The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1904-05-13
MIKADO HAS NINE WIVES.
Eight Consorts Were Chosen for Him
by the Imperial Council-Their
Political Power.

Mutsuhito, the emperor of Japan, is
popularity supposed to have only one
wife, the empress, to whom he was mar
ried in 1869.
AS a matter of fact he has, or has
had, nine wives. OF these, however.
eight are merely concubines, or consorts,
having no special rank. and not figuring
in any way in the court ceremonies.
They were selected for him by the
imperial council from among the first
families of the nation. The emperor
himself, in theory at least, had nothing
to say about it.
Referring to these plural wives, w. f.
Curtis says: "They seem to be a sort Of
guaranty that there shall be an heir to
the throne, as their children are recog-
nized as of full standing in the royal
pedigree. and the present heir-apparent
is the son of one of them.
'They are selected because of their
pure blood, their health and beauty,
and sometimes for political reasons,
for it is considered the highest distinc-
ton that can be conferred upon wom-
an in Japan-to be empress is only
nobler
THE left-handed wives of the emper-
or often WELD tremendous political in
fluenee, and their relatives are supposed
to profit thereby. They live in the
greatest luxury, and except for their
omission in the court codes of etiquette,
which do not provide for them, they
stand equal to the empress herself"
The emperor, according to the same
authority, has had II children, of whom
only four, three girls and one boy, are
living. Woshibito, the prince imperial,
is the son of Countess Yanagiwara, who
became one of the emperor's concubines
in 1875. She is the daughter of Count
1anagiwara, a respected citizen of
Toxic, and is said to be woman of abil-
ity.
Before her marriage the empress was
Princess Haruko, daughter of Prince
Ichijo. This man was of noble ances-
try and had taken an active part in the
revolution against the tycoons The
marriage was popular, and. the empress
is to-day the idol of the Japanese people
She is much less exclusive than the
emperor, is democratic and progressive
in her ways, and is much interested IN
educational and charitable affairs She
has no children.
She Is described as a delicate and
slender woman, with a long, thin face,
pointed chin and fiat features. Like
most of her eountrywomen, she uses
cosmetics freely, and these do not en-
nance her beauty in the eyes of for
eigners.
Haru No Miya Yoshfhito the prince
imperial. was born August 81, 1879, and
was proclaimed heir to the throne in
1887. In May 1900, he was married to
Princess Sada, daughter of Prince Flu
shima, man of great prominence and
councillor of the emperor
The prince imperial is even more pro-
gressive in his ideas than his father
and when he married the princess he
did not merely appoint" her his wife
and have the fact registered, as Is the
usual custom, but he had a religious
ceremony performed by a priest and
had a reception and banquet
He treats his wife as an equal In ev-
cry respect. and it is believed that
through his influence the status OF
women in general in Japan will be
very much improved, and that concu-
binage, which is now practically recog-
nized as legal, will be discouraged.
They have two children, Prince Ho-
rohito. born April 30, 1901 and Prince
Yasuhito, born June %, 1902