JAPANESE EMPEROR

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 18

JAPANESE EMPEROR

MRDLY ENTHRONEMENT

ELABORATE RITUAL .;-" . . i ___ ' ... ..' • S*or '■•' lack of a precise European (Equivalent, tho terms "coronation" and "enthroneriient" are rather loosely used to signify the grand ceremonies of accession of the Emperor of Japan. .These took place in Kioto on loth November and wore concluded during the ■night of 14th and loth November, with the Daijo-Sai, or Great Thanksgiving. In describing the ceremony which took place in Japan on the occasion, J. H. Penlington, Tokio correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," says that 'though there was an enthronement, it was only part of the whole, and not the most significant part: ,"Sokuirrei" ;is the name given to the ceremony. Coronation there was, during the.middle ages, when a crown of Chinese design was placed on the monarch's head, but this was discarded as a foreign innovation when Chinese influence ( waned. Tho great ceremony began at 8 a.m. on. 10th November with a service'before •the Imperial .Sanctuary (Kashiko'dokoro), which lasted for several hours. .The Emperor : here • held communion with the great ancestor or progenitrix of the nation,'Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess,:to whbm announcement of, formal accession was made.«

In the afternoon the enthronement took place in the Shishin-den, a plain wooden building with a thached roof, impressive in; its simplicity. The roof, beautifully-carved, is . thached: .•■with'. cypress'i'-W^t)- tho' building being constructed ; of; the wood of the cypress tree,'"or -hinplci. • Floors-and pillars, are of ..polished woods, and a clear view^is. obtained' of the interior, wherei"\tiib' Bole objects to bo seen are two separate canopied thrones, ;■ with 'their brocaded curtains 'drawn. "HIGH AUGUST SEAT." \ The throne from which the Emperor made his announcement is known as the Takamikura, or "high august seat." Its basis is heavy reed matting, but modern convention has substituted a. Bolid chair in place of tho cushion formerly used. Over tho throno is a heavily ornamented canopy supported by pillara and surmounted by a phoenix. The Empress's throno is smaller and loss significant, .though of similar design. ' ■:■•,• ■"■ >• ■ The throne room is at the head of a courtyard whieK is .enclosed by three walls, in each. wall being a gate of' entrance, guarded ,by armed men. The courtyard is gravelled, and along either side are placed numerous banners, each having an historical Qrsybolical significance. Besido! these are lined up bodies of guards of honour, armed with bows and ai'rcrws 1,-halberds, and -swords, and dressed -iii'n ■ anciont. military costumes suited to.the periods they represent. After the banners, gay arid colourful, theKmosJirconspicuous feature of the decorations' wert^the,: two 'itrees at' the entrance to 'the;i.throne'room, respectively cherry arid orange, symbols to the Japanese of loyalty and fragrance. The higher 'officials: of the enthronement commission acted as guards' of honour about the entrance to tho throne room, and other officials took their places in different parts of the\; courtyard. Twenty officials of high rank, carrying ceremonial objects : such as swords, bows and arrows, spears, and shields, also took up a position, and ten still higher officials took.places before the cherry tree on the right and the orange tree on the l>t. These represented ancient imperial guards, and were armed with bows and arrows and swords.

The gongs and drums then sounded, which was. tho signal for the guests •waiting without to enter, and take their appointed places; next the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Eitualists entered the throne-room; the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Imperial Household took up. a place still nearer, thei Throne; and finally, the Princes .of'the blood took:their places' just before-tho Throne. "'■■' ' -'■'

