The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-09-14
SHINTO FIRES BURN
FOR JAP'S EMPEROR
MILLIONS OF HIS SUBJECTS De-
VOUTLY BESEECH HAPPINESS
FOR THEIR RULER.
ALL DRINK THE SACRED WINE

Japanese Christians Are Excluded
From the Ceremonies, and Are
vigorously Vigorously. Fires Are
Bursting High From Mountain.
TOXIC, Japan.-Fires bursting
high from the peak of sacred Mount
Full last night were not volcanic, as
some people who had not read the
newspapers supposed but were mere
bonfires as a signal to the world of
Japan that the great accession cere-
monies of Emperor Yoshihito were
approaching. The glare of the flames
lighted the heavens for hundred
miles and as they scared upward with
their message thousands, millions of
the faithful were bowed in prayer be-
fore their Shinto shrines beseeching
happiness for their ruler-content,
perfection and greatness for their
country.
After the prayers for the glory of
the reign of the emperor the sacred
sake wine was passed from lip to lip
and offered to the god of the Shinto
Accession Ceremonies.
About ZOO persons, it is annOunc-
ed, will attend the chief accession
ceremonies at Kyoto in November.
These will include the representatives
of the monarchs and presidents of the
treaty powers, princes and princesses
of the blood, officials of the Shinnin
rank, the presidents, vice presidents,
and members of the diet, princes,
representatives of various peers as
we'll as representative of the Shinto
and Burrhist religions
The fact that no representative of
Christianity has been invited to the
| ceremonies has caused a controversy.
DR.. Ichiki minister of education, ex-
planned that no Christians in Japan
are accorded court rank, while the
Buddhists and Shintoists are accord
| ed the rank known as ChOkunin. Not
in the sense of attaching more i'm
portance to the other religions, sug-
| gests DR.. Ichiki, but simply because
| Christianity in Japan has no repre-
sentative with an official rank, the
| imperial household commission prob
ably found it impossible to include
| Christian delegate in the list of those
who will attend the forthcoming cor
! onation.
Solemn Preparations.
Preparations for the accession are
| .
over the country deYout men and
women are solemnly and religiously
doing their share in the task of get
ting ready for the great ceremony.
At Kumogabatamura, near KyOto,
woodmen cut the trees that will fur
nish the timbers for one of the halls
! of the coronation rites. This is the
| hall in which the ceremny of the
dedication of the sacred rice to the
! imperial spirits will be held. The
trees were cut down according to the
ancient Shinto rites which make this
| task of telling timbers something of
| a ceremony in itself.
First the woodmen were purified by
! Shinto priests The first tree was then
! felled with all due solemnity; it was a
crytomeria The branches were
! Topped OH anu Lu6S6 IOS6Lu6I Win inc
stump were burned as an offering to !
the god of the wood.
Fifteen carts, attended by leading
villagers, dressed in the old fashioned
costume of the woodman and carrying
fans of the rising sun, will be used to
bring the timbers to the site for the
hall. The villagers will draw and |
push these carts themselves, accom- |
panying their labors by the singing
of the ancient Kiyari song. One hun
dred timbefs will be brought to Kyoto !
in this manner.
Offer Rice to Spirits.
Some of the rice offered to the
spirits of the imperial ancestors must
come from the Yuki rice field, near
! Maya. And while this offering is
made it will be part of the ceremonies
to have sung some of the rustic idyls
of the people of the village where the
Yuki rice field is located.
To prepare for the feature of the
ceremony a court musician. is now
spending his time in the villages col |
lecting and arranging the rustic mel
] i g e.,