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Show Ml) A JT iS ,1 or Ancient , ' fll) "" a , -" , 1 or Ancient ffj'V' ''S and Fairy Story Pageantry ' M il&k A J V "J c if Pi SHpLlli flllk v the the homage of the reprsseatiUn Of iTlCieni Japan, IOSntnltO ' ' Coronation ofiheJPanesenona(i jv I f jp )'s - ." ' lmm''' . "' I Will Be sits on the floor undei the cuo e Crowned Emperor ana :t; V .tL- -Frighten C'X ZoZ 7TJI FmnrPQ'S nf Mm l V V tj&S' Away EvU still sit The Taka-Mikura II M-'llipieaa W lf ; - rfffJjjF gtelrf' Spirits." Placed exactly in the-centre of M SS 7 J . ?" i ? AT PlW r- "w"fr ' T Tl P Shishln den, or great hall ol 1 LJD-tO-JLJate Ixatlflfi I ll fl imperial palace in the oW ctfiU ,V 1 "- 41 of3cial residence. Nagato-cho. Tokyo. of Kyoto. I IBllll I I '' heie thS 'CorporaUon Commission The last coronation MoTs 10 11 The New Coronation Costume of the Empress Outer Kimona of Yellow Silk Magnificently Magnifi-cently Embroidered and Skirt of Dark Crimson. Sleeves of Dif- iSk, Cerent Colors Exquisitely 'ywSb Harmonize3. The Yellow, ORed andl Gold Costume with Laquered Clogs in Which the Emperor Will Meet Foreign Ambassadors. In the Queer Gorgeous Costumes, Accompanied by the Grotesque Figures and Fairy Story Pageantry of Ancient Japan, Yoshihito and His Consort Will Be Crowned Emperor and Empress of an iX Up -to -Date" Nation at. the same moment. There is no reason of state whatever for a cor- " onation ceremony. That is merely a matter of form, beloved of the Japanese people, yet of which they have been deprived for several gen- vailing colors being purple itl green. The under kimono of II shown folded round the throat, of white silk. The article lr 111 Empress's hand is an old-lime fa The most striking feature of 1? appearance is the long tassels rtli fall on either side of the face IroJ the jewel on the forehead. Hi "kirt is of dark crimson. The Taka-Mikura, or great. throu, in which the Emperor -will renin the homage of the representative of the Japanese nation and he greetings greet-ings of the foreign envoys, is vij ancient. There is no chair, as ii European countries. The Empew sits on the floor undet the canopi, cross-legged, as his ancestors St and as the majority of his peoplt still sit. The Taka-Mikura D placed exactly in the centre of til Shishin den, or great hall ol imperial palace in the old cap of Kyoto. The last coronation totfli JW 3 1S6S. thirteen years aftei CoTnntW Perry's famous visit had openei : doors of old Japan. t!ut the 0V5 were just open. A few forei?!'1 had settled in restricted areas at tl treaty ports. Otherwise the Japaoaj ipeopie lived as their fathers tH lived before them, tilling their ' Holds, worshipping their anees,r and completely indifferent to n Stress. . 1 When the Meljl Emperor crowned the ceremonies were. J speak, commonplace. They WJJJ much part of the life of even-'. Japan as going to church is Pjlj the everyday life of the W" Spates. The lapse of one reign & made Japan a modern power and1' coronation ceremony will be alOT a strange to many of the Japit people as to the foreigners M I crowd to witness what they can it. Historians and antiquary scholer.s are consulting ancient scripts for details of costume w ritual. The fashions to be WjV are those of about live cent'-P'T.. cent'-P'T.. before Buddhism had (1.isjl , the Ancient and simple Shmt' " iigion of the Japanese eropero:; A good idea of the i the coronation pageantry sen e conveyed by the ' gigantic ' ' Hon of the "Green-Eyed Monw which will have exceptional F, uence among other figures s J vices. This Is the hairy-masque hairy-masque which is popular in J , ese homes, and is a W"rJ jealous wives. Its presence i-,.f quent at public pageants ol al ent sorts. At. coronations ((j Japanese custom to make use ; symbols that belong fo the of the race. Thus. wha( w" as uproariously funny ro ' -j! about this ceromoiilous WflK'j;-Jlf king and queen will be tc J' anor.e .1 proper display customs barking back to v' ancient times. erations. Thero was no coronation ceremony cere-mony for the late Emperor. Mntsuhito, who reigned for nearly forty years. But the case of Yoshihltc is .different. .differ-ent. The present emperor became sacred, an immortal being, only when Mutsuhito's death created him Emperor. Em-peror. Up. to that time, owing to certain cer-tain circumstances of his birth, he was simply a human prince. Mmsuhirn, was sacred from birth. During the flrct civtonn t-oorc t- There is no r1 SrM ? , tever for a cor- ' vfmr" That is merely jr i for several gen! " ml 3yl Japanese Farmers, with Their Praying Devices, as They Will W f Appear in the Coronation Pageant. 