, 1870-05-22
JAPANESE CIVILIZATION.

The London Saturday leeriesr, in notice OF
= new work, lie Japan ulustre. par Alma
Humbert," sayH OF Japanese civilization:
The purely Japanese civilization. unhelped
by European ideas. surpassed in mnnE points
tie civilization Of certain portions OF Eu-
rope itself. For instance, II We compare tic
highlands Of Scotland in the seventeenth CEN
tury with japan at the same period, It cannot
be denied tbs. in many Of the arts Of refine
ment the Japanese very far surpassed onr
Sssesgsszi1F{ fSs ss there ne'sass aas =,aaa saa 10
terial rcisilization is ineomrarab's sntenor
n the variety and quality Of its products 70
the civilization Of the Japanese islands. Inc
difference is probably dne more toehnatS than
10 race, for cur Gaels are naturaAs bosh N,
tell;gent and polished, set they have produced
own land. TIE Japanese civilization. IS We
| know it. is q combustion OF Partisan ingeui-
! o,,sness with fcuda1iEm, The Highlandersh had
the feulalisln, under the clai, systetn, ~stho1t
! the ingcniousness, However, since every
civilization is thing Of itself, comparisons
are ant to lead Us nst1aE il We attempt to draw
! infereucea and 70 even the shortest step be-
! yopd tie asccstained fact. For example, IN
!, one respect, that Of popular elementary edn-
cation, the japanese arc very snrGIor TO the
| French, and even to the English. lhefe y 10
I compt)eorr education, the goEernment neveS
! intcrfercs between parent And child, Jet
every man and woman in Japan can read
aud wlise and keep Al account. bnt on
the other hand, If We ask how far the Japan
csc have gone in the pursuit Of kno"ledge--
| how far, Tor example, ! special stndy. such ~
! MEDICINE, has been car11ed-we find them inf
pitelv behind the most backward Of the Euro
pcan nations. Again, in the fine arts. they
carry certain works ty point Of e1qnisiteness
hardly known in Europe; their artistic tuzn1-
ture, for example, is in its way simply per
! k,.A ~ and their draw
incs and wood cuts are often the work OF n2oss
| genuine and even great artists, who would do
Honor to any country. Bat when va inlnlze
how far theS hare gone IN architecture We hna
er ot the A1ts, the. have scarcely gone beyond
= conveniently arranged hut fof habitst1on
and heavy overhangirg roo3 on
very insignificant edihce forreligleusT poses
u. Humbe1t attributes the backwa1dnsss @
The Japanese in architecture to their peculiarly
strong seuse Of the transformers Of existence
60 that they encaup on the earth. as II were
but do not Eettlc upon it with ideas o1 per
.. | rnanence. But one cannot help askipg wh,
any belief or 6isbeGef il the etetnA aasaue. 10
manner OF our settlement on this Pa1t,eala
!. planet. where man stays no longer foE hAS
, tnc beUet in the immortality al the soul. no
year the less for looking forward to its am 1
, llila,iop. The japanese arc not, a. the ea1s
= Christians were, and - certain interpreters Q
: n jaify Expectation of tie end 9
~ things. they see generation succee
y to generation. get they build only 70. me ; PR
q cent All that can be ssia Is, thas .ost ses1 na
peoples have passion ios teaslhs ~ e,eats not h
= further, th.t where this passion doea moi esls
- architecture. in the great sense, haa no cn1ne
y cf vigorous life. The passion Is fel5 az
euid in England lttelf at the present aas; g.. s
tsin buildings are erected Wh,sh W .ase =,
- to their present utility. The Hoaaes Of "a
~ lament we're built with view 70 petmanensG, :,
7 and 60 is the Thames en1banknents put =
~ Ordinary London House is a1nost IS 1noce =
~ encampment as the japanese
- Other points to be noted about tne Sapaa:s; a.
ss .re he simplicity Of their system Of fu!nis
~ inr. ia poin, OF quantity. and the eompaa1nu, ~
a. OF this simplicity with the msnest sno NV
40 elaborate dnieh in the things themselse9:,
England have asa.S e.. s,a,;c aaaits ~
he furniture before We reaen a. 10y of;acsa III;
, as .ra rrraried a. curiouities, The Japanese
Gu 5arst,n5 tbn aayantaga Of having few Thing
". snd thcT have kuscE OF doing Gyerythtpg
- ~ he most convenient nsnneI. f. Eos emp
What thoroas9,y psast e1scttT I of he same
~ ~ -. ~ mnf ;s the most important thing u
be ianan an and as the rooms are altered at viii
q. psrt;tions, always with reference to the ma
obvious that n amount and o. II
m ns by b having the mat invsziable:: IT
ley 1s1;tr, n"; shown not only in tho sra
III matte arrangement Of the social hierarchy,
~ = even IN the building OF their cities. For
ch. ample, the Osaka il almost IA regular .
il III chese-board. They appear to be : clea
- people. The inhabitanta Of ce1tain Europ
M Countries might initiate them in this resp
M with advantage. The hot bath is daily. I
10 essa.y ot lde IN japan, but it is rc:aazks