19
Chinese Emperor Kaiwo. From that time till the year of Christ 1693 one hundred and fourteen Emperors of the same family have successively sat on the Throne of Japan. They value themselves extremely upon being the eldest branch of the family of Ten Sio Dai Sin, the sacred founder of the Japanese nation.
They have not inherited the title of Mikotto, which is given only to the divine and half-divine beings of the first and second succession, but that of Mikado, (which is a diminutive of the same words) as also the titles, Dai, Oo, Kwo, and Tai. They are likewise termed Tensin, that is Sons of Heaven. The Princes of the Imperial house are looked upon, says Kaempfer, as Popes by birth. A Mikado of the time when he wrote and of former times would, he says, think it prejudicial to his dignity to touch the ground with his feet. He must be carried on men’s shoulders. Much less may the monarch’s person be exposed to the open air or to the beams of the Sun. His hair and beard may not be cut. His ablutions are performed on his person at night during his sleep. In ancient times he was obliged to sit on the throne for some hours every morning wearing the Imperial crown, and not stirring hands or feet or head or eyes. This tiresome duty was later commuted, the crown being placed each morning on the throne. The vessels and table-furniture made use of for the Mikado must be renewed at each meal. These are clean and neat, but of common clay, and are generally broken after having been once used, in case they should fall into less holy hands. The ministers of the Court name the nearest of kin the next heir, without regard to age or sex. There have been even instances of an Emperor being succeeded by his widow, as also of a Mikado abdicating in favour of his son. The entire court is composed of the members of the same family of Tensio Daijin. At the same time of Kaempfer’s visit the secular emperor had assigned for the maintenance of the Mikado’s court the revenues of the city of Miako and its appurtenances, which were so insufficient for the purpose that the Court of Kiôto was remarkable for its splendid poverty.
