JAPAN'S LAST TRIBUTE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18921, 9 February 1927, Page 9

JAPAN'S LAST TRIBUTE.

FUNERAL OF LATE EMPEROR. PROCESSION ALONG MUFFLED STREETS. M " ?IT ■•[•RZSJ ASSOeIATICS-C'lT^' 01 '- 1 - 1 v*i.. . .;.ia:: asm n.z. i aels .\sso'.:iat: . :•■ TOKIU, FebiiKi:y '■ The tcuiurics-old conventional Oriental liuio.ra! cereinonir.l commenced l'l- - when a cortege three miics eru.--.eu tin.- iljub.e nndiic ira\oisi:o. •he m,a. a. Aw c.uninee u. Hu' I"'" pen.i. uuiu, in iiiv ion tie id i"i ;i ".' .iiii'i. iusiiiuKj. Hold J'JniLei'ul o. •Japan, !ia-> lain in sta'.e .in.'- t.ili'i.-t----\luuu-.,,un iiiir n,..c = , hi ii-.-> ""'' .tills ii.iliuun.iea tile aidine ol .-.i*.n>; li•-'<•■=, -oil iiuui(i tlie main appi'tatii. Aniline; Uio low pine mvs :n ihv jiuei paui'.e, pari; m a mass ol .->ub,ou-, uan-headed, sileiu, iiouiii- iuw, ju..-.luillll„ even, \Awll lac "atalal'iuu slowly passed on wu!i Hs iinp' rial burden. •.uiiio and. plaintive pipe.-, mended i.-iih soli, 1 mitral drum.-, i'-lune broke .lio silence, as sand a l"ot pitien ted nli oilier sound. Ihus the procession of BUUO passed through the winding streets ot tlio capital to Shinjuki: Park, where the great ceremonial hall had been erected tor pro-intei-itient according tu Shinto ritual. It is estimated that a minimum ot I.OJO.UUU people paid their last tribute alone tlio route. . Prince Chichibti, representing tlio Emperor with his younger brothers and princes of tlio blood, followed the catafalque, which was nearly in the centre of the cortege, l'ho Emperor and Empress reached ShinjuKU by another route. 'February 7th and Bth will be observed as national holidays. Brilliant sunshine on Monday morning quickly dissipated the last vestige of snow. People, pouring in, commenced taking up their positions soon after dawn, bringing their own mats and food. Before noon tho best locations were occupied along the entiro route. All traflic was stopped at 3 o'clock, except private motors . An nrmv of workmen spread saml over the roadways, while 20,000 took up their positions. On leaving the palace the strange procession, allegorical and symbolical, passed along the route for an hour and a half, until it reached the great funeral hall, where 10,000 of the nation's highest awaited the coming ot tho bodv. , , ... 11 For three hours in subdued . ll^? t ' and with silent movement and in the lowest tones, tho ritualists performed ticir rites. At 10 o'clock at night tho Emperor Hirohito stood before tho coffin and addressed o farewell to his father, while the congregation stood. , The Emneror and Empress, Imperial princes peers, Premier, and members of tlio' Cabinet were seated in front with the diplomatic representatives immediately behind. The ceremony lasted for two and a half hours. At exnctlv 11 o'clock tho entiro nation stopped movement. At 11.25 bearers took their burden to its temporary station nearbv. The entrapment occupied three-quarters of an hour. The funeral train then left the station. Along the railway lino for 20 miles thousands of country residents gathered to pnv their last homage to the dc-d.

The Emperor dnos not nccompnny the bodv to the Asakawa Mausoleum. Piinee Cliichibn representing him at tho ccrcmonv at the mausoleum, which commences in the morning. Tnkin broadcasted tho Mineral music. Even the shuffling of t'r ' feet of the marchers in tho sand cn.*ld be hoard. CROWDS BEGIN TO GATHER. TOKIO, February 7. Before eight in the morning tho sections of the funeral route open to the general public were filled with squatting people, mostly aged, proposing to wait for twelve hours in the cold.