Show AINT RITES AT coronation COHO NATION OF JAP EMPEROR modern ruler takes throne in same manner as did his first ancestor SHINTO PRIESTS IN CHARGE yoshihito in strict privacy reads address to family spirits before public ceremony begins sacred dance Is a feature of the celebration tokyo lucky indeed will ft bo be those few tourists who are in moto kioto tile tho an air lent capital af pf nippon when the ern era geror la Is crowned for they avill view what Is probably tile tho most indent ceremonial in the world tho the modern ruler with aeroplanes aero acro planes drea and submarines at his corn nand mand will fori formally nally take its his place on ho he throne af japan in tile the same manier as did his first earthly ancestor tenno in D B C which was leveral centuries before alexander the great unwitting of the island ting kingdom dom wept for more worlds to con juar for ahe western mind to cornero compro lend tile the japanese coronation Is dlly alt the word coronation Is a mis lomer as there Is no literal crowning it Is necessary for the american to attempt to grasp the fundamental idea f shintoism every morning the alil J emperor of a japanese family worships to ils ila ancestors at tile the shrine in ills his home the emperor worships at the ottrine of the ancestors of the nation or tile the whole people the spirits of jimma tenno and the other human ancestors of 0 yosh who have reigned in japan are supposed to dwell antho in the sanctuaries of the ancient palace at WOW kioto informing ms his ancestors the coronation la Is the formal journey of the emperor em piror and empress to loto cioto tor for the purpose of dutifully in dorming hla ancestors of ills accession ind assuring them that ho he Is carrying lut jut the fundamental principles which lave made tho the nation great A japanese sees goes nothing odd in worshiping vor his ancestors while clad n a prince albert coat and silk topper ind it la Is considered perfectly correct or tho the emperor to proceed to hla his ant an lent ilent capital by train arriving at kioto lie he will drive in irate to tho the vast inclosure of tho the palice ills his coming may be beveral lays days before the coronation date noyem novem ber bar 10 the details of tills this day are care ully regulated by tile the shinto pY tests who preserve pru servo tile ancient records supposed to go co back to the reign of jim mu tenno in the lie morning yoshihito will wil bathe and purity purify himself himi elt then he will enter a plain wooden pavilion M r temple made entirely without metal and fastened with wood pegs and tough vines the ceremony takes place before the national shrine called tile the dodoro which contains the sacred mirror sword ans anh jeweled seat bo be by the sun goddess amato amate lasu aau 0 mikael to her grandson jim mu tenno tile tho first non delty doity to rule japan when she placed him upon tile the throne lit in strict privacy with only a few shinto priests in their straw sandals moving about the emperor wl will read a formal address to his family spirits tile the next ceremony will take place tit in a big new pavilion in fit the presence it if the leading men of japan and the tit metal representatives of foreign states the emperor will take his spat on oil ot throne throna set within an octagonal pa villon of rod red and black lacquer whilo iho file empress if ill health does not prevent pr event wll occupy a smaller throne by ills his side premier to lead cheers the princes and great 0 of tata will surround the throne the dobli nobility city will occupy one end of tile the liall hall and the foreign diplomatists an other ather count okuma the prime ster ivill stand rt a designated spot nedr near the throne and call on the japanese people 0 10 o give throe three banzali banz als tor for the he emperor then rhen ho be will ascend the ho steps of at the throne th rone and runder render lolace to the new monarch count has a wooden leg and some ome of his political opponents have raised the cry that by all tile the ancient ules rules and regulations no such deformed person may take part in the coronation modern japan simply laughs it might bo be mentioned however that the practical count recently proceeded to kioto and convinced himself by actual trial that ho fie Is s spry enough to got up tho the old fashioned steps of the ho throne and down again without spilling tile tho beans or whatever la is tho the japanese equivalent in tile tho evening will take place the principal religious rite the emperor will offer rice all anil black and whito wine to the spirits of his ancestors in tho the and tho the two small ancient shrines tile the ceremony takes all night and before it tho the emperor again undergoes formal purification this kaljo sal or sacrificial rite Is tho the it highest I 1 ceremony in tile tho japanese Japa neso religion tile tho japanese however do not feet feel any awo as surrounding Kal baljo josal sal it Is simply an act of filial como communing luning with the departed a sort of thanks giving dinner with the tha dead as well as the 11 vine living gathered gath croil together sacred dance a feature there are many other interesting c ceremonies and observances connected d with tho the coronation and these last many days Vesto qi vaudeville stages will probably see this winter some gross caricatures of tho the sacred dance which will bo be performed by five young women omen of the highest rank at a great banquet before 2600 2500 diners ors this Is the fivefold five fold fuld lance danco and tho the story of how it bilg bated Is known to every japanese boy slid and girl tile the emperor tommu was strumming tile koto an all ancient lyre with live strings when five heavenly muses appeared in the clouds and executed some celestial steps to his ats measures in the course of the dance the muses turned tho the alcoves of their simonos kimonos live times which Is considered a miracle of grace among the ilia japanese Japa neso carefully memorized the danco dance and taught it to the ladles of ills his court it has been danced at every coronation since through atwon ty four centuries the girls who will danco dance are none of them over twenty tareo years old it if one of them entered a now york drawing to room om she would probably bu be perfectly at ease case for till all the dancers are daughters of the highest peers in japan who are carefully educated according to both weli western tern and japanese standards and probably speak english fluently the concluding acts of tile tho coronation will ile bo journeys by the emperor and the high priests io to the national shrine to worship jimma and then to the graves of the tour emperors immediately inc abely preceding yoshihito besides tile the ceremonies at kioto there will bo be observances and holidays in every town and village of japan the school schoolchildren children will sing shig a song to which the committee of tile the board of education has awarded the a prize out of 1600 sent in as tors even in ll hawaii awall the ninety thousand japanese there will show their rog regard tirol for the emperor they have subscribed for a bronze commemorative fountain but this instead of being sent back to japan will bo be set up in honolulu |