Crown Prince Blocked

In the Imperial Palace at Tokyo the cypress bathtub was prepared. To disperse the evil spirits loud plangent sounds were made by a general and three viscounts twanging bowstrings. A screen was set up behind the tub and behind the screen knelt Dr. Ichimura and Dr. Mikami --savants equivalent in Japan to the President of Harvard and the President of Yale. Into the tub went the Empire's nameless, seven-day-old Crown Prince (TIME, Jan. 1). While he was washed, the voices of the savants reading from ancient books were louder than the bowstrings. Clean after his first bath, the babe was swathed in a kimono of heavy white silk, the gift of Dowager Empress Sadako, most revered female in Japan. Only then was he ready to be named.

Also ready were the Grand Chamberlain, Admiral Suzuki; the Chief Ritualist, Prince Sanjo and the Minister of the Imperial Household, Viscount Yuasa.

Punctually at 10:30 a. m. the Sublime Emperor handed to the Grand Chamberlain a block of white wood. Upon it His Majesty had painted with delicate brush strokes the name considered most auspicious by the Chief Ritualist.

Name in hand, the Grand Chamberlain passed into the bedchamber of Empress Nagako and exhibited it to her. He then laid the block of wood reverently in the Crown Prince's crib.

Emerging, the Grand Chamberlain announced that the name was indeed Akihito Tsugu no Miya. The Chief Ritualist departed with seemly haste to make this known to the Sun Goddess and other ancestors of the Imperial House. Not until 11 a. m. was the name entered in the register of the Imperial Household by the Minister of the Imperial Household. Not until it had been so entered was word flashed to Japanese cruisers in Tokyo bay to blaze away a 21 gun* salute while Tokyo sirens screamed and the whole metropolis joined in a thrice-repeated shout of Banzai! ("May you live 10,000 years!'').

Matter of complaint by Japanese is the habit foreign devils have of calling the Empire's Princes by whatever part of their name suits the foreigners' fancy. All Japanese Princes have given names ending in hito (benevolent male) and the no Miya with which they are all tagged means "Prince of." They are Prince of what comes before the no Miya, as Edward is Prince of Wales. Thus the babe christened last week Akihito Tsugu no Miya is "Aki the benevolent Male, Prince of Tsugu" Aki means "Enlightened." Tsugu identifies the babe as Crown Prince.

*Newborn Romanovs used to get 101 guns, newborn Windsors get 41.

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