The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-09-25
ROMANIZATION IN JAPAN.
A Nation Which Is Voluntarily Abando
ing Orientalism-


ing Orientalism-
Japan offers perhaps the only histor-
ical instance of Nation voluntarily
abandoning its manners, customs. be-
liefs and learning. within the short
space of generation. in order to adopt
q foreign civilization, of which it rec
ognizes the overwhelming superiority.
''Old Japan''-the Japan of the eigh-
teenth century-has ceased to exist.
except in fragments Of its antique arts,
and in such legends as we have charm
ing examples of in Milford's collection.
The new Japan is land of nineteenth
century civilization. illuminated by
electricity, traversed by railways, speak
ing through telephones. guarded by
repeating rifles and observation-disclosures
non and turreted navies of steel. The
medical science of Paris and of Berl n
il familiar to the students of Yokohama
the perfected press prints daily edi-
tons of japanese papers-chemistry
and dynamics boast scholars at Yeddo.
At our own Exposition we had some
admirable proofs of the high status Of
education in Japan, and none who
viewed the exhibits IN charge of Ichizo
Hattori left the main building without
feeling of profound respect for the
intelligence and learning OF our ORR
entail brethren.
Since then Japan has made another
great stride in progress; she has adopt
ed the Roman alphabet. The old bio
graphic characters have been q serious
-
adoption to cast type-fine specimens
Of such printing being on exhibition
here. As each new word required new
signs, and as the number OF these were
enormously increased by the expansion
Of learning in Japan. the strain en-
tailed upon the students memory be-
came something Undesirable. An or
binary public school student was OBJ
liged to commence his task by loading
| his memory with at least 1900 ideo-
| graphic characters. But il he wished
| to graduate in . higher college. he had
| to learn not 1000, but at the very least
5000 characteristic fsmiliarize him.
self with which required six years of
constant application.
| The reform has begun-not so rapid
ly, perhaps. as could be wished. but
upon q very solid basis. A society has
been formed called the Soc ETY. of
Romanization." with q membership of
more than one thousand persons. many
Of whom are Princes and Government
toficials. A committee, consisting Of
| two Europeans and four natives. was ap-
pointed to establish the rules for the
transcription Of Japanese words into
Roman characters, and their work was
| very satisfactorily accomplished. Now
the society 10 at work upon Japanese
dictionary arranged upon this prin-
ciple, and . special journal is to be
founded in support of the undertaking.
The Government warmly supports this
reform.
II is true that in the transcription Of
various Oriental alphabets special
characters have to be used. as in the
system for Persian. Arabic and Sam
scrit pronunciation adopted by Max
Muller. But these characters are
simply Roman letters specially accent
mated. so IS to render sounds peculiar
to the tongue translated. Leon De
| Rosny. the eminent japanese scholar.
showed long ago in his translation OF
the ..Si-Ka-Zen-Yo'' that the Japanese
language could be well adapted - Z
whole to the English alphabet-A O.
Tsmes- Democrat