THE TOKUGAWA COURT
purposes on every occasion when daughters of the Six Families visited the Midaidokoro, and her highness was supposed to smoke daily a pound of tobacco costing seventy shillings.
It used to be a common belief in Japan that the Shōgun, being surrounded perpetually by ladies who were segregated from contact with the outer world, lived in practical ignorance of political and administrative problems. That is true in the case of some Shōguns, but it was no part of the Tokugawa system that the nominal ruler should allow himself to be effaced or that he should ever become a mere fainéant. From the point of view of a really industrious ruler like the present Emperor of Germany, the Shōgun enjoyed a great deal of leisure. During the forenoon official cares were never allowed to obtrude themselves into his existence. Rising, winter and summer, at five o' clock. he commenced the day with a hot bath and thereafter worshipped in the Palace sanctuary, wearing a special costume for the purpose. Then, having changed his robes, he breakfasted on comparatively simple viands, and afterwards submitted his head to a hair-dresser. While the latter was at work, the Court physicians entered. There were thirty of these officials, and six of them served daily. These six entered by pairs to examine his highness's condition. They advanced on their knees with bowed heads, and each taking one of the Shōgun's hands, raised it aloft and felt the pulse, each then
41
