The news & observer., 1897-03-07
A ROYAL BURIAL.
Sketch Of the Funeral Of the Empress
of Japan.

Thinking your readers might be inter
ested in the funeral rites Of royalty in
Japan / send you a short sketch of the
Empress, Douager's funeral and if you
think of enough Importance publish, If
not cast aside. The Empress Douager
died in Takio, Jan. 11th, and the body
Law in state at Asyama Palace until Feb
ruary Bird, was then taken by train to
Kyoto Zone of the oldest cities in Japan
and formerly the capital, the Mikados
father is buried there also.
Immediately after the Empress death
the entire empire was ordered to be drap-
ed in mourning for thirty days, all busi-
ness houses both japanese and foreign
were closed for one day, all schools were
closed for four days, and no entertain
ments OF any description were to be held
for fifteen days, even foreigners were
requested not to have music in their
homes.
The government appropriated $4,000
United States Government for the ex-
penses of the funeral which were seven
hundred Thousand silver dollars here,
over twelve thousand prisoners were par
doned also in her honor.
When the body was ready to be convey
ed to the train a preliminary religious
service over the coffin containing the re-
mains was held at s a. M, then the cur
tains in the room were raised and Marquil
Kuga presiding Shinto Priest adYanc-
ing to the coffin read out a short prayer
after other offerings Of friends had been
made and the musicians played a mourn
ing hymn.
The Emperor and Empress could not
attend on account of indisposition so
were represented by Prince and Princess
Komatru the Prince and Princess of the
Imperial family. Twenty-four (24) Shinto
Priests and the court musicians also
followed the bier, which was rooted
with a black lacquend canopy draped
with gray curtain and light green blinds
The Japanese do not use hearps and
horses as we do, but the bodies are car
ried by men) borne by 10 bearers. At the
station the bier was received by the dis
| trict court officers. Diplomatic crops
and all societies, schools, cadets, etc,
lined the streets, but the people who had
come from far and near to get view of
the Imperial cortege were dissatisfied
as they could not get a view on ac-
count of the troops stationed on each
side Of the street.
The following I have copied from the
Japan Gazette and is a description Of
the rites in KyOto.
7, On the bridge of dreams, funeral car
riage and oxen of honor. On the route
leading from 0mya Palace to the I'M
perial burying ground Gotsukomma in
/ Kyoto, there is a small antique bridge of
historical fame, called by the name of
Zume-no-uki-hashi that is Bridge
Of Dreams, which is considered to be ON
the boundary Of this world of dreams,
and the world of eternal sleep, and which
has been a fayorite subject of elegial
verse. 1t spans a small brook running
out from Komatsudoni between hills
around the burying ground and is 26
feet long and 20 feet wide rising about
so feet above the bed of the brook. As
the carriage carrying the heavy cof
7 fin of the late Empress had to be carried
over this bridge it had to be rebuilt-es-
pecially for the occasion of the Imperial
funeral, for the construction Of which
the municipal section of the Kyoto Pu-
fectural Assembly recently passed a vote
of 1,20O silver dollars.
The carriage or rather chariot was
made of antique style, its axle tree being
more than u feet long and the wheels
measuring about feet in diameter. 1t
is to be black lacquend. The whole
Notwithstanding the coffin and carriage
will be 1000 pounds and it is to be drawn
by three oxen of special color in finding
which the authorities experienced great
difficulty and paid enormous prices for
them. They are all pubald, one is black
having a white forehead another is light
brown and has white streaks resembling
a bamboo blind. Another is entirely black
and has been selected as reserve
beast. AS they are to convey the late
Empress to her last resting place and
are not allowed to polute the sacred shine
more, they are fed with food sprinkled
with medicine in order to stop elimina-