[Illustration: A SHINTO FUNERAL SERVICE.]
When a death takes place, it is reported at once to the shrine of the local tutelary deity, and a Shinto priest called in. The date of the funeral is then fixed. The body is laid in the upper part of a room, and the face is covered with a white cloth; before it is set a table, on which are put some washed rice, water, and salt, and a lamp is lighted; and perfect silence reigns in the room. A tablet is placed before the body and the ceremony of transferring the spirit of the dead to the tablet is performed. Then a new bed and pillow are put in the coffin and the body is laid on them with the face covered and a new quilt put over it; and at the same time many favourite articles of the deceased are laid beside him. The coffin is then filled up, and the lid nailed on it. The body is never washed, but it is sometimes wiped with a wet cloth if it has lain long in the sick-bed. The coffin is laid on wooden rests, and rice, water, and salt offered before it; it is next placed in a bier which has a roof like that of a Shinto shrine. The funeral procession is led by the guide, who is followed by bearers of lanterns and branches of _cleyera japonica_; after them come priests and carriers of red and white flags with a box of offerings between them. Next comes the officiating priest and after him is carried a flag bearing the name of the deceased with his court rank and title, if he had any; and then, more lanterns, followed by the hearse and the rests behind it. The grave-post is carried next, and after it marches the chief mourner, behind whom walk the near relatives and after them, the general mourners. When the procession reaches the hall for burial service, the bier, is laid on the rests and the _cleyera japonica_ and the flag with the deceased’s name are set up. Offerings of food are made before the coffin and the officiating priest reads out a funeral address giving a short sketch of the deceased’s life; and then all the priests, the chief mourner, the relatives, and the rest of the mourners take each in turn a _tamagushi_, which is a branch of _cleyera japonica_ with strips of paper hanging from it, and laying it before the coffin, makes a bow to the dead. The food is removed and the coffin brought down and buried, the relatives throwing the earth into the grave. The grave-post is next set up and fenced round with bamboo poles, which are connected with sacred rope. The priest announces the burial and bows to the grave, in which act he is followed by the mourners present. Before leaving the burial-ground, all the mourners are purified by the priests with a sacred wand. On the night of the funeral, when the house has been purified by sprinkling salt water over it, the _cleyera japonica_ and flowers of the season are put in vases before the tablet, a lamp is lighted, and food is offered to it; and the priest reads a prayer and, together with the others present, offers the _tamagushi_ and bows to the tablet, after which the food is removed, and the service ends.