Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25

NkhNlA and full prepare
~ lions have been
AS made to display
H0 even greater royal
pornp The most remarkable burial cere-
mony of great rulers will be witnessed
which modern times has ever seen.
There will be no "Miserere" or "Bene-
diction': no Ego sum resurrectio ct
Vita: no crucifx placed in the folded
hands; no cake OF -four and honey placed
in the hand a bride to Cerberus' no
obolus in the mouth as fee for Charon'
no amounting with spices and swatnang
in linen bands; no immolation OF the
widow: no lying in a cofnn of cypress
wood a foot thick, bound with raWhide
and covered with lacquer. and being kept
a year or more until millions can be
spent to make suitable roadway over
which TO carry the corpse to its maj
abode on a day approved by those steep
ed in the mysteries of Fung- Shut. but,
according to the cablegrams the late
r,tkado Is to be buried with full Shnto
ritual the full services lasting three
days.
Not thus have all Japanese rulers
been buried. Among the most remark
able of the archaeological remains OF
ancient Japan are the sepulchral monu-
ments of their grandees and soVer-
eirns. These are mounds of varying
shape and character, called mlsasasl
in the case OF emperors empresses
and princess of the blood. According
to the antiquarians. the emperors
tombs In the most ancient times were
simple mounds; but before the advent
of the Christian era these had become
highly specialized and continued to De
so for several centuries.
The misasagi was really composed or
two mounds. one con1cal, In Wnlch Ine
body was inferred, and the otheT III
angular and lower. probably used as q
platform on which the ceremonies were
performed. The whole was moat-in-
closed. sometimes by two concenilic
moats with a narrow strip OF lana De
tween Side view the mounds look
saddle hill. Sometimes there are Two
smaller mounds at the base OF the
larger ones Terraces marx tne Slope
of these tumuli. and on these are set.
at intervals of inches, curious. coarse
cylinders of baked clay. only the upper
rim showing. and they NUMBER, o!teh,
in the thousands. The purpose OF tnese
is disputed; but many connect them
with the ancient custom. OF burying
images of an emperor's retainers
around his grave instead OF the ilvlhe
servants. which barbarous custom was
in vogue in B. C. 2 In that year the
Emperor SUNNI having been made sad
by the crying OF the servants buried
standing around the tumulus OF MS
brother, commanded his ministers 10
devise some plan by which this an
Client custom might be done away
with.
These tombs varied greatly in size.
The one Of the Emperor DIN. near Nara
measures 312 yards around the outer
moat. while a good sized village mas
been built on the flank Of that OF the
emperor buried In Kawachi.
Generally the misasaH contains large
vault Of great unhewn stones. laid with
out mortar converging toward the top
and often rooted by slabs weighing many
tons. A long, low gallery. constructed
wall of the tomb. led into the vault. In
later times the entrance faced south, SO
that the deceased might occupy the most
honorable north quarter. Excavauons
have disclosed the use OF both stone anu
pottery sarcophagi.
Few Of these old mounds have escaped
dissertation, some being sites OF CABBAGE
patches. a road running through that OF
Emperor Yuryaku, others being quarried
for building stones, while many nave pc
come tree-clad and the homes OF the
naddv birs1 but of recent years imperial
tombs have been better cared for by the
government. being fenced in, provided
with honorary gateways and visred once
or twice yearly by embassies.
Under Buddhism for centuries the
state religion Of Japan. this manner or
emperor burying fell into disuse. the
priests teaching that sucn Cosby suuc,
fostered false notions OF the real value OF
the mortal body.
The imperial family OF Japan, like the
Chinese, lavish great sums of money on
funerals, $3.50, 900 being the amount APP
propriated from the national treasury
when the empress dowager died At that
time the funeral pomp lasted several
weeks, the procession was two miles
long, the final ceremony lasted over
twenty-five hours during which time the
imperial princess stood almost barefoot
IN the snow without food. II she had
died in 1861. when gigantic funerals
were the popular craze Of the country,
one wonders what II would have been.
The magnificent coffin was drawn on an
oN-cart. as win he that of the late Mutsu
hito According to ancient usage the
wheels were purposely built to creak
mournfully. The body was preserved In
vermlion. The three oxen were harnessed
In single file. the leader being Jet black;
the next. dun. fecked with black: the
third. spotted white and black with
white star on the forehead and four white
stockings. The schools were closed for
week; no music was heard for q month:
the court suspended festivities for year.
and thousands Of criminals were liberated
Shinto has been the state religion since
the restoration In 1853 According to ma
tive commentators, no moral code IL need
lrnh fS hn fv>w,
nese humanity. Shintoism boasts Of no
sacred book, breaches neither heaven nor
hell. though its followers believe in a con-
tinued existence. OF the 500 or more gods