'Ml be PtPoned. At last Tokio is pre- live again. V lirdl paring actively for the great event The pictures on this page are from Sm'ttX- FamUies of artisans with whom the first photographs ever taken of -2. the hereditary privilege lies are busy the private fashion plates of the P ng 0ff, and creating the Emperor and Empress of Japan mgm strange devices, vehicles, grotesque They show the designs which have Jij imes and masques and other been prepared for the costumes which Tk r . , , , , weird paraphernalia which will enter their majesties will wear at their I he Costume Which the Guardian of into the ceremonial process of top- coronation ceremony in NovemW the Gate Will Wesr. f p f Yoshi- Scores ot the most" skilful embroil Zl: Jfor nSSSSJ "rsand. porkers In silk are now official residence. Nagato-cho. Tokyo, where the Corporation Commission has its headquarters. As in ancient times, certain details de-tails of the ceremonies are too sacred sac-red to be beheld by foreign eyes. But the foreign ambassadors present if the coronation will be received by the Emperor and Empress in the gorgeous costumes pictured here. The outer robe or kimono of the Mikado's coronation costume is entirely en-tirely of yellow silk, embroidered with flowers, but the embroidery is so delicate that the general appearance appear-ance is of a flaming yellow robe. The clogs are of red and black lacquer.! lac-quer.! The cap, with its peculiar plume, is of black. This plume is an important part of the costume in which Shinto rites are performed and is in the nature of a sacred emblem. Tt waves as the wearer walks with a peculiar effect The article he holds in his hand is a Piece of plain flat wood called the bhaku. It is not the oriental equivalent equiva-lent of a scepter, as might be supposed, sup-posed, but, hke the headgear, a part of the ceremonial clothing of the hhinto priesthood. The coronation costume of the Empress, who will lt in a separate and smaller pavilion-throne at the Emperor's left hand, shows the hair dressed in archaic style, will, a. long Plait falling down the hack An hiS.0ra )PWPl is worn 0" the fore-head. fore-head. Her Majesty wears a Wo number of kimonos-as all wen ,?S3el JaPanea ladies do still a? ,ey are Paylng visit" Jn?n Va"0US S,PeVes' a" S1"W" moenitze8deH,er- " bea,ltiC' The skirt, or hakama. is of dark crimson, the outer kimono ls of veh ami the folds of the other kimono are shown at the throat, the pre? NOW that the Emperor of Japan has recovered from his recent re-cent serious illness, preparations prepara-tions for his approaching coronation at Tokio will be prosecuted with vigor. They are elaborate preparations, prepara-tions, for the coronation ceremony will be no less imposing and grotesque gro-tesque in western eyes than was the funeral, two years ago, of Mut-suhito, Mut-suhito, the great Mikado whose long reign saw Japan emerge from isolated iso-lated barbarism into many aspects of modern civilization. In some respects the coronation of his son, Yoshihito, the present Mikado, will furnish a spectacle as little modern as can be Imagined. It will impress the fortunate western beholder as about the funniest way possible of making a king -and Queen for the Empress will share the honors of the ceremony almost equally with the Emperor. The occasion oc-casion will abound in quaint, seemingly seem-ingly childish survivals of pageantry, costumes, grotesque masques and superstitious customs belonging to ages long past. Contemplating these scenes, the enlightened foreign beholder be-holder will rub his eyes and wonder won-der If he is not dreaming a scene out of Gilbert and Sullivan's celebrated cele-brated comic opera. He wijl find It difficult to believe that the chief personages of a nation that has become be-come one of the great world powers of modern times could countenance such apparent childishness. The immortal Japanese powers of heaven and earth, who never make any mistakes, caused Yoshihito to become Mikado at the moment when breath left his honorable father's body. His consort became Empress Japanese Farmers, with Their Praying Devices, as They Will Appear in the Coronation Pa of his life, until he became Emperor, he was secluded from all but his personal attendants and immediate im-mediate family. It was sacrel i gioua even to mention his name. A coronation corona-tion ceremony would have marked an anti-climax. be postponed. At last Tokio is preparing pre-paring actively for the great event Families of artisans with whom the hereditary privilege lies are busy dusting off and re-creating the strange devices, vehicles, grotesque Images and masques and other weird paraphernalia which will enter into the ceremonial process of topping top-ping off the Mikadoship of Yoshihito, Yoshi-hito, just as it performed that service ser-vice for some predecessor of a thousand years ago. With respect to the ceremonial costumes for the occasion. Tokio will present scenes that will appear to make the ancient Hermit Empire u -. live again. The pictures on this page are from the first photographs ever taken ot the private fashion plates of the Emperor and Empress of Japan. They show the designs which have been prepared for the costumes which their majesties will wear at their coronation ceremony in November Scores ot the most skilful embroiderers embroid-erers and workers in silk are now making the garments, which will be worn once only and then preserved for posterity with the imperial treasures. The photographs were especially taken for the international News Service in the Prime Minister'e National custom and court etiquette eti-quette forbade a corona'ion ceremony cere-mony for the present Emperor within with-in a certain period following the death of his predecessor. That pe riod expired more than 3 year ago, but the preliminary rumblings of a great European war. the advent of the war. and Yoshihito's later serious seri-ous illness caused the festivities to Copyright, 1915, by the Star Company. Great Britain Bights Reserved, |
