The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-03

castle on the hill' was very much the
 same as the simple life of the people
 in the valley below. Many ancien
 poems and tales, allude to the quain1
 ceremonies of those days, but to only 2
 few very conservative families among
 the nobles are they familiar, and ever
 to those the origin and signifcaI1ce oi
 many of the most curious are lost
 During those ages when an aWesome
 reverence for the mikados kept then
 practically prisoners within the palace
 the rest of Japan was moving onward
 but no change ever took place in the
 life or customs of the Holy City, Thus
 it is that many ancient services long .ago forgotten by the people, are still
 observed in the palace just as they
 were over a thousand years ago.
 One very peculiar custom, never
 omitted on the occasion of royal
 birth, is the throwing from the palace
 roof of the koshiki, an ancient wooden rice boiler This ceremony dates back
 2,600 years to the reign of Ugayafukia- ezdu-no- Mikoto. All buildings of those days were very primitive, and tradi-
 tion says when the emperor's son was
 born the roof proved insufficient to. pro-
 tect the empress and the imperial heir from the snow and rain. Ugayafuklaez-
 du- -no- Mika.do took a koshiki which
 consists of several layers of thin wood
 en boxes, and overlaying them, made a 1 temporary covering. AfterWard bum 1 dies of rice straw or flax reeds were used in the same manner, and thus
 roof matching came into use. In grateful memory of this invention, and
 to signify that the koshki is no longer
 of use it is thrown to the ground. | Another unchanging custom is that 1 of sending messenger, as soon as | the babe is born to Ise, the ancestral temple of the mikados In ancient | times this messenger was always the highest court lady, but recently rep | resentative has taken her place She carries a box made of the beautiful white kirl wood. It has no decoration. except the sixteen leaved chysanthe-
 mumthe crest of the nikado--in gold and it is bound with a heavy silken cord having the long purple tassels which signify congratulation. Within is a letter, which, in the most formal and reverent words, announces the birth of the royal babe and offers grateful thanks to the Mysterious" for yet another promise of the lever lasting glory of the mikado dynasty" This letter is presented, with much ceremony, to the priestess of the tenn pie, and is then read aloud in the most holy place. This custom has not once been neglected since the days of tbe tenth mikado, 1885 years ago and slhce that time until now, the priestess u ise temple has always been a sis .ei ol the mlkado or one of the royal princesses
 The eight day of the little princes ilIe VIII be set apart for the ceremonv or halr-hair will be carefully kent ,,n- Ill death, when it vii be placed with siilliar relics, in a small bag of silk and tied around the neck and buried With the body in hitsuei filled witb vermillion and charcoal.
 The prince name" is selected h,, certain court officials after much con slaeratlon, and-should the customs of% ms ancestors be followed-the vounc prince will be given a name never be- fore borne by anyone, but one chosen as appropriate to the present lime rre VII be called by this name until he ba- eoilies fillhado. His tomb name" giv- 1 ell aller ueath, will be one especially | characteristic of his life or reign.
 Numerous quaint and interestins ceremonies will take place for several weeks to come, but the one to which l the people of Tokio are looking forward With greatest interest is the ceebra- !; ton Of the baby's first visit to the mi kado and empress. Then the entire | city will be alive with enthusiasm and l in decoration will run | high
 The streets, from the palace of the | crown prince to that of the mikado Will be line of scarlet and white. | made by hundreds of Japanese flags and swinging tassels. There will be | immense hollow arches of woven ham, boo through the meshes of which are tWined branches, flowers and vines ar ranged in artistic designs of birds and nottos.
 Crowds of faces--all reverentiaI-will i'll the streets, but no elevation. above he level of the carriage holding the oval babe. No Japanese was ever so 1isrespectful as to look downward to 'oyalty, and the object of the crowded mass of people packed close on both sides of the streets, is not to see, but 0 pay honor to their future sovereign.
 Some country people will surely be here, who, with deepest bows, will nurmur prayers as the procession oasses hut no les respect is shown in he ardent shouts with which the air vii ring of Long live the mikado!" Long live Japan!" Long live the descendant of the Fountain of the ,un!''
 No western prince need talk of blue 'lood in the presence of this Japanese abe. His lineage may be traced in an line back almost 5000 years, trough 122 royal ancestors, direct to he sun goddess.
 Japanese historians say this goddess ,as an ancient queen, who ruled her mall dominions with great wisdom nd became a mighty power through ut the entire land; but the people be- : eve the traditions which ascribe to CT ad ivine origin and miraculous at ributes.
 To the sun goddess is dedicated Ise ample, and within it's holy walls are ept the sacred treasures that form the cepter of power of the Japanese lrone These treasures-a sword a