El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-13
CEREMOAALs MARX THE
FUNERAL OF JAPAH'S GREAT RULER

! the house OF peers and all the high Of
ricials OF the japanese government
While the condolences were being ex-
tended preparations for the removal OF
the body to the AOyama cemetery for
the public ritual were going on.
Aoyama stands upon the outskirts of
TOXIC and in the NipponeSe means the
district Of green hills" Growing. the
lofty emtnence OF one of these hills is
a burying ground set apart for the en-
peror's family when court was removed
from the old capital at Kioto 40 years
ago.
Although the procession did not start
for Aoyama until late in the day the
lines began forming early under direc-
ton Of officers from the army and
navy Thousands of weeping men and
women hung upon the outskirts or
crowded forward with membled words
of prayer.
Ancient Custom Followed
Following an ancient Japanese Gus
tom inaugurated in the days of en-
peror kwammu more than 1000 years
ago the imperial coffin was placed on
the funeral car by 100 men of Hase vii
lage, Kioto. These men were forbidden
to utter word during the ceremonies
Seven gigantic oxen were attached
to the enormous funeral car which had
been especially built for this occasion
The leader of the oxen was a gigantic
animal Of jet black The others were
dun with flecks Of white and black.
Japan had been secured to find perfect
animals for this occasion.
The procession was headed by the i'm
perial body guards-picked troops cor
of Great Britain. They were followed
by vehicles bearing thousands upon
thousands of various kinds of flowers.
Some were arranged in the forms of
cones ten feet high and at certain
points the beautiful moving bower
side.
Next came the mounted police. a SUI
sitting erect IN his saddle like a soldier.
Following the police came what looked
like moving forest This part Of the
procession was made up of men carry
ing trees with the roots intact to be
planted in the cemetery. The dark green
boughs Of these sacred trees were re-
heVed by streamers of variously col
ored silk ribbon. Each bore pious in
seription.
The Standard Bearers.
After the tree bearers were a large
number OF men carrying high stand
ards. Some of these were so tail that
it required nearly a dozen men to carry
each The names upon them were of
the nObleSt families OF Japan and the
inscriptions were from the family
crests. But these were followed by even
loftier standard of rich brocade
worked with threads of pure gold This
great banner represented the clan OF
the Princes of the Blood
Then came more soldiers, these made
up to represent the troopers of Japan's
feudal days. With them marched
priests and interpreted among the SOL
dlerS and the ecclesiasts were musicians
who played sad funeral dirges upon in
struments used in times of antiquity
Imperial princes, disdaining wealth
and station upon such an occasion when
grief IS supposed to set the low and
the high upon common ground,
marched along on foot behind the mu-
slclans- They wore white kimOnoS and
wide trousers OF black. Each was ShOd
" "a fan a
staff of bamboo. Indeed, the duty of
the princes at the time of such a fu-
neral as this is not an enyiable one, for
they are kept constantly upon their
feet for nearly the three days through
which the ceremonies last and in that
time have little opportunity to eat.
Following the princes came the
creaking OK Wain-the hearse of the
emperor. Around the groaning cart
marched Shinto priests, dressed in the
robes of office Some were mounted;
others were afoot-
Close by followed high officers of
state, and behind them were led the
favorite horses of the defunct emperor.
Each horse was fitted out in all its
trappings and each was yelled with
white. In Japan horses are supposed
to have souls, which accounted for the
especial pains taken with the favorite
eQuineS from the imperial sta bles of
the late mikadO.
Horses Preceded Women.
After the horses came the princesSeS
and women Of the court in closed car
riages. They were dressed in yellow
partly yelled in black, although women
of lesser rank were attired in red The
diplomatic corps and the representa-
tiYes of foreign governments had a
place in line directly behind the off
GERS of the Japanese court Three regi-
ments of soldiers from the Toxic bar
racks, marching with caSed colors and
muffled drums, and accompanied by
nearly 10000 marines and blue jackets
completed the line.
The procession was over seven miles
long and dusk was growing into night
before the parade ground outside the
cemetery at Aoyama was reached
Emperor YoshihitO did not accom-
pany the cortege. He was driven to
AOyama in the state coach
At least 100000 persons were gath
cred at the great cemetery when the
concourse arrived. They were held in
line by soldiers on the outside of the
space allotted for the public
Thousands Of children were present,
the schools having been closed The
little ones added their childish treble
to the intOnatiOns of their elders as
they chanted their prayers to the chief
diety or Sun God of the Shinto religion.
A number of tents had been erected
upon the slope of the cemetery for the
mourners. As the procession arrived a
number Of ShintO choristers, attired in
rich white silk, assembled the platform
beside the catafalQue accompanied by
the pilgrim mourner" who carried
pair of wooden shoes; by emperor Yo-
shihito; by the empress and the mobiles
of the court. Ushers showed the mourn
ers to their seats.
Presently was heard the wild. weird
notes NJ the ChfnfO burial HYMN With