The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-07-17
His Health In Childhood Was
Not Good, but He improved
1t by Outdoor Life.
Observation-Disclosures

| atlendantS. VINO were OF his family.
In conference even with the greatest
of those who served him his face was
never shown, for he sat hidden within
a canopy on the low throne platform
from which his orders came Till six.
teen years of age he had never walked
and the art of walking was with him a
stiff and harsh practice to the end.
1t must not be inferred, however
that Japan's progress was slow during
the reign of Mutsuhito. In fact. it
will be recalled that the opposite was
the case.
The occidental influence was every
where seen, and great era of change
came upon the empire.
A Democratic Prince.
Yoshihito's life in it's earliest years
, reflected the changed condition Of ia
pan. He was brought up democratic
ally and attended school in the College
of Peers, which is intended for the ed
ucation of princes and mobiles, but
which is open to all.
Here he worked with the rest, pos
sessing no privileges unpossessed by
the most obscure and with a punctual-
| ity insisted upon from even him. the
descendant of the gods.
! In this way came the comparative
development Of his social instincts and
his preference for talking directly with
his company than through the august
intermediary of court oficialdom..
Later, however, he came under the
care of tutor, General Oku, who was
assisted by a Mr.. Adachi, who seems
to have been linguistically inclined.
From General Oku he also studied
military tactics and early proved that
in Japan royalty is something of a tai
lsman. At thirteen he was d lieuten-
ant, at sixteen colonel Of the army.
In these early years from our west
ern viewpoint he lived a life of re-
markable independence of parental
control. He occupied, almost from in
fancy, palace of his own-not, how
| ever, distant from the emperor's and
within that park which could COM
fortably accommodate the Vatican and
Central park and be sublimely uncon-
scious of the assimilation
This, under the charge of a cham
berlain and three assistants and at a
yearly expense Of $4,000 yen, was his
home throughout his years of school
ing and early manhood, and it con-
tanned everything that even a crown
prince of Japan should have.
It came perilously near the luxuries
offered by any ocean liner. The small
and weakly prince had his gymnasium,
his bowling alley, his tennis and arch
cry courts, his stables, his riding pa
vilion, his fishing ponds
And these developed in him an out
| door taste which gave him. if not rug
ged, at least normal health. Here
his youth was spent in the society
mostly of royal relatives-the Japa-
| nese examples Of his sisters and his
cousins and his aunts.
In the seclusion of his palace also
Yoshihito developed a keen attachment
for versifcation. whichever in mod
ern Japan-is deemed one of the most
important accomplishments in court
circles, writing both in Japanese and
Chinese, the last activity correspond
ing with that Latin verse which it was
the joy Of English scholars in other
times to compose.
A Modern Palace.
In 1906. when Yoshihito's three
story palace was built at a cost of
100000. it was European rather than
Japanese in character 1t was modern
both in design and in equipment
A strange contrast is afforded by
the Imperial palace, where Mutushito
lived. Here the note is Japanese, in
congruously blended with the mechan-
ical devices Of the occident. long and
low as its labyrinths of buildings. and
1t is chiefly remarkable for it's covered
passages and its covered courts.
The architecture is of the ancient
japanese style. with high roofs at
sharp angles and heavy gray tiles No
whisper Of the European speaks there
Inside are walls Of plate glass and
lacquer, which. rolled aside. open up
vistas Of tremendous rooms.
Generally here visitors are impressed
with the triumph of Japanese simple
ity which characterizes it, though
strangely enough. the imperial apart
| ments are furnished with French rose
wood furniture and rugs in the Euro
pean style. Mutsuhito invariably ate
at table and with those ever widening
Influences knives and forks.
Throughout the palace. too. one finds.
even In a medieval environment, elec-
trio lights. in the mystic covered court
yards. in the fascinating connecting
passages which go up and down and
necessarily. in the very Frenchy mod
ern dining room itself
But in the emperors suit. in the
midst of the many indications of west
ern ways. in smoking rooms. libraries.
billiard rooms. dressing rooms. stands
one incongruity which seems insen-
sibly to creep into the blended civiliza-
ton or the japanese.
It Is the imperial bedroom. plain to
barrenness in it's japanese style. un-