The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-25

japanese In a. Imperial Uu1vors>fy o.
Toxic says ehst at one period In the his-
tory of this strange and andent In
there were a. many e. six mzkados Twins,
Al shut on from the world entirely.
Even the shotgun, the Eeneralissfno ana
political head Of Japan for centuries be-
fore La vas too important 10 be seen by
The pubic. shutters vent up at his APP
proAch. and aid anyone peep. discovery
meant DEATH II was rather bewfldering,
therefore. to the Japanese to have the
shotgun suddenly become a private citizen.
out into the light and show himself real
6esh and blood. though the natives believe
the flesh and blood to be Of divine origin.
distinct from that OF all other persons.
The Sun Goddess. Amaterassu. mother OF
Jimmu Tenno. the first OF the mikados.
has her sacred picture in many Japanese
temples It win not do TO look upon these
pictures without proper ceremony. as the
following incident Illustrates:
vIseount Mort. minister OF education.
went to Nara TO see the famous temple
there. which the caretakers tear down
and rebuild with new material every TWEEN
~ years This razing and rebuilding has
gone on regularly for over twenty CEN
turtles. The imperial relics are there. =
mirror. sword and a crystal sphere. and
also a picture OF Amaterassu. hanging be-
uiNI u CURTAIN. me Ff@cDUul ndu no E<rdI
reverence for these things. II seems At
any rate. he entered the temple without
taking or his shoes. a serious breach on
his part. and actually pushed aside with
hts walking stick the curtain that COM
cealed the goddess picture. News OF this
came to Tokyo. and a young government
clerk. hearing II. and ascertainfnE by q
trip 70 Nara that It was true, sought out
the minister and stabbed him IN the ab-
ArY4Hn vxrtfk q - kaff q ~tx
ignominy associated with a fish knffe.) II
bsing Jubilee day. IN honor Of the
emperor's gift of 4 constitution to the peo-
pie. the court physician was away. and 50
on down the line Of his Assistants until.
when plain. ordinary doctor came. tho
minister was past recovery.
News Of the killing came to me on the
west coast. sent without particulars. Va
rious explanations were about, all little
more than suesses One, however. Is sug-
gestive. It throws hight on the Japanese
attitude toward the mtkado. II came from
4 member Of the board Of education OF the
province Of Echin. II 60 not know ex
actly the cause for H." he said. but
heard the killing - done because viscount
hori yawned in this presence Of our en-
psror ! think that may be the reason"
Another instance shows something OF
the same sort. To see the procession on
tfsS Jay Vi ta1 Ft1CuuHt Qe8tH- fHe lku9-
sian minister had q platform built level
with the top Of the wall In front OF the
legation 4 party o. invited guests were
there, looking down on the road along
which the e1nperor ard empress wcre to
pass When the crowd saw this IL muir
INJURED and then laid siege to the Legal
ton, stoned the women and would have
killed every one about the place had not
the eimeiy arrival Of military police saved
the lnmafss- All this was because the
quests Of tho Russian minister would
have looked down upon tho mikado. Po-
sitton signifies something in Japan.
The mikado h.msqaf does not share this
idea at all He - wonderfully free from
prctudicss and wishes his subjects TO =
AZ enlightened A. arc tho best OF for
ciguers. There II an entire absence Of
haughtfncSs IN HE deznexnor. I have seen
him frequently ut parades and at the
races. scmstspes on foot and some.imez
on horseback. chatting with officers OF
tae court. He has an agreeable counte-
nance, with nervous twitch In II At
times. and q pleasant snaiie His eve Is
bright and has the slight blant that In
dicafes high breeding In Japan. ana he
hax nose enough for Eyeglasses IL he
ncedad them. which IN . thing 20 be proud
OF In Japan His beard aud mus,ache arr.
perfectly black. ~ IL his abundant hair.
and he carries himself with graceful erect
ness ana dignity. He wears q military
uniform after the French pattern. during
his wor<ing hours. which take up much
the better half OF the day, and seldom
uses the native dress, except when per-
forming the Shinto ceremonies before the