The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-04-16
A JAPANESE WEDDING.

A JAPANESE WEDDING.
The Marriage of Yoritomo Sanjo to
the Daxhter of Fujama Madura
at Osaka.
There hangs on the wall of the smok-
ing-room of Il private residence in this
city. says The Philadelphia Press, a
large colored photograph of a Japanese
beauty, framed in dainty specimen of
OF bamboo and brought by the owner
direct from the mikado's empire, which
he recently visited during trip around
the world. 1t is a half-length portrait,
the head being the size of an orange,
and pictures the young girl clothed in
an exquisitely artistic crepe garment,
with the enormous sleeves SO we'll known
to the countless admirers of the '.Threc
Little Maids from School," and slightly
open at the throat. The face is one
which strikes even an American as be-
ing decidedly pretty, and the impression
is quite irresistible that the original
must have been very jolly young Jap.
1t was the expression Of this opinion
by the writer that led the owner of the
photograph to relate his experience at
II wedding in tho far-off empire.
81 had been." he said, staying four
days in tca-house at Osaka, which, on
account of being the seat of all that is
prominent in art, literature, and the
drama, is often spoken of as the Paris
OF Japan, when I was informed that
Tokiwa, II pretty maid of17, the daugh.
ter of my host, Fujama Madura, was to
be welded to Yoritomo Sanio, rich
young man who was proprietor of a
big tIieater. The wedding was u trc-
mendous affair. owing to the high stand
ing of the families of the bride and
groom. 1t was celebrated in the even-
ing, and three of the largest rooms on
the second or top floor were thrown in
to one for the occasion by simply push
ing the paper-screcn walls that seplra-
ted them out of the way. Then the
spacious apartment was lavishly decor
ated with bright scrolls of pictures and
motOcs and verses from the Japanese
poets and with proverbs about matri-
mony and portraits of all sorts of Jolly
looking gods of good luck and wealth
and happiness.
''The raimcnt of'thc Young ladies
and little boys and girls was simply too
gorgeous to be described without the
aid of a well stocked paint box. All
the girls, big and little, had their odd
faces very few of them are prctty)
powdered and painted in a manner
most fearful to behold, but considered
very charming by their countrymcn.
Their eyebrows were blackencd, too,
and the girls under IL had all sorts of
odd pins in their hair. Above that age
no respectable female ever makes use
of them.
eat last everyone had arrived, and
was seated on the floor of the big room
where the wedding was to take place.
They made the place fairly hum with
their merry clatter. and the youngsters
gathered around me in sort of ire
gular circle and shook with laughter
whenever spoke to or smiled at them.
Their parents tried to keep them still,
but couldn't. and had it not been for
their sense of poltcness they too would
have stared rs hard us the children. As
it was, they would keep their eyes on
me when they thought l was not OBJ
serving them. hut instantly looked away
and pretended not to be at all curious
whenever glanced their way. At the
end of the room where the ceremony
was to take place there stood on the
matted floor II dwarf pine tree about
three feet high, and under it the figures
of an old man and old woman, the
whole symbolizing n long life of mar
ricd happiness and green old age.
There were also two bronze storks and
bronze tortoise, and II swinging CEN
ser Of the same metal gave forth the
rich perfume of burning san,lalwootl.
On Il low stand of gold lacquered wood
there were three slender porcelain bot
ties. covered with figures of the gods
of wealth and health and other desir-
able features of life, one being twice
the size of the others, and also Il beau
tiful little cloisonne vessel, looking like
teapot with two spouts, the one op-
posite the other, and with handle of
lacqucrcd bamboo. A small tray, on
WHICH were three delicate china cups,
each standing in the one beneath il,
completed the outfit necessary for the
proper performance of the marriage,
which in Japan is neither religious
nor a civil ceremony, and no priest or
government official is needed to tic the
knot. The Japs call the ceremony SAN
san-kll-do, or three times three are
nine.
''Whcn three young girls had ceased
playing Il very inharmonious compost
ton on native guitar, a small drum,
and a squeaky flute the wedding party
entered. First came two girls who were
to act as the bridesmaids, and they We're
dressed in the. lovclicst shade of coral
pink crepe, embroidered with an irreg-
ular flight of butterflies, which, the Japs
say, always fly in pairs, and which are
nearly always present in some design
or another at weddings. Their s,slcs
were blue and silver. The fair Tokiwa
then appeared, toddlng between her
proud parents (all Japanese women
'totdle' rather than walk), and COM
pletely vcilcd with u white scarf. Her
dress was of dove-colored crepe, with
here and there white stOrk in full
flight across the face of a great, round
golden sun, from which the rays shot
out two or three inches in all directions.
Her sash was of the same shade of pink
as the bridesmaids dresses, With grace
full sprays of cherry blossoms stamped
upon it, and her tiny feet now and then
peeped out. clad in snow-white little
mitten socks.
Following came Yoritomo. quite
abashed by the attention he was receiv-
ing from the audience and tianked on
either side by his mother and father,
both very old people and both tho
picture of antique good humor. Yori-
tomo was about 25, short, sturdy, with
jct-black hair, arranged in the conven-
tional fashion, and wore a costume of
clarct-colored material, over which were
designs that looked like q terrific rhun-
dcr-storm, with sheet, chain. and fork
lightning playing about the forms of
the most amazing collection of dragons
and fishes, which were disporting by
twisting themselves into double bow.
knots and other uncomfortable posi-
tions. 1t was the most stunning gar
ment ! ever saw on man. There was