There，throughthegoodofficesofthepolice，IwasenabledtoattendaBuddhistfuneralofamerchantofsomewealth。Itinterestedmeverymuchfromitssolemnityanddecorum，andIto’sexplanationsofwhatwentbeforewereremarkablydistinctlygiven。
IwentinaJapanesewoman’sdress，borrowedatthetea-house，withabluehoodovermyhead，andthusescapedallnotice，butIfoundtherestraintofthescanty“tiedforward“kimonoverytiresome。
ItogavememanyinjunctionsastowhatIwastodoandavoid，whichIcarriedoutfaithfully，beingnervouslyanxioustoavoidjarringonthesensibilitiesofthosewhohadkindlypermittedaforeignertobepresent。
Theillnesswasashortone，andtherehadbeennotimeeitherforprayersorpilgrimagesonthesickman’sbehalf。WhendeathoccursthebodyislaidwithitsheadtothenorthapositionthatthelivingJapanesescrupulouslyavoid，nearafoldingscreen，betweenwhichanditanewzenisplaced，onwhichareasaucerofoilwithalightedrush，cakesofuncookedricedough，andasaucerofincensesticks。Thepriestsdirectlyafterdeathchoosethekaimiyo，orposthumousname，writeitonatabletofwhitewood，andseatthemselvesbythecorpse；hiszen，bowls，cups，etc。，arefilledwithvegetablefoodandareplacedbyhisside，thechopsticksbeingputonthewrong，i。e。theleft，sideofthezen。
Attheendofforty-eighthoursthecorpseisarrangedforthecoffinbybeingwashedwithwarmwater，andthepriest，whilesayingcertainprayers，shavesthehead。Inallcases，richorpoor，thedressisoftheusualmake，butofpurewhitelinenorcotton。
AtOmagori，atownnearRokugo，largeearthenwarejarsaremanufactured，whicharemuchusedforintermentbythewealthy；butinthiscasethereweretwosquareboxes，theouteronebeingoffinelyplanedwoodoftheRetinosporaobtusa。Thepoorusewhatiscalledthe“quick-tub，“acoveredtubofpinehoopedwithbamboo。
Womenaredressedforburialinthesilkrobewornonthemarriageday，tabiareplacedbesidethemorontheirfeet，andtheirhairusuallyflowslooselybehindthem。Thewealthiestpeoplefillthecoffinwithvermilionandthepoorestusechaff；butinthiscaseI
heardthatonlythemouth，nose，andearswerefilledwithvermilion，andthatthecoffinwasfilledupwithcoarseincense。
Thebodyisplacedwithinthetuborboxintheusualsquattingposition。Itisimpossibletounderstandhowahumanbody，manyhoursafterdeath，canbepressedintothelimitedspaceaffordedbyeventheoutermostoftheboxes。Ithasbeensaidthattherigidityofacorpseisovercomebytheuseofapowdercalleddosia，whichissoldbythepriests；butthisideahasbeenexploded，andtheprocessremainsincomprehensible。
Banneretsofsmallsizeandornamentalstaveswereoutsidethehousedoor。Twomeninbluedresses，withpaleblueover-garmentsresemblingwingsreceivedeachperson，twomorepresentedalacqueredbowlofwaterandawhitesilkcrepetowel，andthenwepassedintoalargeroom，roundwhichwerearrangedanumberofveryhandsomefoldingscreens，onwhichlotuses，storks，andpeonieswererealisticallypaintedonadeadgoldground。Neartheendoftheroomthecoffin，underacanopyofwhitesilk，uponwhichtherewasaverybeautifularrangementofartificialwhitelotuses，restedupontrestles，thefaceofthecorpsebeingturnedtowardsthenorth。Sixpriests，verymagnificentlydressed，satoneachsideofthecoffin，andtwomorekneltinfrontofasmalltemporaryaltar。
Thewidow，anextremelyprettywoman，squattednearthedeceased，belowthefatherandmother；andafterhercamethechildren，relatives，andfriends，whosatinrows，dressedinwingedgarmentsofblueandwhite。Thewidowwaspaintedwhite；herlipswerereddenedwithvermilion；herhairwaselaboratelydressedandornamentedwithcarvedshellpins；sheworeabeautifuldressofsky-bluesilk，withahaorioffinewhitecrepeandascarletcrepegirdleembroideredingold，andlookedlikeabrideonhermarriagedayratherthanawidow。
Indeed，owingtothebeautyofthedressesandtheamountofblueandwhitesilk，theroomhadafestalratherthanafunereallook。
Whenalltheguestshadarrived，teaandsweetmeatswerepassedround；incensewasburnedprofusely；litaniesweremumbled，andthebustleofmovingtothegravebegan，duringwhichIsecuredaplacenearthegateofthetemplegrounds。
Theprocessiondidnotcontainthefatherormotherofthedeceased，butIunderstoodthatthemournerswhocomposeditwereallrelatives。Theoblongtabletwiththe“deadname“ofthedeceasedwascarriedfirstbyapriest，thenthelotusblossombyanotherpriest，thentenpriestsfollowed，twoandtwo，chantinglitaniesfrombooks，thencamethecoffinonaplatformbornebyfourmenandcoveredwithwhitedrapery，thenthewidow，andthentheotherrelatives。Thecoffinwascarriedintothetempleandlaidupontrestles，whileincensewasburnedandprayersweresaid，andwasthencarriedtoashallowgravelinedwithcement，andprayersweresaidbythepriestsuntiltheearthwasraisedtotheproperlevel，whenalldispersed，andthewidow，inhergayattire，walkedhomeunattended。Therewerenohiredmournersoranysignsofgrief，butnothingcouldbemoresolemn，reverent，anddecorousthanthewholeservice。[Ihavesinceseenmanyfunerals，chieflyofthepoor，and，thoughshornofmuchoftheceremony，andwithonlyoneofficiatingpriest，thedecorumwasalwaysmostremarkable。]Thefeestothepriestsarefrom2upto40or50
