The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-07
RELIGION OF JAPAN.
sHINToIsM RESPONSIBLE FOR JAPA-
NEsE LlRERALlTY.

Tho National Religion HarmoniEes some
what with Western Thought-The Spirit
ofToleration-Not Regularly Established
Until 1S6s.
A Japanese gentleman not long 9
visited a drug store ON the Third avenue,
In this city, and asked for q postage
ttamp. The stamp was duly supplied by
the head of the drug store, who, wish
ing to be pleasant and agreeable TO the
foreigner, said, well, sir, which do.
you like better, America or China?'
The Japanese gentleman Indignantly
replied: May / suggest, sir. that it is
your business to sell drugs and stamps,
and that you should confine yourself to
these duties: / am not a Chinaman, but
a native of Japan, and it Is a mark of
your ignorance of geography that you
do not know the difference.
Without apologizing for the rudeness
of the gentleman of Japan, we venture
to remark that western peoples, even
the most educated among us, do not
seem to carefully distinguish between
Japan and China.
The Japanese have always regarded
themselves as far i'm advance in civiliza-
ton, and there is nothing which offends
the native of the island of Japan more
thar to he taken for O Chinaman.
Very much of the liberal attitude of
the people of Japan toward western
thought and custom arises from the fact
that its national religion is Shintoism.
Most people imagine that Buddhism
is the religion of Japan, and conse
quently the national cult of Shintoism
is q religious belief which until the last
30 years had never been heard of i'm the
western world.
For centuries Japan was, q terra in
cognita to the rest of humanity, although
it's history dates from $50 B. G., when
Jimmer Tenno was king, and Shintoism
was his creed. Buddhism was not in
PRODUCED into Japan until 500 of the
Christian era, when it came from India
by way of Korea.
The term Shinto is of Chinese origin
and is expressed by the almost unpro-
nounceable japanese word of Kami-no-
MICH, the meaning of both words being
''the way of the spirits" The essential
principle of Shintoism is "a combination
Of ancestor worship and nature worship,
and it would seem that the latter of
these elements is largely due to the on
tact of Japan with the Taoism of China.
Shinotism is therefore the veneration of
the country's heroes and b~enefacrors of
every age, legendary, historical, II
cient and modern.
The essential feature of Shintoism is
its liberal attitude toward other Ieli-
gious beliefs, and when Buddhism was
brought into the country the priests OF
the ancient belief extended the right
hand of fellowship toward its missiona-
ries. But the same liberality has not
always been returned by the clergy OF
Buddhism, and not very long ago one OF
the great temples at Tokyo was burned
by the Buddhists to prevent its falling
into the hands of the Shinto priests.
Shintoism has been equally liberal to-
ward modern Protestant missionaries,
for before the Church of England edifice
at Tokyo, now known as ST. Andrew
church, was built the present Shintc
government lent one of the Shinto tenn.
Piles for Church: of England services.
Whenever opposition to Christianity has
arisen it has come from the old nobili-
ty, who are opposed to all change and
are jealous supporters of Buddhism.
Although Shintoism has been the an.
cient religion of Japan for more than
"a centuries, it mad never been declared
the established religion of Japan un-
til the year 1868. when for reasons
wholly political it became the establish.