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They have long, narrow, sinister, glittering eyes; they seem to snarl; they are weird, very weird creatures, the servants of the Rice-God, retainers of Inari-Sama, and properly belong, not to Buddhist iconography, but the imagery of Shinto. No inscriptions upon these tombs corresponding to our epitaphs.
The guide approaches his light to the face of each one, and utters a name, 'Daikoku-Sama, 'Fudo-Sama, 'Kwannon-Sama. Sometimes in lieu of a statue there is an empty shrine only, with a money-box before it; and these void shrines have names of Shinto gods, 'Daijingu, 'Hachiman, 'Inari-Sama. All the statues are black, or seem black in the yellow lamplight, and sparkle as if frosted.
These are filled with a preparation of rice and red beans, called adzukimeshi, whereof both Inari-Sama and Hoso-no-Kami are supposed to be very fond. This is called 'seeing the God off. The long white bridge with its pillars of iron is recognisably modern. It was, in fact, opened to the public only last spring with great ceremony.
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