Parehed, Blessed, and Properly Thrown they Defeat all Japan's}
The Most Modern Refus Take any CI
Tokyo, Feb, 3.
Once every year, on the third day of the second" month (Gregorian calendar), the spirits of evil that Tark within every Japanese house, from the mansions of the great to the hovels of the lowly, are cere moniously pelted from their hiding places and driven out, while simultaneously the spirits of good fortune fare invited to enter and take up their abode. This rite is pracically universal in Japan, even those who have abandoned the countless gods of their home pantheon to embrace Christianity oF to swagger as agnostics (regarded a3 something very fashionable and "modern") following this age-old custom, for not even modern.
mis reanled as justify taking of any chances of devils famitinrizing themselves withSone's domicile. What docs it is beans, Tittle brown beans, parched and properly blessed. With a handful of these, the most malignant demon may be exorcised, while if the beans are gathered up from from a temple floor, with hundreds of other eager scramblers to contend—with, not even the coyest goddess of good Tuck will it is confidently believed, bulk at one's threshold, but will enter the amain entrance stood a red-robed priests blowing: ight and the writer fell into 1 twenty other official bean-throwers, x Toshi Otoky—Ilonourable New car Men—as they were designated, wend towards the temple, four wart policemen making " way through the dense crowd. Just behind the policemen were (we safe fron-robed priests, while on the!
carrying three-foot high Jazoned with the into a deep and broad hi where more wine was served, piping hot. This time, the group were waited upon by the wives and daughters of the village chlers, ordinary serving-maids being deemed tod indecorous for the sacred edifice, Heaths were ¢x-changed, sake cups went back and quatTingg ax sibilantly as in conformance to the rules the devil-cleansed howe most wil-
Your correspondent received an invitation to be present ax an thorized bean-thrower this year} the Yahushi temple, ishiarai, a village some eight niles from Tokyo. Te was. the sole foreigner amid several thousand Japanese devotees, and the stranger's appearance in an official capacity was obviously quite, an faithful, as it certainly was to him.
The temple, sitated in a little village of vegetable-growers, was approached in a prosaic anil honking Ford, which cloy last few ited alley: way, lined on either side with tem porary booths where were for cole cold oer, hot wasting tigers of painted cotton on skeletons of wire, and paper-michs Dai (the Rouse} god of food luck). Besond, outlined ly: dimly-lighted,—softly-swaying lanterns, loomed the temple, guarded by two grimly grotesque stone lions and flanked by the reddest of red tigers. The taxi drew up in front ofa reatanrant where the visitor was welcomed Tanguage by a don ceremonial not necessary that one it and get beyond his depth. The correct thing to do is to touch it to your lips and then, with a ne the cup, contents and a lacquer bowl of water, sible occasion and the laughter and snatches of song that these "uttered proved the potency of the wine. Food was placed be-Ihe Te was sacred food and fore the guests, but it was not to
wax to be wrapped up and taken came the abbot of the tem small, wizened, ascetic man, Tie purple robes ai with gold em:
and attended by a score gorgeously-attired subordinate priests, With them were acolytes bravely on hand drums ingles. The abbot thanked pany for their attendance and thew invited them to enter the temple proper. 'To the booming of drums, the clash of cymbals, exulting blasts of triumph from' conch-shell horns, the intoning of the priests and' the almost. hysterical shouting of prayers by the gathered multitude, the procession made its entrance, a cleared space having hoon reveryed for the official b throwers on one side of the altar of the stramzer's hat, another a trio unlaced and drew off his Vote, and. then conducted hi to a sort of Huest-room, where dishes of fresh raw fish, cut in trans slices, bear, sake, and all, Then entered the ger had first greeted the stranyer from the top of which a gilt Buddha Loked down contemplatively. The abbot and hia train then filed to the of sacred bells and the soft ies of musical—gongs softly struck, and, falling on his knees, the ablot addressed his sup= plications to Buddhs priest Kisdled a od peanut oil, se altered Fagyots upon a Uronze table, drench.
Stover with inieense and through the Keaping flames passed paper-wrap-wood, on which were Arter these slabs purified throwh fire ned to each the introduction form: alities were over. More vaké and deer in abundance flowed,—while every one fell to with their chopsticks and the studiously polite reserve of a few minutes before gave way to quips and jects, until a bowing priest announced that ceremony was ahunt to begin.
Jers' names were called by a temple and, they mounted a wooden platfonh, backs towards the altar. In front was a soa of faces and the contrast between the eredul ity and Saith written on these and tke joviality and scepticism of the revellers who had been chosen as official bean-throwers was startle ing. Tightly wedged together stood hundreds who had waited patiently, uncomplaininely, hopefully, for hours, while the others had eaten and drunk in what was for Japan luxurious sucrondings. These hundreds—bent old _men and women, weather-beaten field workers, The temple now was ablaze with altar candles and incandescent vitalized factory hands, red-tsted maids of all work, underpaid coun-school teachers, peasant farm ves and halt-grown ren—represented the rank and file Before each thrower en lo stand was a square box full of sacred beans mixed with Tittle scrays of 1 er, each earry= ing @ blessing to whomsoever should secure it when it fluttered through, the alr, The abbot mounted the faced towers the statue of und, holding a box of beans, intoned a prayer and then threw ireetion of the slgome, to. sur homes, good fortune did the same, then all turned tos wards the crowd and threw beans towards the temple entrance, shout Ammediately, pandemonium broke loose amongst' the throng which, had so f been exemplary in its wards each bean-rest of hands was thrust. Th fa surge towards the platform, with a double line of police strung' across the temple floor striving to hold those behind back est those in front be trampled upon, Every beancthrewer was busy, tossing the beans here and there, to the Men and some of the former held out th Dats, the Women spread out th Kimonos to gather the sacred lentil
shriekings as long as the supply o There wa ney pushing, Loans held out ery Those who picked up beans to a number corresponiting to the years of their age were the happiest, Sich were ensured life for another year at least, With good fortune aight throughs period of twelve months, Those who had caught a paper wager weve happy in the knowledge ing earned. The temple priests were happy, for the Japanese Deliever is no nigkard and throws money—often more than he or she can afford—willingly to the altar enclosure, and as the throwers lett acolytes were uetually sweeping into piles an abundance of copper and finall—denominations of silver, esponident, putting" into his sanetifid slab of and his meal and other souvenirs fof unique experience in this mate terofefact age, was also "happy—hhapny for the memory of a strange experience and happy to have sisted in chasing out dovilst
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.