. Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan. large Mia^ or Sintootemples, in Hakodadi, called respectivelythe Sheumei, the Hachiman, and the Pen-ten, dedicated to national deified heroesand gods. They are not in so flourish-ing condition as their competitors, theBuddhist temples, which have gained theascendancy, and are fast absorbing thewhole devotional interests of the Jap-anese people. The Sintoo places of wor-ship are generally got up on a cheaperscale, and are much less resorted have no burying grounds attached,and are not surrounded by any de
. Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan. large Mia^ or Sintootemples, in Hakodadi, called respectivelythe Sheumei, the Hachiman, and the Pen-ten, dedicated to national deified heroesand gods. They are not in so flourish-ing condition as their competitors, theBuddhist temples, which have gained theascendancy, and are fast absorbing thewhole devotional interests of the Jap-anese people. The Sintoo places of wor-ship are generally got up on a cheaperscale, and are much less resorted have no burying grounds attached,and are not surrounded by any defined enclosure. There are, however, sev-eral gateways, with ornaments sculptured on stone spanning the approach,but the area which surrounds the temples is open and the public road passesthrough it. A curator with his family, whose duty it is to keep the idolspolished up and the sacred grounds in a tidy condition, generally resides onor near the premises. The Hachiman house of worship presents a pecu-liarity in its architecture not elsewhere observed, which consists of a pro-. V 516 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. jection from tlie roof like a dormer window, underneath whicli there is auentablature adorned with a few carvings in wood. The effect, in an archi-tectural point of view, is good, as it relieves the blankness of a great ex-panse of roof, and is in harmony with the ornaments of the eaves below. Upon the summits and acclivities of the hills in the neighborhood ofHakodadi, and in niches and small shrines under shadow of groves of cy-press and other trees by the wayside, are frequent stone statues of Buddha,venerable with age and moss-grown, about four feet high, elevated uponsmall pedestals, and the innumerable offerings of copper cash, rags, flowers,and written papers, strewed before them, prove the large number of devoteesand the attention of the people to their devotional duties. The Japaneseresort frequently to these roadside deities, and the higher they are perched,and the mo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookpublisheretcetc, bookyear185
