JAPAN: Emperor Enthroned

(See front cover)

Supreme above every other man or woman in lineage, rank and sanctity combined is the Emperor of Japan, upon whose splendrous Enthronement world interests focused last week.

Certainly no President of the United States has ever known—as does the Emperor of Japan — the name of his 123rd paternal ancestor.*

Pope Pius XI is not held more sanctified by Roman Catholics than is the Emperor Hirohito by pious Japanese. His Holiness claims to be no more than the divinely delegated and elected viceregent of Christ. His Majesty claims to be divinely begotten descendant of Japan's Sun Goddess, and is therefore sanctified in his own right.

So far as rank is concerned there is only one other reigning emperor worthy of the name, George V. He is Emperor only of India and King of the rest of his Realm. The Japanese Reigning House is purely Imperial, with no inferior title of Royalty.†

The Japanese title of the Emperor is Tenno, an untranslatable word which might be paraphrased, "His Transcendant Majesty, the Emperor Supreme." Gladly Japan poured out the equivalent of a million dollars a day for 16 days to enthrone "The Son of Heaven."

There was no Coronation in Japan last week. There could be none. There is no Crown.

The grand pageant of assumption of the Imperial Station proceeded amid ancient things and ceremonies whose very names and meanings are untranslatable. However, since the Tenno did sit upon what amounted to a chair, one may stretch a point and call the occasion his Enthronement.

Preparations of the most laborious and costly sort began more than a year ago. Over $4,000,000 was spent on new equipment for railways, illumination, telegraphs, telephones, telephoto and radio. Since a little rice would be offered to the Sun Goddess by the Tenno, at one point in the ceremonials, a diligent search had to be made throughout the Empire for persons sufficiently exemplary to be entrusted with growing this rice.

Since some of the ceremonies would take place in temporary buildings, imitative of a remotely bygone age, these had to be especially constructed at Kioto, ancient Capital of Japan. The hereditary families of workmen and carpenters, who from age to age erect these buildings, naturally came high—because of their unique, hereditary purity. It was easy to spend over 16 millions of dollars.

The 16 days began one dawn, last week, in Tokyo—dawn being the most auspicious hour for the egress of the Son of Heaven.

Rode forth the Tenno, clad as a Field Marshal, in his great Louis XIV enclosed carriage, emblazoned with the 16 petaled Imperial Chrysanthemum, surmounted by a great golden Phoenix—symbol of inextinguishable Radiance.

Rode before even the Tenno His Imperial Highness Prince Kanin, Honorary Executive of the Enthronement.* Came third the Empress, wearing an Occidental court gown of blue velvet, with large blue picture hat—her eyes cast modestly and fixedly down. The Tenno's brother, H.I.H. Chichibu, the heir presumptive, rode in a fourth carriage beside Princess Setsu, his bride. (TIME, Oct. 8). Brought up the Imperial rear, the Princes of the Blood, the Cabinet, the Diplomatic Corps, great Admiral Togo, and hundreds of correspondents.* As the Imperial train of eleven chuffed out of Tokyo 101 guns boomed.