The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-01-19
The Religion of Japan.

ceS OF the japanese. II Is from Nv "
Reed, one of our countrymen. who has
made the first and unsuccessful attempt
there to establish commercial house,
Its published with others in the journal
of Commerce. Mr.. Reed says:
''The religion Of the country is as
strange as the people themselves. Our
short stay here has not afforded us much
opportunity to become eonversant with
all their yocations and religious opinions
So far as I know. ofthem, / write YOU
First, they have no Sabbath or weeks,
but divide the time by moons and half
moons. Hence the first and middle ot
each month is observed as day of rest
or recreation. On those days no appear
ance of activity is to be seen. All the
houses are closed, and the inmates spend
their time in eating and ieentious enjoy
ments, to such an extent. the Russians
say, as to become perfectly abhorent to
an enlightened mind. What takes place
in their houses on those days | am una
bic to say, but have noticed them ex-
Guiding themselves from the streets on
those days. Temples are built all over
the country, where there is spot sutff-
ciently picture sque to meet their idea Of
a temple site. In the temple priest
lives, with as many wives as he wishes,
and to all appearances leads a life of IL
centious debauchery. In front of each
temple is large bell which is sounded at
certain hours of Che day, or according to
t my observation, at any hour it may suit
the Buns or Priest, and that is signal
that he goes to prayer. None come at
the sound of the bell, nor does it appear
that the Objects to call the people in.-
The priest sits down in front of an altar,
with small taper burning, and with a
small mallet in one hand and string of
beads in the other, be begins to hum or
half sing certain number of words
cam Jam Am" at the same time rapid
ly striking wooden bell or tub, and then
a copper one, and so on alternately, for
an hour or so, except sometimes he ceas-
es to strike with the mallet, and rubs the
beads together with both hands and rend-
ers his voice finer or more slow and
plaintive. This appears to be all the
worship they have, and their belief Is.
that the priest,cau1 and must do all the
praying. There appears to be no solem-
nifty attached to this service by the peo-
pie or the priest: for go into a temple
during prayer, and the priest gets up
and begins TO laugh and ask questions,
DC, the same as though we entered
shop. In short, | am informed that the
people in general have no respect for
their priests, but treat them as we would
some outcast from society. The field for
missionary labor must be unlimited here
| trust ere long that we shall see Ameri-
can enterprise exhibiting itself in Japan.
Not long since some of the leading off
GERS of this Government came to visit
me on business, and their attention was
attracted to a sacred picture or painting
hanging On the wall. They asked me
what it was intended to represent. "Our
Savior in his mothers arms" I replied.
They asked if people in our country had
wings. / said mo, they represented an
gels" "Aha !" said they, "angels We
have none in Japan - manifesting the
most perfect surprise and ignorance of
beings like US, having wings. 1 asked
them if they would not like some here.
They said "no; we like not angels
Yesterday, while these same officers
were discussing some question about my
right to stay here, &c, the interpreter
accidentally picked up the Bible lying
on the table, and began to read aloud TO
me from the lst chapter of Genesis ;and
he read four verses quite plain, and stop
ped, looked to me and said, '.What book
is this 90 / told him it was the Bible,
the American book of religion that Sll
families had one, and it was the only
book in the world that told how the world
and be and originated. ! asked him to
take it and keep it, but he declined, say
ing, 81 cannot be glad to do so," and at
this time he got such look from the 9TH
er officers as obliged him to close it at
once. and put it away. From what I
have seen and what can learn, ! am
convinced that the Bible and Its teaching
would produce most wonderful and
speedy change here; but whether or not
the Emperor would allow of It's promul-
cation here, is more than ! can say. Il
am under tie impression that ne would
resist it most firmly. [ do hope that be-
fore this year ends, some will attempt To-
teach its principles here"