The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-14
HoW THEJIPANEsE BURr THEIR DEAD
The sunnptnous Funeral Ceremonies for the
Late IIeme Mi.i.ter.


state funeral was decreod for n man
han whom few had better deserved such post
humOus hOnors. and O'Clock in the oltcrnoun
OF the 17lh Of May wns the hour fixed tor tho
1ipl2mnlic body with the members of which
OSph2 Ind long had Intelligent. intimate
s AMI Tor TIE most part. friendly intcrcourse
were invited 70 attend at his interment and
pay INC last hOnprs 20 his memory. All Inc
REPRESENTATIVE Of friendly powers now in
japan were present. In the procession
accprdnTly. a walk along the line of mnrch
70 be followed by tho cOrtdrc n connie al
hours boiora II was TO start. showed thnt the
Prcicct Of Police and his suinrdinet" bnJ
taken every prccaution 10 secure order anon,
the SPECTATORS, ana 10 guard against tho barcst
Possibility OF any outrage on the part ol any
supposittlOus friends or confrndrs " The u,ur
derers: force OF 1900 policemen had been do.
lhiiel lQt te duty OF guarding the streets alonp
Which tne, funeral should pHss in the two miles
ma hall OF ~ progress between the Minis.
yer house IN Uraknsumigascki aud the tomb
On tho slope OF AWOyama. Crowds Of prOple
throngcu the streets along the route. and every
spo' likely to Afford agOOd view of the proces-
sion was occupied. The upprr rooms 81 tna
houses and shops appeared to have been eager
~ hircd.
Tho cort'gc which took in all about three.
quarters oi an hour To pass given spot was
mus formed mounted Inspector of Police
lending followed by guard Of nine Srrgcnnts
lehYhment Oi engineers. thirty-four buglers II
Mlnd OF the kiododans. Then came Cen,
Noden % knmnnoto fame, and now command
ing the Toxic garrison. riding ut the head of Two
Dattallons OF infantry. followed 10y n battery Of
mountain guns. After this escort of military
came the actual funeral cortege and IFS nccrs
sories. FIRST. twenty misnki trees decorated
with red and white silk nags and banners Of
eolored SIR. borne in double line by attendants
ufhp'u III purest white. Three ShintO priests on
horsrback. and the chief mourncr the high
priest Hlraynmn. in carringe-all, i'm white
I,calnc next. aud were followed Ivy a native band
OF zen musicians. who Immediately preceded Inc
collin THIS was carried by relays of twenty
white-rpnrd coolies The outer case WINS madr
of hinoki, lastly carved and ornamental II
length 81 ffsh
Wlthn this was laid the coffin proper a shell
OF klrl two inches thick. In which Okubo had
beon placed IN n rccumbcnt and not sitting
posture. After the coffin cnrrlcrs came tho
sword and shoe bearers Of the deceased car
sword, and complete suit ~ court dress
whlrh was put into the grave with the body
Ilumcdlht,l( after Two moro ATTENDANTS also IN
whne. and bearing bouquets ~ nlwcrs cnmr
the sons Of the deceased IN three carriages. In
ihelOremost was seated the young OkuhD Toshi-
kadzu. the eldest son OF tho Minister AZ
lowed by his five brothers in tho other
vehicles. Then came 100 carriages Of all
Kinds and descriptions; first dozen or SO con
other nigh onl'inls Then the two urinrr-
Arisugawa and Fushimi each In a separate
elnipage, and next the foreign Minister'S In the
uhAoim 81 NOR order. in their turn followed
w on as. native and foreign. and u numbrrof
friends and admirers. u various naiionalitics
ana ul various ranks. OF the departed in err
fiasos aud Jinriki-has and on hOr-cback The
I hin"sc representative 50 far surmourtnd his
hHtlpnhl pryudlces as to appcar IN "a "one-horsc
PONY driven low nm unt 'dy botio and with Cnlos-
iial attendant p"rchcd uncasiiy on tho ends OF
ih" irunmoiiuu- springs. Thcrear was closed
nv z battalion ~ infantry. battery Of artillery
nhd mounted detachment OF the commissariat
train. "
At3:1j the head Of the cortsgc arrived nj the
cemetery IN MinnmichO. san homo. Awoynmn
salute OF ten cannon was then lrol Tho
tlnily and relatives of the late Minister she
DdVW Nngi foreign Minister'S and others took
hrir seats IA temporary building which had
h'.n PREPARED for thrir accommodation. The
colin having been set down before the strur-
tur', seven Shuto priests. II rayuna M their
hrad, read prayer. during which the mourn
nr-. on" 10y one. burned incense upon the body
! Nls ceremony las'"dHhout half an hour Whom
u wl- concluded. another salute Of ten guns
was llred, ana all the guests i-porS-l with
~" exception OF the immediate relatives of
Ia" dead. These remained to offer nnd hear
som" inal prayers. and when those were Over.
Inc comm WIS lowered into the grave. This il
really tomb. being fifteen feet deep tvl.lve
lr,t square. and lined with stone on all four
sides. The coffin WINS covered with n thick
i"ver ol charcoal. on which were superimposed
Tn s'ii- u stones "Nact.y fitting the grave
winch was thcu filed in and covered with earth
Allows This house Of death WAS then erected A
wooden post. foot wide ON each side and ten
iert hlgh. on which were inscribed tho nam,
iliics. and services Of tho defunt. The frnmr-
work Of gate was then erected. Tho coash-
man and The TWO horses which shared the cruel
aic oi the Minister are buried hard 10y the body
u tAelI master.