"VVnen all were in place and perfect stillness prevailed, ; the masters of ceremony,' by a warning, cry, gave 'notice of the approach of the Emperor. His Majesty entered slowly behind the curtains and mounted the Throne. .When he was seated,; chamberlains placed beside His Majesty two of the Imperial Regalia,- the sword and 'jewels", 1: and him. with a shaku ' or .baton. The high officers of State then grouped, themselves nearer to the Throne., /. " '" ': , ;:.; -THE. EMPRESS'S FAN. ' The Empress and her retinue then entered," Her Majesty mounting:''the. Thrbnei and" a Court lady presented the ceremonial fan. Princesses of the blood took their places near, and Court ladies, as guards of honour, grouped, themselves behind the Throne. '. By a movement of the curtains, Their Majesties were exposed to the viow of the whole assembly. The Emperor, holding the shaku before' him, stood, and immediately the Empress rose, holding her fan in a similar manner. All present then make , a profound obeisance. The. Premier descended and took up a position in the courtyard between the banners where he stood facing Their Majesties. Th-e Emperor here read a rescript addressed to his loyal subjects, and the Premier, on behalf of the nation, ascended the steps before the Throne and delivered an address of felicitation. His Excellency then withdrew to his former position between the banners, and ,led the .whole assembly in three shouts of ''Banzai"!, for the Emperor.' This salutation was most carefully.; timed,- andvrthe exact.instant at ,which' it would occur was previously' made known, throughout the nation. Simul^ taneously with tho. shouts, that went up.; before the Emperor, the'waiting-crowds beyond the courtyard, those; in tho > city, and the multitudes throughout ;tii6; nation, echoed and re-echoed 'the; "Banzai!," of-the Premier.,., ,-;;

ENTHRONEMENT COMMISSION.'' The Imperial Enthronement Commis-; sion, appointed early in the year, had as its president, Field-Marshal H.1.H.; Prince Kotobito Kaniu, great-uncle ofthe Emperor, and as chairman and chief executive PrineoFuminiaro Eojioe, head'of one of the five non-Imp-erial familiesof tho empire. Through the Commission's hands had passed tho whole, of the business... relating to., tho "Great Ceremonies," from the.arrangement of the awesome ritual-in which His Majesty becomes the companion'of the gods of heaven and earth down: to tho distribution of medals in commemoration of the event, the issue of a special series of postal stamps, the means taken to honour the aged throughout th:e empire, and the reward of loyal subjects, most particularly those in ■whom the supremo virtues of loyalty and filial piety have shone brightest. 'The Commission's preliminary tasks have been endlessly varied, involving investigations of tho most archaic and recondite character, for very largely tho Great Ceremonies had to do not with things of this day and world, but with the' extraordinary happenings- of preliistoric times, 'with a world inhabited' by:.the gods of the national-myth-ology tho story of whost creations and activities is regarded officially as the very basis of tho State. On such a basis: rests the elaborate structure of Japanese Imperial authority, thotranscendont merits of which are emphasised and maintained in tho Constitution and by all tho forces of tho law. ; "The" events which; eliminated in a groat blaze'of 'oilicinl rojbieing .in Kyoto began in the Imperial Palace at Tokio on 17th January, 1928, when the

dato of the Go-Tairei,f or Great Cere-; monies, was formally communicated; to the -gods /and the Imperial: ancestors deified 'at^tlio;' thriie;shrines ''_■■. in the '^palace, 'the Siiiridenj'Korei-den, and Unmeiden. In this latter shrine is kept the; Kashiko-dokoro, the Imperial sanctuary,'in which is preserved.the sacred mirror one of tho three Imperial re-, galia, .without which the. Emperor can: never travel;' M. '•'.. r: ' ''■'''■•/ . ' The first -important preparatory ceremony was tho ■ selection ■■•'by divination of two ricefields (Yuki.and' Suki), where the rice was grown .which was eaten by. the Emperor and the gods at tho communal feast of tho Daijo-sai, or- Great.Thanksgiving. The rice was nlanted 'with.', elaborate Shinto: rites and ceremony oil Ist June, and harvested on 15th September,' From the selection of the fields in.February, to the harvest-. I ing in' September up stop' was taken or act performed that' had not first, been purified and . sanctified by priests ritualists,, tho' principal acts;of sowing and transplanting, reaping and garnering being performed -in the presence of Government officials,; and 'regulated- by tho most meticulous' procedure to -ensure the absolute .purity of the food to be consumed at the Great Thanksgiving. '.-■;• :'v. ;'■';•." ■ " "■' ''" "" ■' : Althoughuietually completed by 15th, November, an;' elaborate programme of ceremonies was kept up until the; end of the month. The popular rejoicings began after the return to Tokio, when every community throughout the Japanese 'Empire celebrated'•■tho.- occasion. The. most elaborate preparations were made in;, the capital," where ..the. chief happening:was. tiro I.great gathering in Uyeno" Park, -'at which -both Emperor and Empress were present,-.and which terminated with a great fireworks dis.play.