The spiritual Emperor of Japan is
supposed to be a direct descendant of the gods, and
as such enjoys the adoration, as well as the fealty
of his subjects. Unfortunately, his divine attributes
deprive him of the free exercise of his human functions,
as his feet are never permitted to touch the ground
out of doors; nor is he allowed to cut his hair, beard,
or nails, or to expose himself to the rays of the
sun, which, would detract from the excellency of his
person. His principal titles are, ‘Zen
Zi’ ’Son of Heaven;’ ‘Mikado,’ ’Emperor;’
and ‘Dairi,’ or ‘Kinrai,’ ’Grand
Interior:’ the latter denoting the perpetual
seclusion of his person. It is said that his ancestry
can be traced in an unbroken line from nearly 700
years before the Christian era.
The Mikado never goes beyond the precincts
of the Imperial residence, which occupies a large
portion of the city of Miako, comprising numerous
palaces and gardens; and connected with it are the
schools alluded to in the last chapter, which are
established on the plan of a university, and are much
resorted to by the children of the nobility.
Whenever this great personage wishes
to take an airing, he is carried by fourteen men in
a large norimon with latticed windows, through which
he is able to see without being seen; and even when
granting an audience he is said to be concealed from
view by bamboo screen-work. His court consists
of the members of his own family and certain great
officers of State appointed by the Tycoon, who nominally
receive and promulgate his commands; but, in ordinary
times, he has no real power in the temporal affairs
of the empire, and only refuses to confer legality
on the acts of his lieutenant under the pressure of
intrigue, or of undue family influence.
To relieve the wearisome monotony
of his life, as well as to prevent the possibility
of the sacred race becoming extinct, he is allowed
twelve wives, who are chosen from the most beautiful
daughters of the chief princes of the empire.
These ladies occupy separate palaces in the immediate
vicinity of his, where they are attended by their own
retainers; but only one of them enjoys the rank of
empress, although they are all treated with the deference
due to royalty. He is also said to have an unlimited
number of concubines, who reside within the bounds
of the Imperial establishment.
The distinctive mark of the members
of the Mikado’s court and of the ladies of his
family consists of two black patches placed on the
forehead, and in the arrangement of the hair, which
is gathered up in a long cue and curved over the head
by one sex, and worn dishevelled and without any kind
of ornament by the other. Though the Mikado has
little influence in the secular affairs of state, his
authority in religious questions is supreme; but it
is doubtful if he personally takes any part in the
solemnities which are constantly occurring at Miako.
The subject of illustration represents
one of these sacred observances: the procession
is coming from the Mikado’s palace, which, properly
speaking, is a temple, being full of idols and effigies
of the ‘Kamis,’ or ‘canonised
saints.’ The principal figure is the third
minister of state, and from this circumstance the white
dresses worn by the ‘Kargardhee,’ or ‘fire-bearers,’
and the presence of some of the Imperial children,
it is probably a midnight pilgrimage to some neighbouring
shrine, in honour of the manes of a departed member
of the family.
The early education of the Mikado’s
children is entrusted to the ladies of the court:
the sons, while still young, are sent to different
religious fraternities; and the daughters, on attaining
a suitable age, are bestowed in marriage on the nobles
of the country, except the eldest, who is appointed
chief priestess of the temple of the Sun at Issie,
which contains the shrine of Ten-zio-dai-zin,
to which all Japanese are supposed to make a pilgrimage
once in their lifetime.
The Mikado is said to spend the greatest
portion of his time in the society of his wives, who
contribute to his amusement by singing, dancing, and
theatrical entertainments. The latter sometimes
take place in the open air, as in the scene depicted
opposite; on which the ‘Grand Interior’
and a select party are supposed to be looking down
through the jalousies of the palace. The
vocal, instrumental, and theatrical talents of the
performers, are here called into play, the arena for
the latter being the ‘Mekoshee,’ or movable
stage, in which a female figure may be noticed declaiming
her part. The long-handled, fantastically-coloured
umbrellas, belong to the Imperial attendants taking
part in the theatricals, whose hair, it will be noticed,
is arranged according to court etiquette.
The men whose features are concealed
by their broad hats are ‘Ninsokee,’ or
‘public singers.’ Generally speaking
they belong to the aristocratic class, and are reduced
to earn their livelihood in this manner in consequence
of some misdemeanour, on account of which their property
has been forfeited to the state. Their occupation
is in itself a punishment, as Japanese gentlemen never
sing, regarding that accomplishment as derogatory
to their dignity. A certain class of criminals
also wear a disguise of this nature, as shown in the
woodcut.
The band here represented is much
stronger than those that generally figure in Japanese
orchestral and theatrical entertainments. Music
is not used, as with us, to fill the interval between
the pieces, but accompanies the performers throughout;
the louder instruments being energetically struck
as the singing becomes impassioned or the actors declamatory.
The butterfly dance is another specimen
of the amusements with which the ladies of the Mikado’s
court while away their monotonous existence.
As here shown, it is a private performance, of which
the Empress and her principal attendants are the only
spectators. The insects are personated by two
of her ladies, who mimic their motions and sing praises
of the different flowers they pretend to alight upon,
to the accompaniment of a band of fair musicians.
But the most interesting part of the affair is a spirited
dialogue, in which they cleverly criticise, under
floral appellations, the different ladies of
the court, in a manner equally gratifying and flattering
to their royal mistress.
The Mikado is always waited upon by
the ladies of his court, and is said never to eat
twice from the same vessels, which are broken to pieces
as they are removed. An intelligent yaconin, however,
on being questioned about this point, was much amused;
and, though he professed ignorance of the subject,
was evidently very sceptical on the matter of the
dishes.