Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-12

formation OF tine groups OF isles mas bee
comparatively recent. Five hundred years,
or even 1000, is Of very small account In the
history If q race, apd especially Of small
account Ia the history Of geological changea
II this presumption holds we may next con-
slider the probability Of the race which peo-
pied Japen at that early day having been Q
nomadic .,ne. Experts in architecture, like
DR.. Dresser author of Japan; its Archi-
lecture" etc.,, believe that the popularity Of
Japanese architecture is its tent-like form.
DIR. Dresser says that the public building
tyashikD and the temple Nmiya) arc the out
come of the tent There is nearly always .
center-pole, while the peculiar curved caves
suggest the curtains of q tent held up by
poles to admit the welcome breeze Il ths
summer solstice. And, indeed, this view
accords with the most ancient Japanese ira
ditions-that ours was originally race Is
nomadic In its tendencies as the Bedouin Of
to-day.
There is another method by which the an.
cient Japanese may have reached this coun-
try. / refer to the ocean current, which
even stronger than your famous gulf
stream" washes the shores Of the 8, 500
islands which constitute the Dai Nippon
Great Japan Of to-day. This current ID
known to our sailors as the "kuro shiwo"
(black current. It has been noted by navi-
gators and photographers since the earliest
imes-for instance, the Dutch navigator
Vries described it in 1643 Its force Is tre-
mendous and can be appreciated by the most
inexperienced traveller It is veritable river
in the Pacific ocean, boiling along, summer
and winter, preserving, perhaps, for Japan
not only its mild and equitable climate, but
g. l. - 2,~A I:.I
makes them so grateful to "Yebisu." the god
Of the piscatorial domain, and which con-
stitutes Japan the principal fsh-producing
country of the world.
1t is not unreasonable to suppose that the
Japanese sailor in ancient times, while on his
voyage from the main island to one Of the
outlying groups, may have encountered
severe storms, and have been swept along
by this mighty kuro-shiwo far from the f.
miliar landmarks onward and northward,
or in northwesterly course, to the Ameri-
can coast Even in our times this has hap
pened again and again In some instances
Japanese craft have laid their weary bones
on the iron-bound shores Of Washington ter
ritory or icy Alaska, or even farther south
in Oregon. In some cases only the corpees
of these waits Of the sea would be found oc
the stanch little ships, while In several In
stances, after months and months of q pre-
carious struggle with the wind god Futhin)
the hardy sailors have survived to tell
the strange story Of their voyage from
Asia to America What is more natural
than that 1000 years ago Japanese
vessels were thrown away on . part Of
the American shore, and that they peopled
the prairie land and mountains with race
which afterward became the American In
diansl 1t is true that, physically considered,
there is little or no resemblance between the
Japanese of to-day and the Indian Ono Is
Q giant in stature as compared with the
other. But it must not be forgotten that
the body dwarfs as the mind enlarges, and
the intellectual makes heavy drafts on the
physical. In this connection, I refer espec-
tally to the southern Japanese. as those most
generally known to your readers. In the
northern parts Of Japan, however, the race
is considerably taller, approximating, per-
haps, the shorter tribe, Of Indians II may
be that the superior height Of the American
may be attributed to the fact that durini
the centuries when my ancestors settled
down to learn the arts Of civilization his re-
tained the nomadic proclivitiea
Folklore and the traditions preserved
from the most ancient times greatly encour-
0RG CnlS Cn0OFy. Ou0 OIL LO6S0 I6l6t66 tQ8G =
prince and his family was sentenced to exile
fer some political fault and banished to .
small island called Hirukoshima, and that on
the voyage thither they were caught in the
dreaded typhoon and driven over the Pacific
ocean to the American coast The legend
continues by asserting that this noble was
the founder of that ancient Peruvian nation
who were afterward conquered by the
treacherous and bloodthirsty Spaniard, who.
by the way, tried-and tried in vain-to alb
sorb Japan about 23O years ago. The incas
were held in reverence as the mikado h for
the reason that be was presumed to be The
"Jimmu Tenno" (son of hsaven), and
the manners and customs, the religion. and
even the arts, bore . striking resemblance
to those of Japan Of corresponding period
Your readers will remember also that when
Cortez arrived in Mexico, he was graciously
received by Montezuma and his mobiles a.
one whom they had expected from the legen-
dairy home of that race in the forest
Whether considered from an chronological
or historical standpoint, the subject is q
deeply interesting one. The ideas have en-
deavored to express in this epistie tmy
knowledge Of English being not very exten-
sive) will, hope, be the means Of drawing
forth the opinions Of others far more comps-
tent than myself of discussing it in all its
bearings II this shall be the result, It win
be q matter Of congratulation to many Of
my countrymen.