The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-11-12
Yoshihito

the Divine Ruler passed through the streets houses
were closed and barred and windows darkened
and the inhabitants FRUSTRATED themselves inS 81
lence and in homage When this circumstance
of history Isl placed side by side with a modern
summer incident Of Nkko, with an Emperor sauns
tering along a public thoroughfare enjoying his
vacation while numbers of people passed nn-
Knowing unrecognzing, almost touching him,
there is had some comparison of the old and the
new Japan.
The sauntering Emperor Yoshhito, who
embodes both the ancient sanctity and the new
democracy. He an ordinary western sack
suit of grey Panama hat such might be seen
on Fort street any day protected his head from.
the Nikko sum- and stick helped to complete the
picture Of very modern ruler No guard was
visible; only two members of the household
walked behind and as the Emperor stopped to
enjoy some shop window, these men entered
occasionally to make som epurchase. Yoshihito.
likes to encourage the merchants of the Empire
He is great favorite at those same art shops
at Nikko which have attracted many thou
sands of American visitors.
Popular beliefe and deep reverence for their
emperor as linea descendant Of the Sun Goddess
have invested his person with such an atmosphere
of sanctity that the masses Of Japanese people
the older people especially-logical and practical
as they undoubtedly are, do not willingly give ear
to reports that their sacred monarch is proficient
q in French, is fond of billiards, and even occa-
sionally a sack suit. f.. .
The Emperor Yoshihito, born in 1879, until he
was proclaimed Crown Prince in 1887, was known
as Haruno-miya AT eight years of age he
was sent to the Peers School, that arstocratic
institution lattery governed with martial severity
by the late General Nogi. The young prince re-
NAMED there until he was ready to be turned over
to private tutors and guardians, among whom
were such distinguished men as the late Prince
Arisugawa Marshal Prince Oyama, the late
Prince Ito and Marshal Count Oku.
In the course of his short life the present EN-
peror has established more than precedent
to be expecyted of a monarch not averse to the
acquisition of foreign knowledge Through him
more than one old tradition of the court has
been blasted. His tutors appointed person
ally by the late Emperor and among them were
men who made honest efforts to train the prince
according to other moral ideas than those which
for centuries had held the imperial court in their
sway. Count Oku was such teacher. His
first act on appointment to petition Emperor
Mutsuhito in favor of the abolition of the Sys-
TEN which from time immemorial had sur
rounded imperial princes by court ladies. Ok1
favored the substitution of military men and the
petition being granted, from the year 1892 the
lIends and tutors of the Crown Prince of Japan
men only.
The Young man was trained in the mOnarchlca
virtues, instructed in Chinese classics and sub
sequentlv in French which, as Emperor, Yoshihtc
still regularly studies. His tutor in history was
the famous general Kukushma, the soldier who
rode across Siberia on horseback and was at the
coronation of King Edward in the suite of Prince
KOmatsu By this officer the future emperu'
was grounded in military history and military
and naval tactics.
BY the imperial house law the prince ATTAINED
his majority at the age Of eighteen. lie"
years later in 1900 he was married to Princess
Sadako, daughter of Prince Kujo. On the 5OtE
July 1912, the Crown Prince succeeded to the
throne of his ancestors. For years before the
great event he had been made practically &C
quanted with the business of government, i
having been a rule that he attend his father every
Saturday in order to famiarze himself with the
routine Of life Of an absolute monarch.
The Emperor's daily life is one of uniform
regularity. lie rises at six and takes breakias
at eight, alone, From haf-past eight until moor
he attends to affairs of state dressed in the uniform
s of generaliSsimo. AT midday he lunches will
the Empress who is first and foremost a gOOC
manager and mother. State business again in tn
afternoon in foreign civilian dress. At this TIM
of the day His Majesty still finds time to reaC
the classics of the Chinese sages and to pursue
French. In the late afternoon a walk in the palac
gardens. Dinner is taken between six and sever
with the Empreses and the evening is often Spen
in billiards and reading. This is the program o
the ordinary day.
His Majesty is endearing himself to his peopl
much as did his illustrious father by skill in sim
pie arts that make strong appeal. In a COuntr,
where is held annual poetic competition di
rected by the imperial household skill a poe
must be an imperial asset and the Emperor b.