The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19

with the coronation was the planting
OF the sacred rice which is TO be used
for the offerings. Two districts ave
the privilege of furnishing the fields
on which the rice will be grown. Most
minute regulations prescribe every de-
tail Of the operation. The fields are
chosen by ~divination, n or the day
appointed the rice sprouts are planted
by virgins-for no unclean thing must
touch the grain.
The young ladies wear long kimonos
with sleeves loOped up with red cord.
High priests IN antique robes say
blessings over the fields and d%ignitaries
of city and empire solemnly add their
presence in the tall hat and Prince
Albert Of civilization. The fences
are formed OF those trees which have
an odor of sanctity in japan; tho
weeders and bird scarers are under
discipline 10y Shinto priests. and dare
not enter the fields until they have
bathed themselves.
The rice will be gathered by hand.
The ears will be plucked Just as they
we're plucked when the first man in
his hunger paused by a wild rice
plant. Great ceremonies attend the
pIuck!nS. Imperial messengers are
present wearing swords, red lacQuered
sandals II flowing kimonos. At the
river bank n ceremonial cleansing Is
performed, and the company proceeds
10 the field IN Procession. The ears
as they are p.ucNcd are laid aside al
t~ernatciy to p" made into rice. into
white vino and frr IH,.l. 49,, ~
separate quantities are placed in bas-
k'tS covered with branches of the
sacred sakai4 tree and carried into
N!oto Il proc, .o@ mach as they must
have been carried 10 Jlmmu Tenno's
coronation in $50 b. &.
The wine is made with water from
a sacred well within the palace COM
pound and the processes of manufac-
ture are those which were in vogue
IN days gone by. The sacred wine
or the coronation in fact.
Is Just the unreiined sake, not free
or grounds, which Is now u%nfashion-
ahle II Japanese society. though the
rIcksha men get drunk on IL occa-
sionally. This is used at the Daijo-
sal and also at the banquet. Two
hanquets Will be eiven-one in an
cient japanese style. at which the
menu will contain only rice and Ash
washed down with sake, the other in
foreign style and lacking in no deli
cacy OF the culinary art. About $500
invitations Will be issued for each
banquet.
Other entertainments include a Ear
den party and IA ball. so called, at
which the guests look on in true
Oriental style while five young ladies.
daughters Of peers. dance the five
fold dance al ancient posture dance
OF NEUROLOGICAL origin. According to
the legend, the Emperor TeInmu, who
1our!sAed eight hundred years before
Christopher Columbus was born, was
playing the koto-a kind Of lyre with
V strings-when certain heavenly
figures appeared among the clouds
and danced 10 tho imperial music.
During the dance tho muse turned
over the sleeves OF her kimono Ave
times, which was considered a feat
OF wondrous beauty and grace. Tho
Emperor memorized the dance and
taught II To the ladies OF his court,
and from that day 10 this II has fig
ured AZ the ultimate luxury in dane
ing NJ all imperial ceremonies.
The ladies' who Will dance II vary
in ~ from ~ years TO %. All of
them have been educated as highly
as any young lady OF the United
states. The dance will probably be
trcsomc, but the contrast between the
measured NEUROLOGICAL posturings and
the ladies who perform is piQuant.
h entertainments finished, the
Emperor ana the high priests will
journey Ia the national shrine and
worship Jimmu, whose fine old head
adorns the bank bills, proceeding
thence to the graves OF the four
Emperors preceding the present. With
those pious j~ourneyinGs the solemnity
closes, the court returns TO Toxic,
ana the twentieth century returns
with il.
1t Is a far cry from $50 II. c. when
the first Emperor v%orshipped his an
Cestors, To the present year OF grace.
ono may discount the chronology and
write n few centuries OF the dates.
hut there still rcinains the astonish-
ing continuity OF a national life over
which II family has presided for
i22 generations. The cement * the
Eastern State Is the family. and an
cestor worship. founded on flial AZ
lection. is the outward symbolism Of
that organization. The coronation 10
more than an interesting ceremony.
II is IN" external emblem OF the most
powerful social cement that has ever
cN!sted-and which seems capahle of
carrying Japan successfully along In
modernism as Il carried her thr,uEh
three thousand Years OF feudalisR q.