Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-06-06
ORIGIN OF THE JAPANEsE.


The evidences are that they are an original
nation. The language Of the two people is
entirely different, both in construction and
Pronunciation. So the religion of the two ma
tIons differed. The original religion of Japan
was the SihtOo, the gods and idols Of whic
were Sin and Kane.
Buddhism, which now prevails was not in
troduced into the Empire until 56 years after
the birth Of Christ. Chinese settled in Janap
In the seventh year of the Sth monarch of the
Umpire, kokem, and there was considerable
trade between the two Empires prior to 1887,
after which It was restricted. They introduced
and communicated by these sparse settlement :
from time to time the arts and sciences toJ Japan,
which had long before fourished in China
knmfer, beside these reasons for denying that
the. Chinese aud the japanese are the same
people inhabitfug different countries, inclines
to the opinion that the Japanese are descend
ants of the first inhabitants of Babylon, and
their language one of those which God as a
punishment and for the confusion of its vain
and conceited builders, infused into the minds
OF those who commenced the tower of Babel
He thinks that the confusion Of tongues brought
the people who then dwelt in the plains of
Shlnar, to separate and be dispersed over the
world This is an ingenious theory; but the
general opinion is that the japanese belonged
originally to the great Tartar race. Informa-
tion Is too limited, however, to solve the ques-
tiOn satisfactorily.
The Empire of japan has two Emperors one
ecclesiastical and the other secular. The first
= called the Mikado, and resides in Mikao
He Is the first in rank, and is regarded with
excessive veDeration; but has no political power
whatever. The second is called the Ziopoop
who resides at Yeddo He commands the army
has the revenues at his disposal, is Emperor de
faeto, and visits the Mikado once in seven
years with great pomp and pageantry. A
Council of State consists Of thirteen. of which
hve are taken from the hereditary vassal
princes, and eight from the hereditary nobility
below the rank of princes
This Council of State governs in the mama of
the Emperor-ZiogoOn. Among those council.
Iors there Is one called the Governor of the
Empire, to whom the others are subordinate
There are numerous other inferior officials but
the Empire is ruled by those already named:
and while the laws are sanguinary-deatb
being the penalty in most cases of offense-the
Wnole system Is government Of spies, and as
absolute as any, if not the most absolute, in
the world ~ "
Ii was our purpose to make a brief review of
the progress of christianity in Japan subse-
qnently to Its introduction in 15i9 by the Jes-
uits, OF the bitter prosecutions also to which IL
was exposed. and the msrtyrdoms which pre
ceded Its bloody extirpatiOE. But we have
already trespassed 20 much upon the indulgence
OF our readers that We must defer our wishes
IN that respect TO more opportune time, if in
deed We shall consider it Of sufficient interest
to pursue the subject hereafter. In the hope,
then, that this rapidly drawn sketch of Japan
and Its people may be interesting in connec-
ton with the Embassy to the United States,
we shall, without further ado, conclude it.
EDUCATION IN JAPAN
The japanese have a more genera! educa-
tion than the Chinese, and are not bound down
by the absurd fetters of ancient custom in re-
gard to the course of study that keep the latter
In such benighted condition. In aptitude
for new pursuits they are excelled by few.
Capt- GoiowInn relates that young japanese
learned the Russian from him in an incredibly
short time, and when Com. Perry arrived at
feddo he found that they were familiar with
our own history, and that even the Mexican
war, with its battles and results, were fully
known among the officials with whom Mr. Oil
phant, the historian of the English Embassy.
assOcisted. Mr.. 0liphant remarks:
Although We took leave to doubt the exist
ence Of professors Of European languages at
YeddO, there is noquestion about the advanced
state of education, and its wide effusion
throughout the empire. Dutch is certainly
taught at 1eddO as well as Nagssaki; and
pupils who have studied the latest mechanical
and scientific inventions at the latter place
under the Dutch, come to the capital as teach
ers. Thus they are competent to manage
their own steam engines, and to navigate their
own ships, working their course by obseryation
They are extremely sensitive of being Supposed
incapable Of acquiring any branch of knowl-
edge which is possessed by others, and have a
very high estimate of their powers in this re-
spect- This was amusingly illustrated in dis
cuSSlon which took place as to the language
which should hereafter be the medium Of Off
eial correspondence. "Oh," said one of the
commissioners, you had better make English
the ofhcial language: there is no telling how
long it will be before you will be able to write
a dispatch in Japanese; but give US FIVE years,
and we shall be quite competent to correspond
with you in English.
LANGUAGE IN JAPAN
The japanese language is one of exceeding
difficulty to learn, and more complicated even
than the Chinese. This difficulty arises from
the fact that in addition to a written and spo-
ken Of their own pOllysyllabic, they make use
OF the Chinese, which, spoken with a peculiar
japanese pronunciation, suppressing the nasal
ana sottening the eonSonant, is in general use
as learned tongue. Chinese characters are
also used to express ideas, though not in the
original Chinese sense. As the Japanese use
all these four forms indifferentIy, 1t involves
the learning In q maze Of such confusion th at
all attempts hitherto made to reduce to order
the principles OF the language-to write .
grammar-have totally failed Rev Henry
Wood, chaplain to the Powhatsn, has recently
stated as bis opinion, based upon what he has
been able to observe, both in his own case and
that Of others, that under the most favorable
circumstances years are necessary to acquire
even a superficial knowledge of this most COM
Plicated tongue. The higher the pretensions
OF Japanese writer, the more Chinese he in
termingles, and hence to read their books
knowledge Of both would seem necessary But
the dlrneulty does not rest here. Many of these
Chinese characters have an entirely japanese
signiheation. This mixed sort of writing seems
70 oe easily understood and mastered by the
japanese themselves, among whom book print
ing from wooden plates, and the art of reading
have been common from our earliest knovIed ve
Of them IL however puts an almost insuper-
able obstacle in the way of learners frem
abroad, and gave rise to the saying among the
Jesnits, ''that il had sseen invented by the
devil himself, on purpose to impede the spread
Of the gospel" ="
ANUSEMENTs IN JAPAN.
The Japanese are greatly addicted to gaming
and play at cards and dice with great zest
Disputes often arise at these games, and not
unffeqaently the death of one Of the parties is
the consequences. Owing to this, cards are
prohibited by law, but this difficulty is avoid
ed by increasing the number in the pack, be-
yond that specified in the law, as i'm our game
Of nine pins, which being played with ten in
stead Of nine pins, evades the legal enaetmen q
against it.
Err. .ardz ara ast n;a.as nf horn r.. :