Arizona republican., 1915-11-15

ille,Slti OI ceremonies ana the fllnt$-
 ter of the household, and directly in
 front of the emperor a chamberlain
 walked with the sacred sword and
 jewel.
 Close behind his majesty walked 8
 chamberlain who held huge
 umbrella of curious and ancient shape
 over tle head of the emperor An
 other chamberlain held the umbrella $
 cordOn. When the procession, which
 included the members of the cabinet
 in court costume, reached the veranda
 of the shrine the chamberlain en-
 trusted with the sword and jewel
 mounted the step and placed the
 sacred objects on a table.
 The emperor then ascended the
 veranda, and entering the hall. took
 his seat on a throne provided in the
 room outside the inner shrine. The
 lord chamberlain and chief ritualist
 followed and sat on the mattings on the southern veranda around the hall
 The crown prince, the princes of the
 blood, .he ministers of state and other members of the retinue entered
 the pavilion provided in the southern
 yard of the shrine and took their seats. Next entered the high officials of the coronation board, attired in ancient ceremonial dress and wear
 ing gold swords at their sides fol- lowed by a band of court musicians.
 Suddenly the silence of the night
 was broken by the notes of a flute. Then were played popular songs of the Yuki district by the court musi- cians-ancient songs of felicitation and joy. When the music was ended the crown prince, princes and prin- cesSes of the blood and other mem bers of the imperial family offered worship to the deities of heaven CIT shriued at tie Yuki shrine and sub sequently the members of the inn perial retinue and all dignitaries and other participants offered obeisance
 When the crown prince princes of the blood and other male members of the imperial family had entered the Yuki hall there came a prOCcS sion of ritualists and maids-of- honor. carrying the sacred food offerings which had been prepared in the cook l ing hail. The maids were attired in beautiful ceremonial court robes of bright and varied cOlors. and each , carried a wicker basket containing food offerings and utensils. Five tables bearing sakecuDs, sacred sake wine, soup, boiled rice and all the food to be tasted by the emperor were then brought in by ritualists These preparations com pIeted. Q ritualist beat wooden clap pers tc announce the commencement | of the holy ceremony of the emperor 1 offering food to the deities. To the | strains of the 1agura music the eln- i Deror left his seat in the outer room, | and proceeding to the inner room, ! seated himself on the throne, facing the seat of the deities in the center
 Again purifying himself by wash i ing his hands. the emperor alone and : uneeen offered the sacred rice meal. [ sacred sake win. and other food |" 1 the spirits of the deities. No other person was permitted to enter the | nrec;ncts of this holy of holies. Later the emperor wOrshipped before he altar. lowing in profound rever- 4nce and then read a prayer Then he himself partook of the sacred feast What else took place in the forbidden precinct is not exactly known. Event la11v the sacred offerings were taken ,yvav by maid -hOnor and eS- ,orted back to the cooking hall ny he r;tualists and ds-Of-honor in procession as before. The emperor ,eain washing his hands with the ,aln of a maid -of-honor. retired from he shrine and left the hall. followed " the retinue The ceremony begun 1t dusk and lasted until just before midnight.
 About one hour after the ceremony if the Yuki shrine a similar cere- uonv was performed at the Sukl .hrine. when the emperor personally offered the sacred rice, sake wlne md other food offerings before the ;pirits of the deities of earth. The acred food which came from the suki district was prepared and cooked at a separate cooking hall .rected in the western garden of the ruki shrine. The ceremony lasted lntn early morning. Its successful was held to forebode the prosperity and everlasting tranquility # the reign and the new sovereign he emperor of Taislo.
 To celebrate the occasion, offerings rere made to all Shinto shrines hupughout the empire and dependen- ies where the occasion was observed
 
 The Daijo halls, which consisted or wo principal halls and several anneXes esembled huts in their rustic slmpilc- -v. The chief halls. containing two hrines. were built in the southern gar en of the Shishiiden hall, on space f about 96 by 60 feet square. and were nclosed by a brusnwcod fence. the -uki shrine standing to the east ana he Snuki shrine facing the west. Out i, ide this brushwood fence stood four torii' or shrine gates. Unlike com- non "torii" seen in front of all Shlnto hrines. these gates had doors Of rushwood. hemmed with cut bamboo. Within the enclosure stood another torii" of the same material, which 0rmed the gateway between the east lt rn and western sections of the ground 1 rom this gate ran a succession oi1 rushwood fences which divided up the { round to meet the necessities of the { arious rites.
 The Yuki and Suki shrines were di- ided into inner and outer compart- 1ents with doors made of straw mat ingS The halls had no floors the '