On my way back from the exhibition I heard the story of a priest.  When fourteen years of age he obtained seeds of cryptomeria and planted them in a spot in the hills.  He also practised many economies.  When still in his teens he asked permission to take two shares in a 50-yen money-sharing club, but was not allowed to do so as no one would believe that he could complete his payments.  He persisted, however, that he would be able to pay what was required and he was at length accepted as a member.  At twenty he became priest of a small temple which was in bad repair and had a debt of 125 yen.  He brought with him his 100 yen from the club and the young cryptomeria.  He planted the trees in the temple grounds.  He said, “I wish to rebuild the temple when these trees grow up.”  He cultivated the land adjoining his temple and contrived to employ several labourers.  At last the cryptomeria grew large enough for his purpose and he rebuilt the temple, expending on the work not only his trees but 600 yen which he had by this time saved.  Then he proceeded to bring waste land into cultivation.  At the age of sixty-two he gave his temple to another priest and went to live in a hut on the waste land.  There came a tidal wave near the place, so he went to the sufferers and invited five families to his now cultivated waste land.  He gave them each a tan of land and the material for building cottages and showed them how to open more land.

[Illustration:  “HIBACHI” AND, IN “TOKONOMA,” FLOWER ARRANGEMENT AND “KAKEMONO.”  See Index]

[Illustration:  SCHOOL SHRINE CONTAINING EMPEROR’S PORTRAIT. p. 113]

A good judge expressed the opinion that Buddhism was flourishing in 80 per cent. of the villages of Aichi, but this was in a material and ceremonial sense.  The prefectures of Aichi and Niigata had been called the “kitchens of Hongwanji"[55] (the great temple at Kyoto), such liberal contributions were forthcoming from them.  “A belief in progress,” this speaker said, “may be a substitute for religion for many of our people; another substitute is a belief in Japan.”  A village headman from the next prefecture (Shidzuoka) said:  “People in my village do not omit to perform their Buddhist ceremonies, but they are not at their hearts religious.  In our prefecture the influence of Ninomiya is greater than that of Buddhism.  If the villagers are good it is Ninomiyan principles that make them so.  Under Ninomiyan influence the spirit of association has been aroused, thriftiness has been encouraged and extravagance reprimanded.”

[Illustration:  FENCING AT AN AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. p. 50]

[Illustration:  WAR MEMENTOES AT THE SAME SCHOOL—­ALL SCHOOLS HAVE SOME]