sacred archways (torii) gave access.  In the centre of the court a temporary shed was erected for the occasion, in which the tables or altars were placed.  The final preparations being now complete, the ministers of state, the virgin priestesses and priests of the temples to which offerings were sent by the Mikado, entered in succession, and took the places severally assigned to them.  The horses which formed a part of the offerings were next brought in from the Mikado’s stable, and all the congregation drew near, while the reader recited or read the norito.  This reader was a member of the priestly family or tribe of Nakatomi, who traced their descent back to Ameno-koyane, one of the principal advisers attached to the sun-goddess’s grandchild when he first descended on earth.  It is a remarkable evidence of the persistence of certain ideas, that up to the year 1868 the nominal prime-minister of the Mikado, after he came of age, and the regent during his minority, if he had succeeded young to the throne, always belonged to this tribe, which changed its name from Nakatomi to Fujiwara in the seventh century, and was subsequently split up into the Five Setsuke or governing families.  At the end of each section the priests all responded ‘O!’ which was no doubt the equivalent of ‘Yes’ in use in those days.  As soon as he had finished, the Nakatomi retired, and the offerings were distributed to the priests for conveyance and presentation to the gods to whose service they were attached.  But a special messenger was despatched with the offerings destined to the temples at Watarai.  This formality having been completed, the President of the Jin-Gi-Kuan gave the signal for breaking up the assembly.”  Ancient Japanese Rituals, T.A.S.J., Vol.  VII, pp. 104-107.]

[Footnote 12:  S. and H., p. 461.]

[Footnote 13:  Consult Chamberlain’s literal translations of the name in the Kojiki, and p. lxv. of his Introduction.]

[Footnote 14:  The parallel between the Hebrew and Japanese accounts of light and darkness, day and night, before the sun, has been noticed by several writers.  See the comments of Hirata, a modern Shint[=o] expounder.—­T.A.S.J., Vol.  III., Appendix, p. 72.]

[Footnote 15:  Westminster Review, July, 1878, p. 19.]

CHAPTER III

“THE KOJIKI” AND ITS TEACHINGS

[Footnote 1:  Kojiki, pp. 9-18; T.A.S.J., Vol.  III., Appendix, p. 20.]

[Footnote 2:  M.E., p. 43; McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia, Art.  Shint[=o]; in T.A.S.J., Vol.  III., Appendix, is to be found Mr. Satow’s digest of the commentaries of the modern Shint[=o] revivalists; in Mr. Chamberlain’s translation of the Kojiki, the text with abundant notes.  See also Mr. Twan-Lin’s Account of Japan up to A.D. 1200, by E.H.  Parker.  T.A.S.J., Vol.  XXII., Part I.]

[Footnote 3:  “The various abstractions which figure at the commencement of the ‘Records’ (Kojiki) and of the ‘Chronicles’ (Nihongi) were probably later growths, and perhaps indeed were inventions of individual priests.”—­Kojiki, Introd., p. lxv.  See also T.A.S.J., Vol.  XXII., Part I, p. 56.  “Thus, not only is this part of the Kojiki pure twaddle, but it is not even consistent twaddle.”]