Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-31
THE MIKAD0.
QUAINT ETIQUETTE OF AN IMPERIAL
PROGRESS IN JAPAN.
Hcrorinr the Emperor and Emprcss-fe
euIisr Ceremonies When the Latter
Travels--Two Newspapers.

euIisr Ceremonies When the Latter
Traveis-Two Newspapers
There IL blood on the moon a. Al 20.
Nav. the whole "orbed maiden with white
FIRE laden" is decidedly buggy" Ana
il is all on account OF the Nikado himself.
His Majesty and the Empress went thither
on April 9Th for the first time IN four
wears. and were received by the people
with much enthusiasm aud numerous ire
works. Thousands OF men, women,
and children stood in the streets IN
q pouring rain for thee or four hours
10 see their Maicsties pass by from the
railroad station % the palace, mere
was not much fuss and feathers about the
ROYAL procession, however. On account OF
the severe storm the Emperor ana I'm
press rode in close carriages, MAKING III lth-
possible for them 10 salute the CROWDS very
impressiycly. even had Japanese etquete
allowed them 10 do so, winch IL ulu NOT
and they were attended by about thlrty
cavalryrnen. The next day the emperor
visited the tomb of his father. and later in
the week formally opened the kioto-Blwa
canal. SO much for the plain facts of the
case Now for the yarnish-the Japannlng.
That rain-struck procession did not
please the correspondent OF the Nor
Herdli who witnessed H. Perhaps ms
umbrella leaked and the rain rot down the
back of his neck. Perhaps in conformity
With Japanese o,iaue.te ne folded his um-
brella and stood bareheaded IN the ram
while the Emperor passed by. AZ any rate
his soul was gTieved. and IN bitterness OF
spirit be wrote that the Emperor
took not the slightest notice OF the
profound bows Of his loyal subjects. ana
II their spirits we're not depressed by the
rain / should think that they were Oy
4 - - n
Tinueror of japan" So. there. II THAT
he treason make the most OF It; aud make
The nuniebuent suit the crime. 10 doesn't
really sonpd as bad as the Pail NdH G01afSs
reference 10 the Prince of Wales as the
fat little man who cut such a sorry inquire,
does it? And think an American paper
once described tho President of the United
States-not the present Fresident-as look
ING grumpy as q boiled owl" or words To
that effect.
But the Kobe Herald has an esteemed con-
temporary, the japan MAJ, of Yokohama.
And these esteemed contemporaries love
each other after the most approved fashion
of the Arizona KiciG' type. so the UnN
promptly observed that the words i have
quoted from the Herald were the grossest
piece of rudeness ever perpetrated by eny
foreign newspaper toward the SOVEREIGN
Of Japan. - The ports of the country"
il added. ought to be closed against the
Bobe H,TnM 49, II that journals CORE
spondent knew anything OF Japanese ct
ouette. he would know that the Emperor
never bows to o crowd" SO. there. again
Pm the Emperor Of Japan-and I'm his
champion-elect.
Next the Japan Herald took up the cud-
gels for its KObe namesake. and remarked
that IN the Mails championship of the
Emperor there is fine air Of flunkeylsm,
worthy of Thackeray's Jeames de Ia
pluche in excelsis." With this second |
Richmond in the field the MAI took three
days in which TO prepare for the fray. and
then rushed forth with full column, with |
three lines of headings. 1t waxed el0- !
ouent in its denunciatiOn of 80 the insult |
offered TO the Emperor" and of the arti- |
Giles which vilipended the Sovereign" Its |
esteemed contemporary, IT declared, gio- |
peculiar coarseness." 1t lamented that the |
law could not punish severely the miscre- |
ant. However. it continued in spirit of |
exalted forboarance. the errlng CORE |
spondept will be the first to regret his |
laundering discourtesy. He probably IN |
tended simply 10 record the fact that Ja- |
panese etiquette, in respect to the de- |
meanor Of the sovereign toward the sub |
iect is different from western etiquette, !
and that in his opinion the latter is pre- |
ferable. Not being sufficiently educated |
he could not manage to say 1t without |
USING rude expressions. That IL. he did |
as well a. he knew. but he did not know |
much.
This article the Japan HerGH promptly |
characterized az nearly column of |
abuse mingled with falsehOOds
and hallelujahs of ilunkeyism. And the |
original sinner. the KObe Herald. put in its |
word again to this effect: The remarks |
Of our correspondent were made, we may .
l. Al. g. sta ,,f IN ~
glishman. not from that ola turnkey IN the |
employ of the Japanese Government, and |
were not only perfectly natural under the |
circumstances, but were fully justified by |
consideration of the change which has |
already been made, and Is stll III |
course of operation IN the Government, |
manners and customs of Japan. In the |
year in which national assembly IS to |
be naugurated in the country the days are
gone by when the Mikado was a semi
divinity upon whom no man was allowed |
% look. and upon whose appearance every |
one was expected TO bow his head upon |
the ground. A new era has arrived, and If |
his Majesty chooses to appear in pubic TO |
receive the loyal welcome OF hls subjects |
he may very well be expected by foreigner |
who has not the honor TO belong to the |
staff of his Majesty's menials, TO make |
some Acknowledgement of the royal ex- |
pressiops of his subjects" There at present |
the warfare rests. But both parties to the |
conflict are reported to be preparing pens |
of uncommon sharpness and INK OF sur |
passing redness. and when the next en- |
counter occurs the everlasting heights OF |
Fusiyama itself VIII tremble.
How far the old customs still survive IN
this land of marvellous progress was
strikinely shown al hioto during his Ma
iesty's visit. In the old days 1t was not al
lowable that any one should occupy II
higher place than the Emperor or Shotgun
when in the latter's presence, and this rule
was still adhered TO IN kioto. when the
shutters of all upper stories were closed
tight during the royal passage through
the streets, no one being allowed to occupy
any place higher than the ground. At one
portion of the route n party of foreigners
were observed looking through chlnk or
opening in the shutters and they were az |
once requested by the police to come |
down. |
The Empress is going on to do some |
more travelling about the country, and in |
the "Asahi Shimbun" Of Osaka-imagine |
IA New York newsboy crying the name OF !
that paper II find this notification of her |
route and the etiquette TO be observed by |
the faithful.
Her Majesty will visit Osaka about the |
23d. She will stay at Nara two days. at ,
SalSurai two days, at Taharamoto one day, !
and at Yoshno one day. The following |
regulations are proclaimed for the guidance |
of the people while her Majesty 10 passing !
through this city Of Osaka;
al. When her Majesty shall pass along |
no one must look at her from the frame |
built on houses for the drying of clothes, |
or through cracks in doors. or from any |
position in the upper portion of their |
houses.
$50. IL ANYBODY wishes TO see her Ma |
iesty he or she must sit down at the side OF |
the road by which her Majesty will pass. |
All children must be taken particular care |
of, that they do not play in the road and so !
obstruct the passage of her Majesty through |
the streets.
80 No one must look at her Majesty |
without taking oil his hat, neck-cloth, or |
turban, or whatever else he may be wear |
ing on or about his head. Moreover. no !
one must be smoking while he or she Is
looking at her Majesty. nor must any one |
carry a stick or cane. Only women wear |
ing foreign clothes will he permitted to re- |
tain their head-covering.
"a. Althoughit may rain. no person VIII |
be allowed 10 put up an umbrella while !
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