Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-16
ROYALTY ENTERTAINED
Japanese Prince and Princess
in London.


LONDON. July s, 1905.
Prince and Princess ArisuGawa of Japan,
who We're the representatives of their en-
peror and empress al the marriage of the
German crown prince. have been enjoying
reception almost royal. The opportunity
of testifyinS the profound respect with
which the people of Great Britain regard
the august ally of the empire, his imperial
consurt and his people, has been cordially
welcomed by all classes of his majesty's
subjects. This is not the first time that
Prince Arisugawa has visited Great Brit
ain. He represented his sovereign at the
diamond jubilee of her late maj sty. The
close ties by which England is now bound
to Japan has intensified the warmth of the
reception and given to this visit an even
greater interest than that with which the
romantic history of that fascinating land
invested previous similar occasions.
The Arisugawas are one of the four impe-
rial families of Japan in whom are vested
the succession to the throne in the case of
the failure of the direct line of the SOW
ereiSn, and until the birth of the crown
prince in 1879 Prince Arisugawa was the
heir presumptivc. The family was founded
toward the close of the sixteenth century
by Prince 1oshihito, the seventh son of the
Emperor Go IoZei, who reigned from 1857
to 1911. the title being taken from one of
the old imperial palaces in kioto, the an
Gent capital of Japan.
Sons of Eighth Prince.
The present prince and his immediate
predecessor, Arisugaua Taruhito, were both
sons of the eighth prince of the line Arisu-
gawa OrihitO. and their relationship, both
to each other and to the emperor, curiously
illustrates the custom of adoption which is
universal in Japan throughout all ranks and
classes, from the imperial family down to that
of the humblest peasant. The late Prince
Taruhito was adopted as son by the En-
peror Ninko 0I1I to 1I45), grandfather to
the present emperor, and Prince Taruhito.
having no children of his own, adopted as
his son and heir his younger brother, the
present prince. Emperor Ninko had only
one son. who succeeded him the Emperor
komei, 1917 to 1867. and the latter again
was succeeded by his only son. the present
emperor.
After the Chinese war the prince became
admiral superintendent of Iokosuka, the
Portsmouth of Japan, and such was re-
spOnsible for the organization of the largest
division of the Japanese fleet. In that ca
pacity he won for himself as he had done
while serving the blue water the repu-
tation of a thoroughly competent officer.
His strong and determined character i'm
pressed itself on every department under
his control, infusng into all his subordi-
mates the earnest and Self-SaCrifCing devO-
ton 10 duty by which he himself was actu-
ated, and he is loved and revered by all of
his countrymen. In the present war he is
taking no active part. His rank in the navy
precluded any other appointment than that
of chief, and while every con-
fidence would have been placed in him by
his countrymcn, even in that capacity. rep
utation and experience gave the post to his
Junior, Admiral Togo. just as indisputably
as they did to Nelson hundred years ago
at similar juncture in the history of Great
Britain.
Princess Arisugawa is daughter of the
Marquis Mayeda who until the revolution
was of the most powerful of the great
feudal lords. and who, with all the outward
pomp of semi-sovereignty and in almost
complete independence, reigned over the
rich and Iopulous province of kaga; in
whose family also hcreditarily vested
the office of Chunagon, one Of the highest
at the imperial court of kioto. AS all Jap
anese ladies from the empress downward
have done. Princess Arisugawa, until her
departure from Tokyo took an active share
in the organization and management of the
Red Cross and other societies for the care
of the wounded and the relief of the fam
lilies of the fallen.