Satisfied with temporal supremacy the shogunate never attempted to encroach upon the mikado's spiritual distinction, as ever held by the people. Nor was it alone policy that so long prompted a continuance of this dual form of government, but it was the ruling spirit quite as much of the shogunate as of the people at large. This has been repeatedly denied--in fact, it has been denied that there ever was actually two heads of government--but the facts hardly justify any such conclusion. Brushing aside all technicalities, a brilliant and polite administration of upwards of a thousand years stands out in its dual capacity as distinctly as do the two sister planets, and if that is not sufficient to establish authenticity as such then man must be at a loss to comprehend what constitutes the right of recognition.
There was, in fact, a dual form of government: the one head, the mikado, spiritual; the other, the shogun, material--each in its sphere, as related to a homogeneous whole. By a compromise these two were, in 1868, merged into one--the empire--with a discontinuance of the shogunate, and a continuance of the mikadate line of succession as the sole, reigning emperor. (See No. 9, Mikado.)
=4=. =Kimono= (k[)i]-m[=o]-n[=o]). The outer, or principal garment worn by the Japanese, both male and female.
=5=. =Harakiri= (há-rá-kâ-râ). An honourable method of committing suicide under the shogunate. It was generally done under an official decree of death, and performed by cutting or ripping open the belly with a sharp knife or dirk.
=6=. =Koto= (k[=o]-t[=o]). A kind of harp, or stringed instrument used in Japan, more for the production of classic music.
=7=. =Geisha= (g[=i]-sh[.a]). A professional singer or musician of the female sex, who sings or plays for hire, at both private and public functions.
=8=. =Etas= ([=e]t-[)a]s). The "unclean"; such as grave-diggers, etc.
=9=. =Mikado= (m[)u]-k[.a]-d[=o]). The official head of the Japanese, both spiritual and temporal, from the beginning until the twelfth century, when the shogun rose to power and seized the material functions of government.
Thence a dual form ensued, the mikado remaining the spiritual and the shogun the temporal ruler until 1868, when both were merged into the empire, with the mikado's line reigning as emperor. The office of shogun was then abolished. (See No. 3, Shogun.)