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 almost as universal a production of Japan as the staple product, rice.

Hirozaki is an old castle-town containing some 30,000 inhabitants. By old castle-town is meant that the town in former days was the residence of a northern Daimio, and possessed a castle. This is now no more. It was burnt down four years ago and the site is now occupied by barracks for the 800 soldiers who are quartered in the town. The stream called the Tsudzubudzugawa intersects Hirozaki.

The towns here in the north are built in a curious style. Though, as I have said, the houses in the towns have no particular peculiarities of architecture to distinguish them from those further south, yet owing to the heavy snow-fall in the winter when the snow attains an average depth of 12 or 13 feet, the roofs of the houses and the verandahs are built very strongly, and these latter are made continuous—each verandah connecting with those of the houses on each side—so that in winter however great the depth of snow the inmates of the houses are able to go in and out of their dwellings with comfort and even to take a certain amount of exercise. As is the case in all mountainous localities, the roof are further protected by large boulders and stones which are placed on them in the usual way.

Hirozaki considered in any way is a very uninteresting place. All old castle-towns in Japan have more or less a dull and dead-alive atmosphere pervading them which has a depressing effect upon a new comer, and Hirozaki is no exception to the rule. Owing to the increasing trade passing through Awomori, Hirozaki has been quite superseded by the former place, and though still a large town, business appears to be almost at a stand still. Very good apples are grown in the neighbourhood, and a kind of green lacquer ware is manufactured, which however, though of some repute in the locality, is held in small estimation at the capital.

It was a long day’s ride from Hirozaki to Odaté, our next stopping place. After emerging from the valley the