TOKIO.
389
the total area of Soto Siro, about three are occupied by nobles' palaces. The fifteen temples situated in this part of Tokio cover a surface of one square kilometre.
The remaining space of Soto Siro is very densely inhabited, and may be called the commercial district of Tokio. This interesting district is situated on the east of the castle and has the form of a parallelogram. It is traversed in its whole length by the Tokai do, (the main-road of Japan,) and communicates by 15 bridges with the rest of Tokio. Of these, two are on the west, communicating with the Siro; five on the south; five on the east; and three on the north side of the city. The middle one of the three northern bridges is the Nihon Bashi. The commercial district contains five longitudinal and twenty-two transverse streets, crossing each other at right angles, and forming seventy-eight districts. In this quarter, and in the three adjacent precincts, north, east, and south of it, there are neither palaces nor temples. It is in this part of Tokio that the principal commerce of the city is concentrated; these streets are very animated. At the points where the Tokai-do enters and leaves Tokio are situated the two places of capital execution. Among the fifteen temples to be found in Soto Siro, is the temple of Monzeki, the greatest Tera of Tokio; and the temple of Sanne, one of the principal Mias of the capital. Tera is the name given to the Buddhist temples, aud Mia is the term for the temples of the old religion of Japan.
Midzi is the general na'ne for the whole of Tokio not included in S.ro aud Soto-Siro. It has a circumference of 24 miles and covers a surface of nearly 29 square miles. Deducting from this the area of Honjo, there is still to be described a surface of 27 square miles. This may be divided into three parts, which may be called respectively, North. South and West, viewing them from the castle as a stand-point. The part North of the Castle covers a surface of about 11 square miles and extends northward to the Okawa. This northern suburb is remarkable for the number and extent of the temples which are found there, and which cover a surface of not less than 3 square miles. The mausoleum of the Tycoons alone, surrounded by thirty-six temples, occupies a space of about a quarter of a square mile. Among the other temples of the northern suburb there must be mentio ed these of Quanon, of Amida, of Confucius, and of Kanda, the tutelary deity of Tokio.
The temple of Quanon is one of the most beautiful, most venerated, and most frequented temples in Japan. The avenue leading to the temple is lined with shops, in which are exposed all sorts of articles, religious and profane, to be sold to the numberless pilgrims who every year visit the temple. The temple is elevated about 20 feet from the ground. A grand flight of steps gives access to the interior. There is a chief altar at the extreme end of the temple, with side chapels at its right and left, containing a great number of wooden images, which, with the "glory" round their heads, resemble the images of Catholic saints. The interior of the temple is not very large, and is not so conspicuous for cleanli.. ss as most of the public buildings in Jap in. At the night of the temple there is a fine old Pagoda, and near it two colossal stone statues. The buildings which are called the Temple of Confucius used to be the University of Tokio, but this has been superseded since the Restoration by the Ko-gaku-rio, Kai Séi-gaku-ko, and other universities in which Foreign instructors are employed.
A great part of the remaining area forming the district. North of the Castle is covered by paddy fields, in the midst of which rise picturesquely situated houses. There are also extensive pleasure gardens, such as Askia-yama, and neat little villages. The surface covered by paddy fields and pleasure gardens may be estimated at 4 square miles. In this district, too, are situated the great theatre of Tokio and Yosiwara, or the court of public women. The part West of the Castle contains 50 temples, and a great number of nobles' palaces. The part on the South of the Castle, with an average surface of 17 square miles, contains about sixty temples. The most remarkable among them is the Tera of Meguro. In this part of Tokio is situated the old Tycoon Mausoleum, surrounded by several temples.
Several great fires have during the last few years swept Tokio, more especially that of April, 1872, which led to great improvements and the widering of the streets