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.

Coupled on ahead of even the Tenno’s private car was that which bore the Sacred Mirror of the Sun Goddess, a divine, holy and potent relic comparable to a Crown. In one legendary instance the Mirror was nefariously buried and concealed; but the Sun Goddess at once caused it to project upwards from the ground a radiance so transcendant that impious beholders were blinded and driven mad. Since then prudent Japanese have taken no liberties with the Divine Mirror, originally inherited by the first Tenno Jimmu from his great-great-grandmother, Sun Goddess Omaterosu O-Mikami, who established him as the Emperor of Japan, over which his descendants have reigned ever since (2,588 years).

On the day of Enthronement in Kioto two distinct ceremonials were observed.

The first, lasting from eight to eleven in the morning, informed the Imperial Ancestors that their descendant had now assumed his full Imperial Station. The second ceremony — of chief interest to Occidentals on account of the chair — culminated at 3 p. m. and was, in essence, simply a proclamation by the Son of Heaven to his People that he is now Tenno. This was the “Coronation” proper.

Awed spectators who peered about to glimpse the “Throne” were startled by the simple, even frail construction of the chair. Simple, but not without dignity, for it rested on the topmost of three octagonal pedestals, surrounded by an octagonal pavilion with draw curtains, this surmounted by a great golden Phoenix with wings spread. Pavilion and chair rested on a great square pedestal, the whole being called the Takamikura. Enclosing the Takamikura with the spaciousness of an airplane hangar rose the mighty Shishinden or Temple of Enthronement. Beneath the eaves of its high thatched roof, the Shishinden was open along its entire Southern side, facing a vast court yard, with the Sun Gate to the left (East) and the Moon Gate to the right (West). Within the hangar, Shishinden, near but slightly to the left and behind the Takamikura, stood a similar “Throne,” the Michodai, “smaller by a tenth” — for the Empress. Pedastals and chairs were lacquered jet black.

Loud cries warned that the Son of Heaven was entering the Shishinden from the North. To the South, all ’round the courtyard, spectators stiffened to immobility. Slowly the slender, spectacled Tenno paced up the steps of the Takamikura and sat down in his black lacquer chair. Pompously the Lord Chamberlain placed upon stands adjoining the Throne, the sacred Sword and Jewel, emblems and relics of the Sun Goddess, which, together with the Divine Mirror, attest the utter sanctity of the enthronement. Then a plain wooden baton was presented to the Tenno — “The Scepter!”

Entered and sat the Empress.* The “People of Japan,” personified by the solitary figure of Prime Minister Baron Giichi Tanaka, paced to the middle of the court yard, bowed low to the Son of Heaven, and awaited the Divine Word.

Hirohito Tenno would now speak to the people the solemnest words of his reign. Augustly he arose and stood with the baton upraised (see Cover&). Then in very loud and ringing tones he cried: “Our Heavenly and imperial ancestors in accordance with the Heavenly truths, created an empire based on foundations immutable for all ages, and left behind them a throne destined for all eternity to be occupied by their lineal descendants. By the grace of the spirits of our ancestors this great heritage has devolved on us. We hereby perform the ceremony of enthronement with the sacred symbols. . . .

“It is our resolve to endeavor to promote and cultivate friendly relations with all nations, and thus contribute to the maintenance of world peace and the advancement of the welfare of humanity. We call upon you, our beloved subjects, to be of one mind, and shunning selfish aims for public service, work with one accord, helping us to attain our aspirations.”

When the solitary “People” had replied with an address of eulogy and devotion, the immediate ceremony was at an end —except that three mighty shouts of “Banzai!” “May you rule forever !”† went up, not only from the assembled company in Kioto but from Japanese through out the world. This was possible because the original Kioto shout was timed to the second of 3 p. m., a momentous second announced throughout the world months previously.

Although the “Enthronement” was now complete — insofar as Occidentals understand that idea — there would be several more days of pomp, during which the Tenno would personally inform the Sun Goddess what had occurred and offer her with filial piety the sacred rice (boiled). Finally, with hearts uplifted and pure, Emperor and Empress will participate in three joyous Grand Banquets, visit the Shrines of the Imperial Ancestors, and lastly open the national Chrysanthemum Party, gayest fête of the Japanese year.

* Name: Jimmu.

† Thus H. R. H. (“His Royal Highness”) is the style of Edward of Wales; but Prince Chichibu of Japan is H. I. H. “His Imperial Highness”).

* The Acting Executive being Prince Fumimaro Konoe.

* 0ne hundred and fifty represented Japan’s foremost news combine, the Osaka & Tokyo Asahi. President Murayama of the Asahi issued in magazine form a Coronation Supplement, with a color portrait of the Emperor and Empress. The former is reproduced on TIME’S cover.

* Her predecessor, the present Dowager Empress Sadako, was the first consort of a Japanese Emperor to have her own “throne.” She did not, howevet, occupy it when her husband, Emperor Yoshihito, was enthroned in 1915 because she was enceinte. Yoshihito Tenno, although greatly beloved, developed an impediment of the mind which caused his son (the present Tenno) to be made Regent in 1921, for Yoshihito who died in 1926.

The Dowager Empress is, today, probably more revered than the Empress because she gave birth to four lusty sons, whereas unfortunate Empress Nagako has had no manchild, but instead two girl-babes, one of whom died (TIME March 19). The Dowager Empress, in addition to her superior powers of generating sons of Heaven, possesses a powerful and intuitive mind, not infrequently consulted by the elder statesmen.

†Literally banzai means no more and no less than “ten thousand years.”