CHRYSANTHEMUMS AT THE JAPANESE COURT. 



725 



the 



grown in that country, with a devotion almost beyond 

 precedent in the west. Reports came to hand of a splen- 

 did fete annually held in the gardens adjoining the 

 Emperor's palace, where chrysanthemums were said to 

 be produced in such a way as would astonish the most 

 able growers in Europe. It is also noteworthy that so 

 little was the art understood in England, at the time of 

 the introduction of Fortune's novelties, that when ex- 

 hibited here they were pronounced to be far inferior in 

 size to those commonly seen in their native land. 



As an enthusiast in chrysanthemum matters, 

 writer of 

 this paper 

 has never 

 ceased to 

 take a great 

 delight i n 

 reading 

 every thi n g 

 that came 

 to hand 

 about his 

 favorite 

 flower i n 

 the Far 

 East, and 

 the desire to 

 obtain ful- 

 ler and bet- 

 ter particu- 

 lars on the 

 subject led 

 him, a few 

 years ago, 

 to place 

 himself in 

 corresp o n - 

 dence with 

 a gentleman 

 holding an 

 official posi- 

 tion in the 

 Imperial 

 XJniversi t y 

 of Tokio — 

 Mr. W. K. 

 B u r t o n — 



from whom he has been so fortunate as to secure much 

 valuable and interesting information of a literary and 

 artistic nature. 



It is of primary importance, however, for the present 

 to confine the scope of this paper to the Emperor's an- 

 nual chrysanthemum fete. How long it has been held 

 is difficult to say, but we are informed that chrysanthe- 

 mum shows were originated in Japan about 1,000 years 

 ago, in the reign of the IMikado Ouda. Invitations are 

 sert out only to the highest officials in the land, and 

 such foreigners of distinction as the imperial house- 

 hold n.ay choose to hcnor, and the invitation is conse- 



J 



it \ 



Utakata : From a Photograph l AKt.N i.n the Gardens of the Emperor of Japan. 



Three- fifths ^lainral size. 



quently much valued and sought after. It is usually 

 held on the ninth of November in each year, but the 

 guest is informed, by way of precaution, that if the ninth 

 is a wet day the fete will be held on the tenth, and 

 should that day be also wet, it will not be held at all. 



The tickets, of which the writer has one, are prettily 

 designed. In size they are about eight inches by six 

 inches ; the border is composed of chrysanthemum flow- 

 ers and foliage printed entirely in gold, on the top of 

 which is a large heraldic kiku-mon or chrysanthemum 

 crest, the national arms of Japar . The text of the in- 

 vitation is 

 printed i n 

 black i n k 

 within the 

 golden bor- 

 der, and is 

 of course in 

 the Japan- 

 e s c 1 a n- 

 guage. 



Mr. Bur- 

 ton last 

 year was 

 honored far 

 beyond pre- 

 cedent, for 

 he received 

 the c o m - 

 mand of the 

 Imperial 

 Househol d 

 Depart- 

 ment to at- 

 tend and 

 photograph 

 the show; 

 the first 

 time, it may 

 be explain- 

 ed, that a 

 camera has 

 been allow- 

 e d within 

 Emperor ' s 

 gardens. 

 Fortunate- 

 ly for the readers of The American Garden he was 

 graciously permitted to present the writer of this article 

 with a set of the views he took on the occasion, and was 

 furthermore honored with permission to allow some of 

 them to be reproduced in this journal. 



There is usually a banquet held in connection with 

 the fete, but last year, owing to the indisposition of the 

 Emperor, it was temporarily abandoned, although visi- 

 tors were permitted to view the flowers in the ordinary 

 way. Mr. Burton says that he had previously had the 

 privilege of attending the fete, and that to persons vho 

 are unacquainted with the chrysanthemun culturally it 



