The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-12
INTIMATE VIEW OF JAPAN'S QUAINT CORONATION
kyoto. the Picturesque
Ancient Capital, a Pag.
cant of Color...The
Truly japanese Crowds

city ten Oays agO. Last nights waS
not the least wonderful inc perhaps
It. was the most surprising. They
knew what they were to expect at
the coronation. but no one had whis-
pered that they would find an Alad-
din's palace cOnjured into existence
for the feast of "a single night. The
magician who performed this feat IN
Mr.. katayama. chief Of the cDustruc-
ton bureau of the imperial house,
hold. and the success with which he
grated the new OH the old ana Gro
ated IA picture which without vioiat-
Ing Japanese taste rivalled the west
la imperial splendOr deserves that he
should be known.
The b%anqueting hall In the opm.
pound Of tho Milo Palace. tho old
residence of the Shoguns. and tho
guests entered by the old palace gate.
Generally what you sec when o
enter q Japanese palace Is this: You
40 UP a few steps and past q elid-
Ing door (having taken our boots
on n along a corridor of which
the breadth and height are about
equal. Along he corridor more slid
Ing doors open into apartments some
what low n gloomy, lighted from
paper windows on the outside OF the
corridor.
Tho floors are polished. tho WOOD
work Ii exquisite. the gold plated
bosses and fittings Of the sliding doors
are marvellously delicate. The back
ground Is of venerable and faded
gold, on which some kano or OgatA
has painted a thousand year old Pine
tree. And SO on.
One shufiies along endless corrtdora
admiring in the half light u picture
gallery Of exquisite doors Inc screens,
and is filled with respect for the artist
craftsmen OF Old Japan. But there
IL a lurking conviction that those old
Shoguns made II 'ir s%plendors need
lessly gloomy, and II IL a relief when
the cicerone opens "a shoji, or paper
window. and gives n a fascinating
glimpse Of a Japanese garden. ~
still. so trim. a world OF beauty In
a small space.
Gloom-for what may pass in tho
hours Of daylight for q dim. religious
light Is pure gloom when the sun haR
set-was an Inevitable feature OF a
glassless land in the past. But gloom
has no Reuse In the present century.
II flies at the touch of a switch. Nj.
Katayama has lighted the old palace.
and the effect IL revolut bnary. In
stead Of gloomy splendor you have
splendor with its proIer ad1uncts.
space and light.
The old gold Of the screens glows
In tho radiance Of electric light lamps;
the old wood takes OF a now lustre;
the exquisite metalwork gets its full
value In the decorative scheme. The
palace was transformed. Last night
when every sailor was thronged with
guests II presented a picture of state
illness and dignity which no Western
! palace could surpass.
The rooms OF tho old palace
used as reception rooms, the various
salons being allotted according to rank
-members OF the Diet IN one tprettr
near the door,, members of The House
Of Peers in another, princes in a third,
ENJOYS In a fourth, and So on. from
these the guests proceeded to tho BAN
! quoting hall. the new building which
has been grated on the old.
There Is u hong progress through
the passages of the old palace, n
eventually there is "A point at which
the corridors become new. But tho
character and dimensions IN pre-
served. The decorations 81 metal are
new. the carpet on the floor Is less
thick. the coffered roof Is ornamcnted
in a different pattern, but It Is still
the same square corridor that y hAS
been since you entered.
! At the end, OF course. is tho rau-
quoting hall-a large lofty apartment
whose fine proportions arrest the
visitor. At first II appears - an OBJ
long. then you observe that the OBJ
long has wings lin the architectural
sense) something like an L without
the middle stroke. II is in fact a haii
within a han, The ~banqueting
10 an immense square, inside Of which
Is set a lovely room devoted to the
ancient dances with which the En-
peror will entertain his guests. The
smaller hail. Hike the larger. r. exactly
square.
In the middle Ia a square dancing
platform. Facing II is a dals on which
the throne Is set. At tho opposite
end Is a platform for the musicians
Between the musicians and the plat
form are two enormous drums on
stands something like an inverted
heart Of the conventional shape. One
OF the drums bears the familiar design
Of the triple Tomoe three commas
locked together as II they were whirl-
Ing In a vortex, the other has G dous
bic tomoe. The roof Il lofty and the
height of tho walls is gracefully
broken by n llcnt balcony OF plain
wood,
All the wood seen is plain white ana
the harmony with which It Is blended
into "A stately color scheme IL IA reveal
tion. Tho walls are panelled n tapes
try with n bold red design, Tho seats
are covered with crimson velvet. The
carpet is of the slmo shade but tbs
rougher me : material makes a strtk-
ing foil for tho rich shade OF the vol
vet. The curtains around are Of coz
rer red silk, heavily ~hrocaded.
Behind II musicians In the exact
centre OF the hall is a silk hanging or
broad alternate stripes OF scarlet and
black. Under tho balcony Of un-
painted wood which runs round tina
walls are panels Of open wood carving
representing the signs Of the Zodiac
and variou Japanese flowers.
: This catalogue conveys but a poor
idea Of tho warmth and splendor Of n
-i~.~ u,It,t .n,,1g ~, nAy,htna .>~,,