by this building stands the ichi no torii, or first arch-way, which forms the front entrance, and whence a broad road leads through the trees to the Temple. As is the rule in all pure Shintô temples, the torii is of unpainted wood. It consists of two upright trunks planted in the ground, on the tops of which rest a long straight tree whose ends project slightly; underneath this is a smaller horizontal beam, whoso ends do not project.
The torii was originally a perch for the fowls offered up to the gods, not as food, but to give warning of day-break. It was erected on any side of the temple indifferently. In later times, not improbably after the introduction of Buddhism, its original meaning was forgotten; it was placed in front only and supposed to be a gateway. Tablets with inscriptions (gaku) were placed on the torii with this belief,[1] and one of the first things done after the restoration of the Mikado in 1868 in the course of the
- ↑ Vide Vol. VI. p. 2 of the Katahisashi by Saitô Hikomaro.
