68 Extracts from Diary in Japan. 



10,000 feet altitude. It is watered by numerous rivers 

 from these mountains, emptying into the sea. The rivers 

 are some of them wide near the sea, but narrow and 

 more rapid inland ; they abound with trout and salmon — 

 the salmon being local, that is northward, although the 

 salmon trout, a delicate fish with pink flesh, is largely 

 taken in Lake Biwa, near Kobe (southward). The lakes 

 are numerous and extensive. The country near the coast is 

 beautifully wooded with small groves of evergreen and 

 deciduous trees. The features of this portion of the country 

 are striking, the hills running out towards the coast in forms 

 resembling barrows, very steep, with irrigated valleys 

 between — each valley having its stream, or rivulet; the 

 tops and sides of the hills being clothed with trees and 

 bamboo groves, and dotted with farms. The woods are 

 lovely, tinted with every shade of colour in vegetation; the 

 deep green of the cryptomeria and pine, evergreen oaks and 

 other trees, intermixed with golden feathery bamboos, the 

 scarlet, blood-red, and pink maples, the light green of the 

 deciduous oaks, ash, beech, birch, elm, horse and edible 

 chesnuts, &ic. — the latter being a common forest tree. 



The cottages are frequently sheltered by a bamboo grove 

 (the bamboo attaining a height of 60 feet), and have a garden, 

 with plum trees, and lime trees 20 feet high, with their 

 golden fruit and deep green foliage ; persimon of light green 

 foliage and chrome-coloured fruit, resembling golden eggs. 



The parks are lovely, especially Uyeno and the Castle 

 gardens, with its ornamental water and rocky cascades; par- 

 ticularly when the double-blossom cherry and peach are in 

 flower. The cherries grow 50 feet high, and the pines, cryp- 

 tomeria japonica, cephalotaxus, &c., to 80 feet^ casting a deep 

 shade. In many districts avenues of cherries are planted, and 

 thousands of Japanese go to see them in blossom ; it is one 

 of the great holiday sights. Among the early blossoming 

 trees are the wistarias, purple, lilac, and white ; there is also 

 a double blossom purple. The wistaria, or fuji, is one of the 

 greatest favourites, some of them being over 100 years old. 

 The stem is carried up straight and the branches trained 

 overhead on horizontal bamboo trellis, with seats underneath ; 

 one tree will often cover a square of 50 x 50 feet. They are 

 generally planted at the tea houses, for shady lounges ; the 

 tresses of blossom hang through the trellis overhead. In the 

 woods the wistaria is everywhere to be seen, with its beauti- 



