MORAL LIFE OF THE JAPANESE. 337 



permits the daughters of the home to entertain their male guests 

 alone, would be regarded as unpardonable in Japan. 



As I have said, the engagement is either the matter of a life- 

 time or else of a few days or weeks. The date of the wedding 

 having been fixed upon, and finally arriving, the first step is taken 

 by the ceremonious removal of the bride's effects to the home of 

 the groom elect. Apart from a nominal civic marriage, which 

 practically only consists in registration, the ceremony is purely 

 of a domestic nature. 



The wedding invariably takes place in the groom's house. 

 The bride elect is escorted to her future home by her parents, and 

 is received by a young girl, who acts as the maclii-joro, " waiting 

 lady," by whom she is conducted to the dressing-room. In the 

 mean time the parents of both parties have assembled in the 

 guests' chamber, with a few intimate friends and the inevitable 

 nakodo. Before the tokonoma, or alcove, is a lacquered table, in 

 the center of which is a miniature pine tree — the symbol of good 

 fortune and prosperity ; and beneath the tree are two miniature 

 figures of an old man and woman, each with a broom — symbols 

 of household thrift and long life ; while at the root of the tree is 

 an ancient turtle of bronze, also symbolic of longevity and good 

 fortune. This odd ornament is known as the takasago, and is 

 always placed between the bride and groom during the ceremony. 

 There are also in readiness the me-o-chocho (male and female 

 butterflies), a boy and a girl of about eight years old, who wait 

 upon the bridal couple and take the place of our "best man" and 

 " . aid of honor." The nakodo is also present with a nest of three 

 safctJ.cups of different sizes, and a supply of hot sake, a rice spirit. 

 The bride and groom having taken their places on either side of 

 the takasago, the ceremony proper, or san-san-ku-do, or " three 

 times three toasts," is next performed. The nakodo takes one of 

 the cups and passes it to the groom. It is then filled with sake 

 by the " best man," and then the groom drinks and returns the 

 cup to the nakodo, who passes it to the bride. It is now filled by 

 the " maid of honor " and emptied by the bride, and again re- 

 turned via the nakodo to the groom, and again emptied. This 

 same form is gone through with the two remaining cups, after 

 which the couple are regarded as man and wife. Then the na- 

 kodo, or parent of the bride, chants the iakasago, or nuptial ode, 

 as follows : 



"Takasagoya, kono lira bun6 ni, 



Ho-o-agete tsuki morotomo ni, ideshi-o no, 



Xami no awaji no shima kageya, 



To-oku naruo-no oki sugite, 



Haya suminoye ni 



Tsuki ni ken. 1 ' 

 roi. xliii. — 23 



