The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-01
THE BURIAL OF HIROSE
Tribute Paid by Japan to Her
Naval Hero.
AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE HELD.

Lat Commander In the Jnpanese
Navy Who Gave His Life For An
other at Port Arthur Was Buried
With shinto Rites-Mikndo Ordered
That All Honor be Paid the Dead.
From Tokyo, Japan, under a recent
date a war correspondent Of the In
.dianapolis News writes:
The most impressive thing I have
seen in Japan SO far was the ceremony
at Aoyama. the funeral, according to
,Shinto rites, Of that gallant hero OF the
war, Commander Hirose Of the Japa-
nese navy.
The Japanese are a hero loving race,
and few nations have had a better OPP
portunity for hero worship than that
accorded by the funeral of Hirose, a
remarkable man, a fine sailor who EN-.
bodied in himself all those qualities
that the Japanese most value. He lost
his life, as is well known now. in try
ing to save Sugino, his warrant officer,
and the story Of his exploit is the most
memorable thing in the Port Arthur
engagement.
The body Of Commander Hirose was
buried by the Russians when they
found it in the water, and, like noble
enemies, they gave their antagonist a
solemn funeral, with all the military
honors that would have been accorded
to an officer of the car. But that real
funeral was deemed insufficient by
Hirose's friends in Tokyo, his old home,
and it is even said that the mikado
himself gave instructions that all hon.
Or should be paid to the dead man.
And SO with fitting pomp and
adrous ceremony they incased all that
was recovered of Hirose's body-a mere
shred of iesh-in a plain wooden box,
and this has been left out there in
Aoyama under the cypress and cherry
trees, the grave fttingly facing the
rifle range and Aoyama barracks.
In the morning a solemn service CON
Quoted by II Tamura, a Shinto priest,
was held at the Marine club in Tsukiji,
and then, after a procession had es-
-corted the coffin to the graveside at
Aoyama, another service vas held at
which Lieutenant Matsura read a let
ter of coincidence from Admiral Togo,
which was followed by brief speeches
on the value of a hero to the nation by
Vice Admiral Arima and Viscount
kano.
The streets in Japan are always
crowded, but I never saw any street in
was the road to the cemetery. The
throng was thickest on the slope which
leads from Kojimachi to Akasaka, past
the palace of Prince Kitasharawa. Here
the procession had to pass through a
lane of people twenty feet deep on
either side, mostly townsfolk in haori
and hakama, but with a good sprin-
king Of Europeans about also.
When the procession left the club the
gun carriage on which the coffin rest
ed was escorted by about 200 marines
with reversed arms and the members
of the club. AS it passed various
streets, evidently by prearrangement,
numerous representatives Of various so
.cieties Joined in until there was, when
the diplomatic and official carriages
Joined in, a procession nearly a mile
long.
Somewhere along the route, too, a
company of bluejackets Joined the
.cortege, but just where I did not see.
as l rode ahead and waited at the GEM
etery for the procession to come.
1t came in absolute silence up the
long slope, and as it anne the throng
fell silent. 1t seemed a bit curious to
see no heads uncovered as the coffin
passed, until one remembered that this
form of salutation has not yet taken
hold In Japan. There was manifested
plenty Of curiosity, and all the tomb
stones in the cemetery-and the Japa-
nese are very fond Of queerly shaped
tombstones-were covered with people
clambering up to get a better look.
The dense crowd about the grave
side parted as 400 ~bluejackets, sturdy
fellows and visibly affected, shout
dered their way through. They took up
positions beside the grave and waited
in silence. Then came carriages, with
elaborate liveries, Of the higher Of
fcials. civil, military and naval, and
the diplomats, and these passed on.
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Shinto priest, dressed all in white and
wearing old fashioned red lacquered
shoes. Above his head a tall blue
Jacket carried an immense silken flag,
on which, In Chinese characters, was
written the name and rank of the de-
ceased officer. Then came a company
of marines carrying red and white ban
ners and 'banzai" flags, and young
sakaki, the sacred Shinto tree, covered
with the white paper go-bei.
Two naval officers came next, carry
ing decorations, and behind them the
gun carriage rolled along, draped in
black velvet and drawn by ~bluejackets.
Last thing Of all-and that caused an
intake of the breath, SO solemn and
touching was it-came a group in
white; the sister and young niece of