Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



439 



five or six he was again busy in his office. 

 Shortly after six he dined with the Empress, 

 and the evening was spent with her and 

 members of the Court, discussing literature, 

 especially poetry. At nine the physician again 

 appeared to look after the Emperor's health, 

 and at half-past ten or eleven the Emperor re- 

 tired for the night. 



DRESS AND DIET. 



When the Emperor rose he at once exchanged 

 his night garments for a dressing-gown of pure 

 white silk. He had certain fastidious notions 

 about dress. For instance, he never wore his 

 sleeping garments more than once. Every 

 morning they were passed on to some member 

 or other of the nobility, and were treasured by 

 them as heirlooms. A similar custom was 

 observed in regard to all underwear. Having 

 been worn once, it was invariably given away. 

 For dinner he assumed a frock coat and Occi- 

 dental dress. During the autumn manoeuvres 

 of the navy he wore naval uniform. Twice 

 every year he appeared in the dress of old Japan, 

 on New Year's Day and on January 3rd, when 

 h^ entered the Imperial shrine to worship before 

 the spirits of the four corners of the universe — 

 in other words, the universal God. All the 

 various garments and uniforms were made by 

 expert tailors within the precincts of the palace, 

 and while on duty the tailors were allowed to 

 wear nothing but white. 



The Emperor's diet, we <ire told, was of the 

 simplest. For breakfast there would be two 

 kinds of soup and three dishes, usually of fish. 

 For other meals he took foreign or Japanese 

 food, but preferred the latter. Bananas were 

 in great request, and were always on hand. 

 Peaches also were in favour. In former times 

 the Emperor liked a glass of sakfi with his food, 

 but in more recent years he preferred the best 

 foreign wines. Every meal prepared by the 

 Imperial cook has to be brought before the 

 doctors and finally sampled and tasted by 

 officials appointed for the purpose. The Em- 

 peror's dining-table is of plain white wood. The 

 chop-stirks are made in a little village near 

 Tokyo, and fifty pairs have to be sent to the 

 palace every day. 



RECKEATIONS. 



As to exercise, the limperor had given up 

 riding latterly, and preferred to walk in the 

 palace gardens. He was an adept at archery, 

 and practised it indoors in wet weather. He 

 had a great fondness for a good blade, and 

 his collection of fine swords numbers .iboul p,no, 

 most of uhich have been presented to him. 

 The practice of wood-carving was a favourite 

 hobby, and he collected tiny clocks. He locikrd 

 upon the writing of poetry as serious work, 



and the writer considers that he was a poet of 

 the highest genius. 



TOURNAMENTS OF SONG. 



A special article by Dr. J. Ingram Bryan 

 deals with the Emperor's poetry. To be able 

 to write verses is an essential accomplishment 

 of a Japanese gentleman. Under the auspices 

 of the Imperial House a Burexiu of Poetry has 

 been established, with the Poet-Laureate as 

 president. On certain occasions the Emperor 

 was in the habit of announcing a theme, and 

 the lovers of the muse were expected to take 

 it up and send in their inspirations to the 

 Bureau. .\t the New Year the names of the 

 most worthy of mention were made known, and 

 a few of the best poems were read in presence 

 of the Imperial family. It is said that in one 

 year as many as 25,000 poems would be re- 

 ceived. The Emperor himself took part in the 

 contests, and the writer has translated a good 

 many of the Emperor's poems for his article. 

 Many relate to the New Year. 



THE EMPEROR AS A POET. 



Nature enters largely into Japanese poetry, 

 and many of the Imperial poems are based on 

 it. But some of the Emperor's poems cover 

 a wider range. The following ode on the Sword 

 of Nippon is among his patriotic utterances : — 



Hail, forged sword of ancient glory. 

 Untarnished through ancestral ages ! 



Still brighter make its world-wide story, 

 Knights of Nippon, when war rages ! 



Prayer for heaven's blessing before the shrine 

 is the theme of another verse, regarded as the 

 Emperor's masterpiece. It runs : — 



That Our people safe m;iy be, 

 And Our reign Thy guidance see, 

 Is the prayer we raise to Thee 

 O Almighty God of Isi ! 



He expresses his solicitude for high and low, 

 reminding those in high places how much the 

 welfare of the nation depends on their attitude 

 to life in the following : — 



The high and low, rich and poor, 



Kach in befitting station, 

 Shall strive to be a duty-doer : 



So lives the world — and nation ! 



Again he writes : — 



O my people, countless in number I 

 O millions alive and myriads in slumbci t 

 Hend as one heart, your country to cherish, 

 .'\nd never, mclhinks, shall fair Nipf>on perish ! 



A PURE ASIATIC. 



Writing in the mid-September number of the 

 Rcvuc dcs Deux Mondcs on the reign of the 

 late Emperor, the Marquis de la Mazeliire 

 remarks that while the Emperor introduced 

 [■European civilisation into J.ipan, he himself 

 remained purely Japanese. Circumstances 

 forced on him the civii-sation of the West. 



