The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-04
NEXT JAP EMPRESS
She Is Now a Little Slant
Eyed Mink of TO-
JAP MARRIAGE CEREMONY
As Described by the Master
of Royal Ceremonies.
JAP MARRIAGE CEREMONY

Ms UoSCl lD6u Wy tii0 Wdot0i
of Royal Ceremonies.
Cleveland, O., March 3.-The Leader
prints the following from Toxic, Japan;
The next Empress of Japan has been Sc
lected and the young lady is already IN
training It has been decided that the
Prince Imperial shall be married at the
earliest possible moment, and as soon Is
the details of his wedding can be settled
the fact will be announced TO the world.
The highest officials of the japanese Cow
ernment are now considering the matter,
Preparations are being made to celebrate
the wedding on the grandest scale, and
within a short time the young Prince and
his bride will be discussed in every capt.
tai Of the world. Today practically moth
ing is known about either of them, and it
was to learn all that possibly could be as
certained concerning the wedding and the
contracting parties that I went today
with letters from the American Minister
to the household department Of the En-
peror, inside the grounds of the Imperial
Palace, TO have an interview with Baron
Sannomiya, the grand master of ceremo-
MES TO his Imperial Majesty
Armed with a legation passport and
with two of the fastest and SWEETEST Of
the jinriksha runners as my human
steeds, I dashed over the two great meats
which separate the holy of holes from
the rest Of the city, went by the officials
in livery at the gates with the aid Of my
papers, and was soon in the presence Of
the man who more than all others has to
do with the court ceremonies and the pri-
vate life OF the Emperor and his family.
This was Baron Sannomiya, who for
years has has been at the head of the
household department of his Majesty, and
who today knows more about the impe-
rial family than any other man in Jap
an. The baron speaks English fiuently,
and it was in this tongue that our con-
versation was conducted. He talked
very freely of the Prince Imperial and
his affianced, giving me much Of the in
formation which will be found further on.
We were talking almost under the
shadow of the Emperor's apartments,
and as we discussed the wedding and its
ceremonies could not help contrasting
the marriage which the Prince Imperial
will have with that which his father had
when he was still, to a large extent,
part of the old Japan. Such an interview
would have been impossible then. It
would have probably caused the death of
both myself and Baron Sannomiya, for
at that time, about thirty years ago, his
Majesty was revered as a god by the peo-
pie. 1t was treason to utter his name
aloud, and in writing it a letter was al
mays left out for reverence. Then none
but his wives and his highest ministers
ever saw his face. He was penned up in
his palace at Kioto, and when he went
out it was in a closely-curtained car
drawn by bullocks. Now the Emperor
goes everywhere. He is the real ruler of
the country, and both himself and the
Empress are often seen by the better
class of japanese. When the Emperor
was married the Empress, according to
the then custom, shaved her eyebrows
and blackened her teeth, so that they
shone like vanished ebony.
This is still done in the country dis
tricts OF Japan, and is supposed to show
the wife's devotion to her husband in
that she wishes to make herself so I'M
attractive that no one else will want her.
The Empress discontinued the practice,
it is said, after few years. and it is
through her that the custom has been
abolished in Japan. At that time no Jap
anese wife would have thought of eat
ing at the same time with her husband.
! have been told that the Emperor often
sits doU-u A. the "a mo talala with his u-ifa
and they frequently eat together. Both
the Emperor and the Empress are now
in many ways the same as the other
great rulers Of the earth. and this will
be the case with the Prince Imperial
and his wife.