The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-09-07
THE EMPEROR Of JAPAN
Popularity Supposed to Have
But One Wife.
KNOWN TO HAVE NINE.
The Other Wives Children are Recog
nized as of Full Standing in the
Royal gree.-Wives are Some
times Selected for Political Rea-
sons.--Their Influence,

times selected for PolitiC cal Rea-
| sons.--Their Influence.
Mutsuhito, the emperor of Japan, is
| popularity supposed to have only one
wife, the empress, to whom he was
married in 1869. As a matter of fact,
he has, or has had, nine wives. OF
these. however, eight are merely con.
| cubines, or consorts, having no social
rank and not figuring in any way in
the court ceremonies. They were Sc
lected for him by the imperial council
| from among the first families of the
| nation. The emperor himself. In the
| ory at least, had nothing to say about
| 1t.
| Referring to these plural wives, w.
r. Curtis. in his book "The Yankees
OF the east" says: "They seem to ne
a sort of guaranty that there shall be
an heir to the throne, as their chill
| dren are recognized as of full stand
ing in the royal pedigree. and the
present heir apparent is the son of
one of them. They are selected be-
cause of their pure blood their
health and beauty and sometimes for
political reasons. for 1t is considered
the highest distinction that can be
deferred upon a woman in Japan-to
be empress Is only nobler. The left
handed wives OF the emperor often
| WELD a tremendous political influence,
| FOR obvious reasons, and their rela-
tives are supposed to profit thereby.
They live In the greatest luxury, are
| oil Ivy -
ants, 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 tho same
authority. has had twelve children, OF
whom only four, three girls and one
boy, are living The Countess Sono
was the mother OF four children, the
Countess Chigusa and the Countess
Yanagiwara of three each and Nine.
Hashunato and Nine. Hamuro OF one
child each. Woshihita, the prince i'm
perial Is the son Of Countess Yana-
giwara, who became one OF the en-
perors concubines in 1875. She Is
the daughter OF Count Yanag!wara, a
respected citizen OF Tokyo, and Is
said to be woman Of ability.
Before her marriage the empress
was Princess Haruko. daughter Of
Prince Ichijo. This man was Of noblo
ancestry and had taken an active
part in the revolution against the ty-
coons. 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 demo-
cratic and progressive in her ways
and is much interested In educational
and charitable affairs. She has had
no children. When she was married
she was 10 years old and the emperor
two years younger. She Is described
as a delicate and slender woman, with
a long, thin face, pointed chin and
fiat features. Like most Of her coun-
try-women she uses cosmetics freely
and these do not enhance her beauty
{ In the eyes Of foreigners.
Ernest w. Clement in "A Handbook
Of Modern Japan" says Of the EN-.
press "She was brought up in the
oldfashioned way, but she is in hearty
sympathy with the ideals Of New
Japan. AS she has no children OF her
own she has adopted the entire ma
ton and completely won their love;
she Is, indeed, the mother OF millions.
She Is especially interested In educa-
tlonal and benevolent institutions;
she Is the active patron OF the Peer.
| esses' school. the University for Wo-
men. the Red Cross society and other
| philanthropic enterprises. In times Of
| calamity her purse is always opened
| for a liberal contribution to the suf
| fering."
Haru No Miya Yoshihito, the prince
imperial, was born Aug. 81, 1879, and
! was proclaimed heir to the throne In
1887. In May. 1900. he was married
to Princess Sada, daughter Of Prince
Fushima, a man OF great prominence
and a councillor of the emperor. She
was born in 1884 and educated in the
Peeresses' school until her bethrothal
when she was placed under private
tutors. The prince imperial Is even
more progressive than his father and
when he married the princess he did
not merely appoint" her his wife
anu ho'o INC iaSt iSBietcieu III INC
presence OF witnesses, as Is the usual
custom. but he had religious cere-
mony performed by priest and had
reception and banquet. He treats
his wife as an equal in every respect
and 1t is believed that through his
influence the status Of women gen.
orally in japan will be very much i'm |
proved and that concubines, which Is
now practically recognized as legal, !
will be discouraged. They have two
children, Prince Horohito, born April
29, 1901, and Prince Yasuhito, born
lima Ok 1902