Evening star., 1915-11-10
EXERCISES CONDUCTED
AT KIOT0, OLD CAPITAL
Distinguished Personages From En-
pire and All Over World
Attend the Rites.
SEVERAL AMERICANS PRESENT
Outsiders Admitted for First Time in
History-Every City and Town
in Nation Observes go
Tairei" Appropriately.

TOXIC. November 1o-Yoshihito was
confirmed or consecrated Emperor of
Japan in Kioto, the ancient capital. to-
day and in every city. town and vii
1age throughout the empire, whereso-
ever. indeed, Japanese was to be
found. the event was celebrated in some
fitting manner. The japanese call the
consecration GO Tairei.'' or the great
ceremony, implying the greatest of all
national ceremonies. When they are
speaking English they refer to it as
the coronation
The new sovereign neither subscribed
to oaths nor took a hereditary crown
upon his head. No clergyman, priest
or archbishop officiated as the inter-
mediary between heaven and earth.
Here the emperor himself is supreme.
Here the coronation takes the form of
announcing to the spirits of the imperi-
al ancestors that he has formally sue
ceeded to the emperorship. that he has
come into possession of the three di-
vine treasures, and that he mas actually
ascended the "Takamikura, or i'm
perial throne, and from the throne he
announces to his subjects that he has
been consecrated as emperor.
No Break in Sovereignty.
There is no break in the sovereignty
over the japanese empire. When the
Emperor Mutsuhito passed away his
son, Yoshihito-July 80, 1913-immedi-
ateIy acceded to the throne and duly
acquired the sacred treasures. Stimuli
taneousIy the new ruler. who was to-
day consecrated, received his ministers
of state and members of the court and
proclaimed his reign as that OF
tel. nr~
ness" Mourning for the Empress
Dowager Haruko caused a postpone
rnent of the coronation ceremonies.
and today they were conducted without
the presence of the Empress Sadako.
consort of the emperor. who is soon
expecting to present another helr 10
the throne.
For the first time in history the peo.
Pile of Japan and the representatives OF
the people of foreign lands were pres
INT today at the coronation.
Is History OF japan.
The story of this epochal event
is the history of old Japan epitomized-
II is the story of the Japanese deities
of heaven and earth. of the veneration
of the imperial ancestral gods and of
the formal accession to sanctity of the
monarch of TODAY - Yoshihito - direct
descendant OF the immortal Jimmu, the
hrst emperor and founder of the en-
pire, and descendant. also. according to
tradition. of the sun goddess and i'm
peral grand ancestress- Amaterasu
Ornikami, who dwelt in the heavenly
regions, in prehistoric ages.
The essence of the accession cere-
5-ony centered about the kashikodo-
l5oro. or sacred mirror. which repre-
'ents the spirit of the sun goddess
tu.aterasu. This divine mirror. sup
tr he nSh hrn thnt
al eyes have gazed upon it, and
he sacred comma shaped jewel
necklace and the sacred sword are
known as the imperial treasures and
=ymboliye the imperial power. The
ceremony of this morning was a ritual
service of ancestor worship and was
held in a specially erected hail in the
palace grounds. known as the Shun
koden hall, where was enshrined the
sacred mirror. brought from Toxic.
Evidence of Transition.
The drawing of the veil of seclusion
and the admission of foreigners and
of the people of Japan to the holy serv-
ice of accession were the visual evil
dences of Japan's transition from the
early years, when the emperor stood
apart In severe separation from the
world, TO a time when. without aban-
doning his heavenly given sanctity. he
consented to emerge from his historic
isolation. In the olden days the people
were not present. Vaguely they heard
that the monarch had acceded to his
throne. but they had no prerogative in
the matter
To-day they were actually invited to
the ceremonies. Their representatives
in parliament were there yrouped
about the imperial throne. symbolizing
the new Japan.
The Shunkoden was of plain. unvar-
Ed
hall inner hall and shrine IL was
simply decorated. Indeed simplicity
dominates the coronation ceremonies
The decorations were those of Shinto-
ism. the religion adopted by the court
which is more pronouncedly a series OF
rites than A religion pure and simple
Beside the main hall were built other
nails and annexes for the accommoda-
tion OF the people participating in and
witnessing the ceremonies.
Guests in State Attire.
AT the appointed time the two gate.
kenrei-mon" and "kenshun-mon"-ra
spectively facing south and east-war.
opened for the reception of those al,
lowed to attend the grand ceremony
The guards about the gates were ex.
clusively those in the service of tn.
imperial household. Then arrived tn.
guests-distinguished oficiaIs. civil and
military, mobiles, the members of fht
mouse OF representatives and the house
OF peers, the diplomatic corps and othel
oignftaries, accompanied by their wives
a!i In full dress or uniform. The for.
elgn women wore the ceremonial robe,
OF the European court with train.
The master of ceremonies, ritualists
court musicians and other officials ant
omcers participating in the ceremonie,
also arrived in due time, all dressed fr
ancient ceremonial costume or uniform
democratic note In the matter o
ofe6s was that the members of thu
mouse OF representatives, like Ambas
eador Guthrie. wore plain evening dress
other japanese who did not have ar
lContinued on Sixteenth Page.1