The Mankato free press., 1915-11-12

Medal" and the date. Eleventh
Month of Fourth Year OF Taisho."
Officials and clerks In the service
of the government contributed one
and a half per cent CT their salary to
present suitable gifts to the emperor
and empress. The army gave mini
ature field piece and the navy mini
ature ship.
Congratulatory lanterns were hung
al every house in the empire. Thou
sands of betrothed have hastened
their marriage so that II may occur
during the auspicious year of corona
tlon and be sanctiiied by prosperity.
health and joy. t
The imperial Messenger.
Prior TO the commencement OF to-
days ceremony an, imperial messen-
ger was dispatched here from the i'm
perial headquarters In Kioto To an
nounce the celebration of the corona :
tion ceremony before the Korei-den.
a shrine dedicated 10 the souls of the
emperial predecessors, and the Shin
den, another shrine dedicated to the
souls Of the imperial ancestors i'm the
prehistoric deity period. The cere-
mony before the shrines. which are
located In the imperial palace. was
conducted IN solemn manner &c
cording To Shinto ritual by court Of
ficialS, Imperial messengers were also
dispatched from Kioto ON similar mis-
sions To the great shrine at lse and
10 the principal Shinto shrines
throughout the country. where similar
ceremonies were performed this
morning The imperial messengers to
the perfectural shrines There is Il
state shrine In each provincel were
represented by perfectual governors.
The day was signallzed by informal
meetings and reunions given by pub
lie or private corporations In honor OF
the occasion.
Coronation sons Writer'S.
Toxic. November lO-From thou
sands of contributions sent to the
court in response 10 nm invitation for
a coronation song. the musical air
selected was that composed by Toku-
zo MatsumotO. teacher in a public
school near Kobe. while the words
were those written by Kanichi Yuka-
va. an instructor IN Japanese classics
In the commercial school at Shimane.
which Oyerlooks the Sea of Japan
The song consists OF three stanzas
which refer respectively to- the coro-
naticn ceremony proper in the Shis-
hidden Hall at the KiOto Palace: the
Daijosai, or Grand Harvest Thanks
al tsfF E.arffNaI In. 1, hold ,.f, 10
November IL. and the grand corona
tion feast to be held ut KiOto on No
vember lG.
Translated into English prose the
song Is this:
For Coronation Ceremony.
This day our Lord amid the uni
versal Joy OF the nation ascends the
imperial throne as successor to the
imperial dynasty which. founded By
the Sun Goddess. Is as endless MS
heaven and earth. Let us rejoice, let
US offer Congratulations ON the solemn
and auspices rites OF the imperial cor
onation."
For Daijosai Festival
This day our Lord newly en-
rs the sovereign of our sa-
cred land, feasts, the imperial divine
ancestors with the sacred rice that
wa grown in the sacred rieefieids and
the sacred sake wine. white and
black. distilled from the sacred rice.
Let us rejoice and ofler congratnla-
tion on this grand divine feast"
For Coronation Banquet
Happy is this day when the acccs-
sion OF our August Lord TO the i'm
periai throne as successor to the i'm
perlal dynasty. that lasts forever and
eternally. is celebrated with merry
festivities. participated I'm by the en-
voys OF foreign lands beyond the seas.
Let Us rejoice and offer congratula-
tions on this happy national event"
The coronation song writing was n
prize competition. From among the
ihousands three best we're selected by
the committee specially appointed for
the purpose and The best of the three
finally adopted. the successful com
posers receiving prizes OF 500 yen.
By express order OF the court. to-
day, when the chief coronation cere-
monies were held. November Nth. the
day OF Grand Thanksgiving Festival
and the 10th. tho day OF the first
grand coronation banquet. were made
special national holidays To be OBJ
served by all government offices.
schools and other public bodies.
Today at the hour OF three when
Premier Count Okuma called for a
lanai at the .Kioto ceremonies ban
zai cheers were given throughout the
land and the coronation song. to-
gether with the national anthem.
"klmigayo," were sung everywhere.
Tho songs will also be sung on the
succeeding holidays.
The eodr; is calling the attention
OIL the people to the fact that Mr.. Yu-
kawa. author OF the words. lives near
the famciis ancestral Shrine of Shi-
mane, and allows It to be understood
that the author has received inspira-
tion from the ancestral Gods.