I asked for the doctor’s opinion as to the prevalence of tumours, displacements and cancer among women who labour in the fields and have to bring up children and do all the housework of a peasant’s dwelling.  The doctor replied that he was disposed to think that cases of the ailments I spoke of were not numerous.  Cancer was certainly rare.  He knew that in Japan rickets, goitre and gout were all less common than in the West.  He expressed the opinion that childbirth was easier than in the West.  It was a delight to see the fine carriage of the women and girls astride on the high saddles of the horses.[197] Both sexes in the district wear over their kimonos blue cotton trousers, something like a plumber’s overall only tighter in the legs.  The women are certainly strong.  One day I saw a woman carrying uphill on her back two wooden doors about 6 ft. by 5 ft. 6 ins.  An old woman I met on the road volunteered her view that women were “stronger” than men.  She was very much concerned to know how foreigners could live without eating rice.  She said—­and this is characteristically Japanese—­that she envied me being able to travel all over the world.

[Illustration:  OFF TO THE UPLAND FIELDS]

The Buddhist temple is built wholly of wood and the roof is thatched.  Whenever there was an earthquake the timbers seemed to crackle rather than creak.  The temple is relatively new and seems to have been built with materials given by the villagers and by means of a gift of 1,000 yen.  The workmanship was local and a good deal of it was faulty.  This may have been due to lack of experience, but it is more likely that the cause was limited funds.  The plan and proportions of the building are excellent and the carving is first-rate.  The right of “presentation to the living” is in the hands of the village.  The priest and his family live in a large house on one side of the temple.  On the other side is a small Shinto shrine to which the priest seems to give such attention as is necessary.  The temple is Shingon.  There is a sermon once a year only, or “when some famous man comes.”  The actual temple in which the priest, who showed me a fine collection of robes, conducts his services is between forty and fifty mats in area.  Behind it is the room in which the ihai or tablets of the dead are arranged.  This part of the building is covered on the outside with plaster in the manner of a kura (godown) so as to be fire-proof.  On either side of the actual temple are rooms very much as in a spacious private house.  There are two of eighteen and fifteen mats, two of twelve and ten mats and two small ones.  There is also a wide covered engawa (verandah) in front and at the sides.  A small kitchen and what the auctioneers call the usual offices complete the building.