The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-12
Crowds cheering the Emperor.
Photo by Paul Thompson.

SsS"0O ~ASS shaS AAARSASA
Photo by Paul Thompson.
Of q procession which otherwise was
as modern a. II could be. When It was
fun light the whole picture settled
down In motionless expectancy. Half
an hour later a police inspector trot.
ted into the open space In front Of the
station and behind him swept the
pageant. All eyes were on the palan.
quin. covered with gay striped silk and
swaying as It was carried by its sixty.
four bearers.
The carriers were robed in bright
yellow. In front Of them four mount.
ed Shinto priests rode. and behind
came another group. LAncers Of the
Imperial Guard formed the escort.
When the shrine passed every BANNER
was dipped I'M the dust and sworde
and bayonets flashed to the salute a.
! royal honors were paid to the relic Of
JApan's departed rulers. So In days
OF old the bones Of some great saint
been might have been greeted As they
were borne through the streets Of
Rome.
Then followed a number Of state
carriages OF the familiar modern type,
and at last In a scarlet coach with O
golden phoenix flaming on the roof,
the centre Of all the solemnity. cyno-
sure Of every eye. the Emperor. He sat
slightly forward In his seat and looked
out on the crowds with an air Of keen
interest and seemed mentally alert and
physically nt.
Not q murmur. not . cheer, not q
sound Of any description was heard as
the imperial carriage passed, for It
In with the intense silence Of utter
devotion that the Japanese love TO
greet their emperors. More state car
riages followed. and In q few minutes
the pageant Rras ended and the treat
crowd was dissolving In every direc.
ton. Presently the guns doomed out
q salute and hundreds Of rockets went
cracking TO the sky. The first scene
Of the drama was over.
Reports In the newspapers after.
YARD told that all day long a. his
Majesty passed through town and viii
laee on his long journey he was
greeted by the inhabitants. who turned
out en- masse and lined up to receive
him and h shrine Of his ancestors
with the same reverent silence. When
night fell the light Of millions Of paper
lanterns bearing the red rising sun Of
Japan elimmered in every village. On
every station platform the local dignl-
taries were drawn up and bowed low
as the train flashed through.
II.
Kyoto, the ancient capital, has been
the theatre OF the great events, but
since all Of them were held in the
rigorous ~seclusion Of an Oriental pal
c the city and its inhabitants and It's
visitors have formed but u setting for
an unseen gem. A most picturesque
setting.
This ancient town lies IN a hollow
Of green hills and wherever you turn
You see pine clad hilltop and the
end Of the vista. A shallow and very
rapid river runs through It and nu-
merous rushing waterways make
every district picturesque. Tho
palace. like all such buildings in the
East, 10 hidden away a. closely a. q
harem.
Few things that'f have seen are less
provocative Of curiosity than the low.
dingy wall which shuts II IN. The
park which surrounds It IL an aRglom-
meration Of nice but negative qualities.
II is neither unkempt nor trim. It's
trees are neither young nor old.
There " no difference TO the eye be.
tween the outside Of the wall and tho
inside.
There may be q corner from which
some glimpse OF the long curvinG roofs
Ut the palace can be seen. but II there
10 I did not discover II. The trees are
not tall. but they conceal the buildings
which squat In their shade. It 10 clear
that the Japanese were not repro
scented at the Tower Of Babel.
Within this unpromising wall r. a
large and scattered group Of buildings
which form the palace. To these have
lures, Identical In type, but mostly
say the effect Is one OF lowness-nNd
inconspicuous. Some Of them arc
enormous In floor space.
There are. for instance. dining room
which accommodate two thousand
people at ono aud reception rooIn
for the rame number. and there must
be kitchens and all the range Of Of
fices necessary for the comfort of n
small AfIny OIL tHc CiHpcToT Hucot"'
hut somehow they have been tucked
away. m ns tho visitor moves about
re sees little moro than an occasional
new temporary gateway or n corridor
hung with chrvs- rthenunr ana purple
hammers. Ono Dor loSss all notion Of
direction IN the fnaxes Of this vast
compound.
The ldau % concealed space In n
Of tho strongest Impressions OF my
visit, space created out of nothing and
nowhere betray!nE It's presence by
some such COUP d'nuil as architects Of
tho West love. You passed under In
Vulnerable gatewnys into corridors
c,nptying into stately halls hung with
all name of glowing colors. You
found yourself IN spacious cOurtyards
whore regiments might ave drilled.
You walked along spmptuous corri-
doris and noticed with Amusement the
longest dining tables you had ever
seen. And rs soon AZ you had left
them and walked ton yards nothing
was to be seen but u now white wood
gateway or so and the thin foliage Of
the commonplace trees.
The grOup of archaic ceremonies