yen。Thegraveyard，whichsurroundsthetemple，wasextremelybeautiful，andthecryptomeriaspeciallyfine。Itwasveryfullofstonegravestones，and，likeallJapanesecemeteries，exquisitelykept。Assoonasthegravewasfilledin，alife-sizepinklotusplantwasplaceduponit，andalacquertray，onwhichwerelacquerbowlscontainingteaorsake，beans，andsweetmeats。
ThetempleatRokugowasverybeautiful，and，exceptthatitsornamentsweresuperiorinsolidityandgoodtaste，differedlittlefromaRomishchurch。Thelowaltar，onwhichwereliliesandlightedcandles，wasdrapedinblueandsilver，andonthehighaltar，drapedincrimsonandclothofgold，therewasnothingbutaclosedshrine，anincense-burner，andavaseoflotuses。
ACasualInvitation——ALudicrousIncident——PolitenessofaPoliceman——AComfortlessSunday——AnOutrageousIrruption——A
Atawaysidetea-house，soonafterleavingRokugoinkurumas，ImetthesamecourteousandagreeableyoungdoctorwhowasstationedatInnaiduringtheprevalenceofkak’ke，andheinvitedmetovisitthehospitalatKubota，ofwhichheisjuniorphysician，andtoldItoofarestaurantatwhich“foreignfood“canbeobtained——apleasantprospect，ofwhichheisalwaysremindingme。
Travellingalongaverynarrowroad，Iasusualfirst，wemetamanleadingaprisonerbyarope，followedbyapoliceman。Assoonasmyrunnersawthelatterhefelldownonhisfacesosuddenlyintheshaftsasnearlytothrowmeout，atthesametimetryingtowriggleintoagarmentwhichhehadcarriedonthecrossbar，whiletheyoungmenwhoweredrawingthetwokurumasbehind，crouchingbehindmyvehicle，triedtoscuttleintotheirclothes。Ineversawsuchapictureofabjectnessasmymanpresented。Hetrembledfromheadtofoot，andillustratedthatqueerphraseoftenheardinScotchPresbyterianprayers，“Layourhandsonourmouthsandourmouthsinthedust。“Heliterallygrovelledinthedust，andwitheverysentencethatthepolicemanspokeraisedhisheadalittle，tobowityetmoredeeplythanbefore。Itwasallbecausehehadnoclotheson。Iintercededforhimasthedaywasveryhot，andthepolicemansaidhewouldnotarresthim，asheshouldotherwisehavedone，becauseoftheinconveniencethatitwouldcausetoaforeigner。Hewasquiteanelderlyman，andneverrecoveredhisspirits，but，assoonasaturnoftheroadtookusoutofthepoliceman’ssight，thetwoyoungermenthrewtheirclothesintotheairandgambolledintheshafts，shriekingwithlaughter！
OnreachingShingoji，beingtootiredtogofarther，Iwasdismayedtofindnothingbutalow，dark，foul-smellingroom，enclosedonlybydirtyshoji，inwhichtospendSunday。Onesidelookedintoalittlemildewedcourt，withaslimygrowthofProtococcusviridis，andintowhichthepeopleofanotherhouseconstantlycametostare。Theothersideopenedontheearthenpassageintothestreet，wheretravellerswashtheirfeet，thethirdintothekitchen，andthefourthintothefrontroom。Evenbeforedarkitwasalivewithmosquitoes，andthefleashoppedonthematslikesand-flies。Therewerenoeggs，nothingbutriceandcucumbers。
AtfiveonSundaymorningIsawthreefacespressedagainsttheouterlattice，andbeforeeveningtheshojiwereriddledwithfinger-holes，ateachofwhichadarkeyeappeared。Therewasastill，finerainallday，withthemercuryat82degrees，andtheheat，darkness，andsmellsweredifficulttoendure。Intheafternoonasmallprocessionpassedthehouse，consistingofadecoratedpalanquin，carriedandfollowedbypriests，withcapesandstolesovercrimsonchasublesandwhitecassocks。Thisark，theysaid，containedpapersinscribedwiththenamesofpeopleandtheevilstheyfeared，andthepriestswerecarryingthepaperstothrowthemintotheriver。
Iwenttobedearlyasarefugefrommosquitoes，withtheandon，asusual，dimlylightingtheroom，andshutmyeyes。AboutnineI
heardagooddealofwhisperingandshuffling，whichcontinuedforsometime，and，onlookingup，sawoppositetomeabout40men，women，andchildrenItosays100，allstaringatme，withthelightupontheirfaces。Theyhadsilentlyremovedthreeoftheshojinextthepassage！IcalledItoloudly，andclappedmyhands，buttheydidnotstirtillhecame，andthentheyfledlikeaflockofsheep。Ihavepatiently，andevensmilingly，borneallout-of-
doorscrowdingandcuriosity，butthiskindofintrusionisunbearable；andIsentItotothepolicestation，muchagainsthiswill，tobegthepolicetokeepthepeopleoutofthehouse，asthehouse-masterwasunabletodoso。Thismorning，asIwasfinishingdressing，apolicemanappearedinmyroom，ostensiblytoapologiseforthebehaviourofthepeople，butinrealitytohaveaprivilegedstareatme，and，aboveall，atmystretcherandmosquitonet，fromwhichhehardlytookhiseyes。Itosayshecouldmakeayenadaybyshowingthem！Thepolicemansaidthatthepeoplehadneverseenaforeigner。