The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-30
Imperial Family
Of Japan
ny FREDERIC u HAsKlN.

| 1t is undOuDLedly true mat no otHeT
change IN the affairs Of his people rs
the present ruler of Japan has wit
messed during his reign. Mutsu-lllto
became Emperor when. he was siXteon
ye SD au and " M "a "a ff s Is ne
121st ruler OF his dynasty, belonging
to line OF monarchs which stretches
Through the unparalleled period OF ~
6ss years Greater progress has been
reign than in all the time since Jimmti
TennU. the first historical ancestor
| Of the present son OF heaven, sat upon
the throne in GO b. c.
ent monarch causes much comment, his
lperson Is hedged about with much less
lf0r1nal!ty than was put around his
ancestors. In the olden time the M
public No one but his wife. his con-
lcubines and Ills most Important min
!sters were ever permitted to look upon
ss u akuy ats Sro s" a H. face &c
was protected from view bys u richly
Embroidered curtain. 1t was strict
rule OF etiquette that his sacred feet
that the present Emperor never walked
until he was eighteen years old, which
may account for his awkward gait,
which,i s still noticeable.
| In olden tines the Emperor Travelled
IN q curtalncd car of state. His name
and file d his subjects, and when
written had to be left unfinished by
lomitting the last stroke OF the writing
brush. The first time Japanese EN-
peror's name was ever written in full
during his lifetime was when the pres
lent sovereign issued his edict promis-
ing the people a constitutional form
tied to look down upon the Emperor,
SO that when he drives through the
streets the blinds OF upper windows
must be closed and no one darcs to
CLIMB on anything to get view OF
His Imperial Majesty. Formerly no
one o. , was permitted to look upon tho
s nss but II
fled in the case OF persons who must
wear glasses OF necessity. But 1t Is
st,ll wrong TO see the Emperor through
glass. and to avoid any chance OF any
ones seeing him through a window. he
grants audiences and does his work in
a room in which all the blinds are nall
ed down.
). The N; legal ,, cause Of this ex.raya gantly;
| In the! third article Of the Constitu-
ton OF Japan. which says; "The En-
peror fs sacred and invIolable." Fur
the r, exp!anation Of this clause Is made
lstitution: The Emperor Is heaven-de-
lscended. divine and sacred. His hall
lowed throne was established at the
became separated. He is pre-. eminent
above all his subjects. The law has
no power to hold him accountable to
II. Not. only shall there be no irrev-
he shall not be made topic for derog-
atory comment. nor even one OF dis
custom. Thus 1t will be seen that
me japanese consider their ruler too
inculcated in the law OF the land
prohibition OF the use OF his name in
ordinary conversation.
the Emperor has no designations and
Ing nearly his whole time in the dis
Icharse of his official duties. He is
sald to resemble the German Emperor
IN the faculty of being able to choose
Majesty cannot read or speak any Ian
Suage other than his own. he is an In
yetefate reader of newspapers. keeping
MS interpreters busy translating the
information. Quite in conformity with
the idea his subjects have about his
divinity is the claim that he never
SHOWS emotion. II there are moments
troll. no reports OF them ever reach be-
L You'd the palace walls.
me Emperor always wears a mill
tary uniform, and has done SO ever
since he discarded Japanese dress years
ago. Not only when he appears In pub
lie. but when working at his European
desk he Is dressed in the full uni
form fer11t Of ( re genera or ADMIRAL nIs In
was illustrated by an incident OF war
times. body OF troops was passing
and ne ordered one Of the priyates to
sent s 10 h'm examined the SOL
lquestions about them. Then to satisfy
himself he sent for pair OF the same
kind and wore them for two or three
days to test their comfort.
The one hobby NJ tho Afikado 10 hts
love OF poetry. No day passes without
his turning out forty or fifty poems.
which, according to Japanese rule. must
lsyl!ables. His capacity in this particu-
lar is so great that the official court
poet estimates that during the past
,,h,rty years ad HIS Majesty has written
the Emperor was only eight years old
his father gave him number OF sub
oects FOR verses. and he has had an
Emperor selects subject, and the pub
| lie is requested to send in poems on
this theme. Thousands OF responses
are l received. and the Bureau OF Poetry.
passing upon them all. Finally. the
committee selects what are considered
the six best poems, and these are read
tpers. OF course, this honor is regarded
very highly by the successful compete
tors. This year the subject was THE
Pine Tree Beside the Shrine" The
Emperor's contribution was THE Ever
green Pine Tree Stands Beside the
Shrine. Which Guards the Empire I'M
nova bic. =" Among the six successful
4 man, who wrote:~"In the garden 'front.'
Ing the shrine. the cranes play under
the .pine-tree foliage" While the
translation DESTROYS the meter, an un-
|tained
The present court poet is seventy
years old. and It is said that he Is
soon, tosrettre from office on accoun.
OF the arduous duties attached to It.
There is a story which shows that al
though the Aikado may be supreme in
ruling, the Japanese nation. the court
poet is tho boss of his department.
/ poetical adviser We're both young men
they made a trip together from Kyoto
/ to Tokyo. They travelled along for
sacred mountain, or course, the view
Inspired the Emperor to dash Off a
number Of effusions In trying to de.
ltermine which of the lot was the best
ia dispute arose. and the discussion
became so heated that the court poet