New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-25
RELIGION IN JAPAN.
OBSERVATIONS OF TIE BISHOP OF EXETER.
JAPAN AS WE SAW 1T. by N. BickeTste'h, Win
Preface 10y the Bishop OF Exeter. llnsra'ou'
Pp, xvi, 3J4. Charles Scribners sons.

81
Preface 10y the Bishop OF Exeter. lilus'ra'u'
Up. xvi. 354 Charles scribner'' sons.
The brief visit Of the Bishop of Exeter with
his wife and daughter TO Japan was accidentally
timed so that he obtained an experience not
to be had in his own diocese. On October -.
1891. DIR. Bickcrsteth arrived at Osaka. a city
Of nearly half million inhabitants. descripeu
BY the author of this book az the Liverpooi
OF Japan, with long rows OF Offices ana SHOPS
but redeemed from the nOnotony OF western
trading city by network OF canals ana by hu-
merous bridges Of graceful architecture Inc
Bishop was attracted TO the city by the work
of the central mission of the Church Missionary
Society. but he found much to interest him be-
sides religious affairs Finally, on October
2s, came the great earthquake which aroused
the sympathy of the whole civilized word.
Osaka was not in the centre OF that profound
seismic disturbance. but it was far enough WITHIN
the outer circle to satisfy the Bishop and MS
companions.
People in japan carly risers. They be-
gin the day promptly, and make up for starting
AZ 4 or > o'clock by long interval OF rest
at noon. The whole city was on its feet, 80
TO sneak long before G:3O. the hour when the
first shock occurred The travellers had al
ready gained some experience of earthquakes,
Toxic and the ncighborhood," writes Miss BECKER
stcth all the houses are warmed by stoves,
and a chimney is almost unknown on account
of the MANY small shocks which occur IN va
rious months of every year, rendering such Il
luxury as an open fireplace and chimney most
undesirable" Light shocks occurred four times
while the travellers in Toxic. and the Wiz
it6rs became accustomed to feeling the house
they happened TO be in tottcr a'd 10 hearing
the furniture and other things rattle about bn.
when they reached Osaka they felt rs II All
danger was over. Few people there cou" IT,
member an earthquake. and when 'h'y ".'o
asked by the foreign visitors. VINO had dono'-
less been rendered somewhat timid by 'he"
experience at Toxic. if there was no aahSc'
A. Osaka. they replied, with ill-groundcd con
fdcnce: We never have an "ir'hin'h>c
here" So general was the ishn1
If security that foreign residents generally punt
their houses in a substantial way more or less Inv
that TO which they were accus'omch ~ "o"''
Cbimneys were a feature Of all thes, houses al"
the JapancSe used them freely IN III" Numerous
factorics Of the town. One Of the lessons OF the
earthquake seems to have been that ioi''s" "
tions of architecture arc far less suitable to the
country than the light and apparently crazy eu".
turcs favored by tho Japanese themsclvc' sun
that Of Archdeacon Warren was hardly a i'ir
-, oir,.r NJ Western methods. The secoid STORY
had been added some years after the mouse wa
g.. or.ctcd and probably because foreign puiia
iros ,voro rather new 70 the Japanese at the tim'
IL was not very securely put together, anu 'hci'
fooro suffered more than many others from III"
shocl,sn The photographs oil the mouse ait'r '"c
catastrophe show that the earthquake dld us "s'
20 remedy the defects of the second story pS pu'
tine II. somewhat confusrdly. ON the hrS' hoor
Those inmates of the house who were most iahiIi''
with earthquakes took refuge in the garue"' i"o
Rishop and his wife, however, mi-led by the har'n-
lcssness Of the shocks which they had iclt III
Tokio. waited in their room until almost too ia''
Then they took refuge in a doorway ana All ia,
slant later the floor of their room was carrieo
down by a falling. chimney =
ar coursc this narrow escape, md other III
stances Of a similar nature led the nssloha'''
IN "A devout review of the condolences that -'r'h'u
to point to the special Intervention OF f'''i
dcncc \ nurse, who was sent - Nae"Na' nA"'
a report 10 the missionary guild of ~. Paul IN
England which is quoted AZ leng,h IN ''i'
volume After describing the devastation anu
loss OF Nfc there, she remarked: 1t Is ihct 'h''
gives a feeling OF awe that OF the 'hriS'IahS
sprinklcd among this number so few w'r" Killed
so few wounued and 30 few suffered IN any WHY
In many cases theirs were marvellous instances "i
,rca pc houses left standing when all aTouhh
were in ruins. 80 az TO cause the heather them
selves TO make comments as to why TINS shoui' pc
We ar. bound 70 acknowledge that God took care |
NJ his own The fact that Christians ar" a. yct
far from numerous in Japan IN comparison WIN
the heather probably has nothing to do with the
matter hut il certainly would not he forgotten by !
81 81. ns.rt.. II ~
tistics As 10 the cause Of the earthquake, the
nurse remarked zone could not but feel that |
/, must he to teach the heather that above all |
lie is Cod II was remembered after IN" |
calamity that ut family prayers in III" hon-" Of
Warren TIE Bishop with almost
Drophetic instinct chose Psalm xci. and said. as
le himself noted in lis diary, "a few words on
,nr home in God and It's security and bless"lncss.'
The particular value of tie book. a-ir from
Is description Of places already moro or lcSs
we'll known 10 the Western reader. lies in !
It's point Of view. In the ease of n people, 50
az the Japanese. every aspect of
the movement by which thcy are passing from
Oriental to Western civilization is of the deepest
interest To the ord nary irrcyercnt traveller
the work Of missionaries * apt TO seem OF qn"s-
tionablc utility. The person whose Tastes put
him more or less in sympathy with tho historic
native religions usually speaks Of the missionaries
in a spirit OF antagonism more or less bitter. All
these adverse views have been exploited with fire.
lncncy. and il il doubtless an excellent thing to
have what practically the views OF an English
Bishop, though written out by his daughter, on the
relations Of Christianity in various forms 70 the
Buddhism and ShintoisD in which the p"opl"
have been trained Apparently he does not look
FOR the conversion Of the Japanese directly 10
the Anglican Communion. But, basing his opin-
ons on certain triits Of tn" race, he hopes for
the ascendancy of national Christian Church.
These traits are TIE national reverence for his
oric truth, the national appreciation OF order
in things religious as well as secular and ma
ional patriotism viking to learn. but too proud
10 resign itself permanently TO foreign influence or
From these considerations he ar