Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-30
THE MIKADO'S WOMRN.
SOLE OF THE UPPER SOCIAL
CRUST In JAPAN.
The Mikado's Household Contains
Eleven Side-Wives Besides
the Empress.

Tell me something of the daily life of
the Empress" said l.
"She has," replied the Court Chamber
lain, ." an establishment of her own, and
it is quite large one. She has her maids
of honor, her private secretaries and the
ladies of the court to deal with. Her
morning is occupied by the reading and
writing of letters. She attends to the
supervision of her various charities through
Others chiefly, and in the afternoon she de-
votes herself to social duties. She receives
at this time the wives of the ministers and
the princesses who may call upon her, and
if they come at the proper time they some
times take tea with her. She sometimes
invites these ladies to meetings to discuss
matters relating to the charity hospital.
and she has grand marshal and cham
berlain.
"She is, you know, the first Empress of
the new order of things, even as the EN-
peror is the first Emperor. She wears but
little jewelry, though she has some dia-
mond rings and bracelets. She is fine
horseback rider, and often takes turn on
one of the horses Of the imperial stables.
She ears European riding habit and sits
her horse WE'LL"
The Emperor, the Empress and the
Crown Prince make up the royal family,
or at least the three most important mem
bers of it. Each of these three have, as /
have said, an establishment of their own
inside of the palace grounds. The Crown
Prince is heir apparent to the throne. He
is the son Of the Emperor by Nine. Yam
agiwara, and not by the Empress Haruko.
The Mikado of Japan has the right to
twelve concubines, and the children of
these, in case of the failure of issue by the
Empress, have the right to the throne.
They are all legitimate and noble, and it
is to these eoncubines in times past that
the noblest of the court families of to-day
date their origin. Very little is known
about them outside of the royal palace.
These royal mistresses do not appear at the
court ceremonies, and am told that each
has her little establishment inside of the
palace grounds.
They are part of the constitution of
the royal family, and in the directory of
Japan for this year | find that the En-
peror has had by them nine children.
though all with the exception of three of
these have died. Children thus born have
nothing to do with their mothers, and the
young Prince was brought up apart. 1
asked the Court Chamberlain about this
department of the palace. He would say
nothing, and said it was not proper for
him to discuss such private matter of the
Emperor's.
He chatted quite freely, however, about
the Crown Prince. "Prinee Haru," said
he, sis now 8 years old and he was pro-
claimed heir to the throne about year
ago. He Is a bright, brave boy, and very
fond of military affairs. He dresses in
European clothes and his costume is that
of soldier. The Emperor was very much
pleased the other day by having him give
him military salute when he met him,
He walks very straight, and, though dig
nifed, is thorough boy. He is fond of
boat racing and goes out every day some
where. He likes fishing and is by no
means backward in his studies. He
attends the mobiles school and he is there
on the same footing as are the others"
1t yexes him very much when the other
boys learn their lessons better than he
does his, and he works SO hard that he
stands we'll up to the head of the class
He was sent to this school in order that
this rivalry might make him study the
harder, and he is acquiring thorough
education. He is now beginning to study
English, and he knows one or two words
of French and German, which he gets off
when he meets the foreign Ministers.
These are such words as bon jour and
guten tag, and they are always applauded
and appreciated.-Frank g. Cupenter.