The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-13
And Attended by Marked SpIen-
dor and Pomp
lFoR JAPANESE EMPEROR
Eastern Customs Carried Out at TOXIC
To-day and Hundreds of Thousands
of People Looked on In
Veneration. I4

Toxic, Sept. 13.-The second part o
the ceremony in the funeral of the lat
emperor of Japan took place tonight
when the casket containing the bod,
started on the journey to Aoyama an'
Monayama for burial. The passage 0
the funeral car was attended by man,
Japanese of high rank through streets
where hundreds of thousands of person
stood for hours in silence.
The streets were brilliantly Lighted
with torches and arc lights, and betweer
the lights We're sacred trees and cloth
covered poles surmounted by wreaths o.
evergreen.
Those who participated in the process
sion were holders of orders, merit Off
cials, many ranks of ministers of state
Korean members of Parliament and i'm
periol council; presidents of provincial,
assemblies, the foreign princes and spe
cial embassies, including that of the
United States, did not participate. They
went directly to Aoyama after the fu
neral
Empress Sadako, princess of Takeda
representing the empress dowager, whose
physicians prohibited her from taking
part in the ceremony, and the princesses
of the imperial family left the palace
alone in carriages for Aoyama to receive
the casket.
Early Stages of Funeral
From an early hour in the morning,
the palace was the goal toward which
virtually everybody in Toxic made his
way on foot. The casket containing the
body lay in state in the main hall. 1t
had been decorated according to Shinto
rites by a special corps of ritualists
appointed for the obsequies. The cas-
ket was enormous, measuring ten feet
by five and weighing one and one-half
tons
AT o'clock in the morning the Off
cial mourners began to arrive. First
came the wearers of imperial decorations,
court officials, ministers of state and
their wives and other specially invited
personages. After these came the mem
bers of the funeral commission in ma
tive ceremonial costumes, with swords.
They were followed by the chief and
assistant ritualists of the imperial fu-
neral corps, also in fun native costumes.
After a short wait during which the
functionaries formed procession, En-
peror Yoshihito arrived He was in the
uniform Of commander-in-chief, with
black crepe arm band and swond knot.
He was attended by Count Togo, the
grand master of ceremonies, and Count
Wntanabe, minister of the imperial
household, who were followed by court
rhamberlains carrying the imperial sword
and seal After them came Prince Kat
sura, the lord chamberlain, with Gen
eral Kakamura, the chief aide de camp.
small procession composed of the
princes of the imperial blood in order of
precedence came next
The empress then entered in native
court dress made of hemp cloth, her un-
bound hair falling on her shoulders. Her
upper garment was of dark brown and
her skirt of dull orange. The court
ladies and maids of honor, as well as
las the princesses of the blood were also
thus attired- The dowager empress pro-
lcession was of similar character.
Others in the hall comprised govern
ment officials of the first rank, peers
lof Japan and Korea, members of the
House of Representatives and of the
Imperial cabinet, the presidents of va
lrious government institutions, the mayor
Iof Toxic and the chairman of the Toxic
lefty council. The members of the dip.
Ilomatic corps formed a group apart in
la place of honor.
As soon as the imperial professions
had entered the hall the hanging screen
lin front of the catafalque was removed
Iby the ritualists and the Shinto band
played soft dirge on instruments re-
Isembling flutes and drums.
The chief rituslist and his assistants
Eproffered the offerings of sacred food,
TO the continued accompaniment of Shin
Ito music, after which other offerings
lof red and white cloth enclosed in will !
low boxes were made. Prayers for the |
dead We're recited by the chief ritual
list.
The most solemn act Of all followed, |
when the emperor, the empress, the dow
Iager empress and the princes and prin-
cesses advanced toward the casket and |
worshipped the spirit of the departed |
emperor A short silence ensued. The |
professions were reformed and the mem |
bers of the imperial family retired
The other members of the assemblage.
however, remained to worship the dead |
emperor's spirit, after which the Shinto /
ritualists advanced TO the altar and re-
moved the offerings TO the sound Of sa-
cred music. The screen in front of the
Imperial eatafalque was lowered by the
chief ritualIst, and the first ceremony of
the funeral ended.