ROYAL WEDDING IN JAPAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 23, 28 January 1924, Page 5

ROYAL WEDDING IN JAPAN.

PRINCE HIROHITO MARRIED. ANCIENT SPIRIT RITES. BLESSINGS FROM BEYOND. TOKYO, January 27. The Prince Regent, Hirohito, yesterday married Princess Nagako in the secret precincts of the Imperial Palace. According to the ancient marriage ritual the spirits of 122 Royal predecessors witnessed the union and gave their blessings, the Royal pair kneeling before Shinto Altar. A remarkable procession occurred immediately before the ceremony, • the bridal pair, members of the Royal Family and members of the household engaging in a curious slow movement toward the shrine which lasted two hours, while sacred musicians set the time with clappers. The ceremony itself was brief. The bride carried a fan of gilded wood with which she touched all things. Prince Hirohito was accompanied by the sceptre and crown. The' Royal couple exchanged bowls of rice and wine after the ancient custom. Tremendous crowds greeted the pair before and after the wedding. Elaborate precautions were taken to guard against any untoward incident. Ten thousand soldiers and police lined the route. A salute of 101 guns announced the completion of the ceremony, and after the wedding luncheon the Royal couple led a triumphal procession from the palace to Akasaka, which has been appointed their temporary residence. The couple will receive the Diplomatic Corps on Tuesday and will visit the Emperor and Empress on Sunday to report their wedding. The public celebration has been postponed owing to the country's mourning for the earthquake victims. The Prince wore a simple dress suit covered with a red cloak with embroideries. The bride wore a dazzling kimona of purple and scarlet silk with the chrysanthemum crest embroidered, and four outer garments of silk, each more "magnificent than the other.— (A and N.Z. Cable.)