Body is iron metaphor
"His body was iron; and he never troubled himself about dews or rain or frost or snow."
In the story Rokuro, Kubi a brave priest, previously samurai, is traveling alone and the dangers in his path do not make him concerned. His samurai days provided for his body to be as strong as iron.
Sound of silk like sound of leaves simile
"There he thought that many great people were assembled: the sound of the rustling of silk was like the sound of leaves in a forest."
Hoichi from the story Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi Hoichi arrived to the place he was summoned by ancient spirits to perform. Hoichi is blind and he can only hear the sound of his audience moving which reminds him of leaves. Maybe that was all that Hoichi heard because as we later find out he was performing on an old graveyard with no actual person around.
Mirror is a Soul of a woman metaphor
In the story Of a Mirror and a Bell, a woman that is regretting giving away her mirror for a creation of a bell has this thought that a mirror is a soul of a woman. She finally sees how much truth really is contained in these words.
Cascade like a long white robe simile
"...and beyond the trees appeared the glimmer of a cascade, pouring from some loftier height, and swaying in the moonshine like a long white robe."
In the story Rokuro, Kubi the priest is noticing the surroundings around him and we get this comparison of a waterfall resembling a long white robe.
Fairy of Science metaphor
"But the Fairy of Science sometimes touches my ears and eyes with her wand; and then, for a little time, I am able to hear things inaudible, and to perceive things imperceptible."
In the Insect Study of Ants, after he tells a story about a man given an ability to understand the language of ants for a day for a day, the narrator makes this statement. Sometimes even the possibilities of science appear to be a product of a fairy-like world and very unlikely to become reality.
