This story is a picture of the simple life of a Japanese family. To follow little Umé San through the year, to play with her dolls on the days of the Dolls' Festival, to go with her to the parks to admire the cherry blossoms or chrysanthemums and join the crowds who are celebrating these joyous seasons, to feed the goldfishes and doves in the temple gardens, to buy toys and gifts in the streets of shops, and to welcome the New Year with festivity and merrymaking, is to catch a glimpse of the rare charm and spirit that pervade life in this "Land of the Rising Sun." CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. LITTLE MISS PLUM BLOSSOM . . . . . . . 1 II. UMÉ'S BIRTHDAY . . . . . . . . . 9 III. TEI BUYS A DOLL . . . . . . . . . 18 IV. THE DOLLS' FESTIVAL . . . . . . . . 26 V. A VISIT TO THE TEMPLE . . . . . . . 36 VI. CHERRY-BLOSSOM TIME . . . . . . . . 42 VII. THE FLAG FESTIVAL . . . . . . . . 51 VIII. THE SINGING INSECTS . . . . . . . . 57 IX. A TRIP TO KAMAKURA . . . . . . . . 63 X. THE ISLAND OF SHELLS . . . . . . . . 74 XI. A DAY IN SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . 82 XII. YUKI SAN IN THE STREET OF SHOPS . . . . . 88 XIII. THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY . . . . . . . 95 XIV. DARUMA SAMA . . . . . . . . . . 104 XV. NEW YEAR'S DAY . . . . . . . . . 111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Umé San in the Field of Iris . . . . FRONTISPIECE Boys Playing Marbles . . . . . . . _Page_ 12 Umé Riding in a Jinrikisha . . . . . " 37 "The Cherry Trees in Ueno Park are in full Blossom" . . . . . . . . " 42 There was a Fish for every Boy . . . . " 52 Fujiyama, the Sacred Mountain . . . . " 69 "Nothing can harm the Great Buddha" . . . " 73 "Umé caught her first Glimpse of the Lovely Green Island" . . . . . . . . " 74 The Street of Shops and Asakusa Temple . . " 91 UMÉ SAN IN JAPAN CHAPTER I LITTLE MISS PLUM BLOSSOM The little plum tree in the garden had blossomed regularly every year for ten years on the twentieth day of the second month. That day was Plum Blossom's birthday.