Frankly, I detest Togo-ike. But it is extremely popular with travelling
Japanese--especially the _shōbai_. Imagine a valley of rice-fields,
ringed in by low jagged wooded hills, with a lakelet in the middle of
it about a mile and a quarter long (at most) by half a mile broad, and
hotels built out into the water. The coldest place I have yet been
in Japan. The hotels are supplied with hot water from the volcanic
springs through bamboo pipes, but the baths do not compare with those
of the much humbler Izumo resort--Tama-tsukuri. The cold air to me was
penetrating, sickly, but this may be idiosyncrasy. To one who has lived
in the tropics the chill of rice-fields means fever and death; and some
of my old tropical fears came up. Then the hotel has only _mishido_, no
_karakami_,--so that one is never alone. One hour of Yabase is worth
a season at Togo-ike--free of expense--to one who loves quiet and
simple ways. So I shall spend a couple more days there before going to
Mionoseki.
I have given up Oki, until winter. The health and strength I get from
seawater bathing have made me delay too long. But I will get to Oki
later.
Ever yours,
LAFCADIO HEARN.