The "on-saifuku (ceremonial robe)" shown in the photo is the purest and the most sacred dress for the Emperor's divine works.

It is produced with the silk cloth of snow-white raw weave.

This robe is used only for the ceremonies at the "Yuki-den" palace and the "Suki-den" palace in the case of the "Daijoh-sai", the Harvest Festival after an Emperor's enthronement, which is a one-time at one generation, and in the case of the Niname festival which is the most important ceremony of usual practices of annual religious services.

The Emperor's in the photo is called the "o-saku", which is white silk connecting the "ei" of the crown with "koji" behind; it is used when the Emperor attends a divine work.

The Emperor's "hoh" garment is called "on-sai-i" and it is cut in a special way; a "retsu", a piece of coth, called "ama-ooi" is on the "ran" cloth.(The "ran" of "hoh" is not the "arisaki" type.)

It is made in the style just like the one of the "soken", the Buddist monk's robe.

Only one conspicuous difference is that the "soken" robe has the "enryoh" round collar and the "on-sai-i" robe has the "suiryoh" square collar.

The "on-sai-i" robe has inherited much the form of the "hoh" garment in the early stages of Heian era; the fact that Emperor Junna wore the "on-sai-i" at the time of his accession to the throne[823] is the proof of the opinion that it started at the time.

The outline of the "on-sai-fuku" in the present the Imperial palace has quite close resemblance with the original robe of the Emperor of the Heian era. [See Chart-3 on page 436]