CHAPTER XVII. 
Excursion to Asamayama—The Nakasendo road—Takasaki—Difificulty of 
obtaining quarters for the night—The Baths at Ikalio—Massage in 
Japan—Swedish matches—Travelling in Kago —Savavatari—Criminals 
—Kusatsu—The Hot Springs and their healing power-—Rest at Roku- 
riga-hara—The summit of Asamayama—The descent—Journey over 
Usui-toge—Japanese actors—Pictures of Japanese folk-life—Return 
to Yokohama. 
On the 28th September, early in the morning, accompanied 
by Lieut. Hovgaard, Herr Bavier, an interpreter, and a Japanese 
cook skilled in European cookery, I started on a journey to 
Asamayama. At first we travelled in two very rattling and 
inconvenient carriages, drawn each by a pair of horses, to the 
town Takasaki, situated on the great road “ Nakasendo,” which 
passes through the interior of the country and connects Tokio 
and Kioto. This road is considered something grand by the 
Japanese. In Sweden it would be called an indifferently kept 
district road. On this road jinrikishas are met in thousands, 
and a great many horses, oxen, and men, hearing heavy burdens, 
but with the exception of the posting carriages, by which, for 
some years back, a regular communication between Tokio and 
Takasaki has been kept up, not a single wheeled vehicle drawn 
by horses or oxen; and though the road passes through an 
unbroken series of populous villages, surrounded by well culti¬ 
vated rice fields and small gardens, there is not a single work¬ 
horse or work-ox to be seen. For all the ground in Japan is 
cultivated by the hand, and there are few cattle. 
