17 NOVEMBER 1928, Page 3

At Kyoto, last Saturday, the Emperor of Japan entered upon

his enthronement ceremonies with all the long, strict, and ancient rites of his dynasty. In the morning he announced his enthronement to the spirits of his one hundred and twenty-five predecessors. Most of the ritual symbolizes his descent from the Sun Goddess. The Emperor is the Arch-Priest of his people. The ceremonies last several days, and the culminating and most sacred rite is the simplest, in which the Emperor retires alone into a plain but for four hours and dedicates himself to the Eternal Powers and to his country.