New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-28
A DREAMER IN JAPAN.
MR. HEARN'S ARCADIA IN THE ORIENT
GIJMPsES OF UNFAMILIAR JAPAN: BY La
cadio Hearn. vols. Svo. PIP 6f Boston
Houghton. Mifilin & Co.

GLIMPsES. OF UNFAMILIAR JAPA%sa BY noI Lax
cadio Hearn. vols, oNo' PIP o''' p'S'''''
Houghton. Mlin Co.
Izumo is the "Province Of the Gods" II lies
far TO the westward from Kioto. overlooking the
Japan Sea 1t is the home OF the old Shinto
deities--the place Of their most sacred temples,
where they still reign, least affected by the per
vading Buddhism Of later day. There II any
where the old Japan exists. In lzumo Mr..
Hearn spent three years. He taught In the
schools of Matsue the chief city OF the province,
visited shrnes never before opened 10 an occ.-
dental lived with the people ard came as near
to their hearts a foreigner who started with
no knowledge Of their language in that Length
Of time could come. These people 81 lzumo are
a simple honest kindly folk. Theirs Is "the
land OF the reed plains in the place Of the
issuing Of clouds" where distances are shrouded
and colors harmonzed by mists and everything
is under enchantment. The open ports take most
Western hearts by storm. Small wonder that
this fairyand should make one dream OF Greek
and Etruscan figures or luXuriate in the fun
Joy Of escape from the far-reaching influences OF
high-pressure civilization" it would require an
Imagination far less active and an artistic sens"
far less acute than Mr. Hearns To be unsnared
by the witchery Of such a land. 50 when such
a statement is met there can remain no
doubt in the mind Of one who even partly under
stands the japanese that they are still the best
people in the world to live among. it Is not
always possible to be sure just how much Of this
conviction is due to personal equation pre-
disposition 10 invest the new Arcadia with the
characteristics Of a golden age. Mr.. Hearn be-
neves himself in feeling half, more than half,
Greek His exultant Pagansm has an Athe-
Man tolerance for all strange gods except If they
be Christian. That faith is far more irrational
than Buddhism" The worst thing that could
happen TO Japan, the author thinks. would be
the adoption Of the Western religion. He Is
never tired of speaking Of Christian "bigotry
sneering at the missionary and dwelling on the
beauties OF Nature worship For him these
gods with agglutinative names dwell very close to
Olympus Some of the japanese religious fos-
rivals as pictured by him are made to recall
nothing much an idyll Of Theocritus. with
HYMNS that seem fragments Of a Pindaric ode
BLESSED are they" says Mr. Hearn. who do
not too much fear the gods which they have
made" This is what most appeals to him in the
religion of Japan. what has most impressed me
is the joyOusness Of popular faith nave seen
nothing GRIM austere. or self-reIressiVe. nave
not even noted anything approaching the sol
emn The bright temple courts, and even the
temple steps, are thronged with laughing chill
dren playing curious games; and mothers, en-
terine the sanctuary 20 pray. suffer their little
ones to creep about the mating and crow. -.
Near the lacouered stand on which The vessel
OF sweet tea rests is another and lower stand
summarizing a temple-ben shaped like great
bowl. A priest approaches with padded NAL
lot in his hand and strikes the bell. But the
bell does not sound properly: he starts, looks
into it. and stoops to lift out Of it smiling
he thar la Ia
relieve him of his burden and priest. mother
and baby. all look at with a frankness Of
mirth in which we join" Children and Jizo, the
pIavfellow Of dead children. Mr.. Hearn's
delight His accounts Of this deity ali ogether
attractive and touching. JizO-the similarity in
sound TO Jesus Is purely acciden tal-consoles the
little children in the place of spirits. About his
smiling images are little piles of stones which
the child ghosts are thought to build People be
ueye that every stone laid at the feet or Jlzo
with a prayer helps some child IN the uhner
world so the piles ever grow more numerous
avon without the work Of the little ghosts. and
no who knocks down one must compensate the
children by putting up two in its place.
Shinto is almost incomprehensbe to foreigners.
II exists side by side with Buddhism. but IT is
older and its vitality Is more profound Bud
dhism was superimposed upon IT, Influenced IT'S
art. and is now going to decay The eclectic
force of the older faith enabled it to absorb many
OF the beliefs OF the alien creed without losing its
own ethical force and its intellectual hold on
the masses. Buddhism, in turn, adopted the
Shinto gods into its system, and while. as the
State religion, II has been disestablished In favor
Of the native belief not inconsiderabie proper
ton Of the population are adherents Of both
cults Only an all-tolerant priesthood and a re-
HellenicallV omnivarOug cOuld
render this endurable. But people who take
their religion lightly able to find a niche for
every god Ancestor worship does not fully de-
scribe the State religion There are deities Of
the elements and patrons Of all the affairs Of
life and under all is ethical prnciple-loyalty.
flial piety. elfsacrifce. These have not changed