South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-28
COUNT KIDNAPS HIS
SISTER TO PREVENT
PROPOSED MARRIAGE
Right OWED Denied japanese
Poetess, Imprisoned by
Own Brother.

TOXIC. May 27-Aki-ko Yaaagi-
wara. Japan's beautiful poetess and
former Queen OF Chikushr has
been kidnapped and imprisoned in
the Toxic home OF her brother.
Count Tanagiwara. who denies her
the right 70 marry her youthful
lover. Ry1lsuke Miyazaki. whose en-
trance into the life OF the woman
kept her from committing suicide
and caused her 10 leave ner nus
band. Denemon Ito. Kyushu. coal
king and one OF Japan's weathiest
men
That IS the latest episode in the
thrilling love drama which has held
the people OF Japan enraptured
since last October.
Aki-ko. which means Miss White
Lotus. is thirty-four years old. She
was born Of a noble japanese family
and educated IN a mission school
here. AS a girl she developed an art
IN writing Japanese poetry. and to-
day she IS considered the country's
leading p6etess.
When she was only sixteen years
old the Yanagiwara family. IN ac-
cordance with the customs Of Japan
decided that Aki-ko was old enough
20 be married Much against her
wishes she was taken out of school
after a union had been arranged
through the customary go-between
with Viscount Kita-koji, and soon a
son was born TO them The mar
riage was a failure, however, and
after two years Aki-ko secured the
consent OF hex family and left him.
Returns TO School
She returned TO school and de-
voted all Of her time 70 her poetry.
publishing books which rapidly be-
came very popular and made her
known throughout the empire. Then
She decided TO become a singer, but
the family had other plans. A mar
riage had at last been arranged with
Ito. whose extensive coal holdings
in the southern island made him
one Of the cOuntry's most wealthy
men. They were married seven years
ago. Ito being then sixty-two years
old. He gave his wife $4,000 as a
-betrothal present and erected a
home In his province of Chikushi
the elegance of which made il
known far and wide as the Chiku-
shi palace.
AlSt-ko. whose beauty made her
even more popular with the people
Of her husbands country than did
her poetry, became known as the
Queen of Chikushi."
Although surrounded with wealth
and luxury. Aki-ko was as unhappy
with her second marriage as with
the first Soon after the wedding
Ito is said 10 have begun a life Of
dissipation. the climax being reach
ed a little over year ago when he
is alleged 10 have bought from d
house Of questionable reputation a
geisha for $4,000 and carried her
into his own home to live
Then the fairy prince" Of whom
she had. dreamed came into the life
Of Aki-ko. He was Miyazaki twenty
four years old. then a student at
Toxic Imperial University. His trip
10 Kyushu was to confer with Mrs
Ito about plans for dramatizing one
Of her poems for production at his
school. It was love at nrst sight.
and the next few months saw the
affair develop rapidly.
F1ees From Husband
Then last October the coal king
brought his wife with him on a
business trip to the capital. He was
suddenly called home. but Mrs. Ito
remained here 70 read some or her
poems before the Toxic women's
club. She bid her husband good-by