New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-05

tt3OSton. j. b
These four handsome volumes are evidently
the work of a man thoroughly familiar MOI oilis
with the facts OF japanese history, bul Win INC
japanese nature and spirit. He has given Sill
eularly readable and interesting account Oh thV
most sympathetic of Oriental nations he ne
gins at the beginning. at the legendary dawn OF
japanese history; he traces the Isolated oeNeioP-
nent of the people through the various epochs
i,,o which their history is divided and he de-
tails AT much length and with much OF the
color and viyidness of life the traits and haolts
and customs of the people. Japan's claim is TO
tNen1y-six hundred years of existence as an
organized State. and there is no reason TO oehs
the approximate accuracy of the estimate Inc
striking fact in all this history is the readiness
of the neonle to accept and adopt every good
thing that foreign country has had TO oner'
whether" as Captain Brinkley says. OF
philosophy, Of art. Of technique, of admlnlsua-
ton or of legislation" The developments of
recent years are. then. new thing in Japans
history. The break in the continuity Of liberal
attitude that made Japan hermit nation from
the early part OF the seventeenth to the middle
of the nineteenth century does not really in
validate that statement. Having opened her
ports TO Occidental nations, she found them de-
nuding her of her gold and silver, using her re
ligous federation political weapon against
her; and a policy Of isolation she found 1orced
rnon her. These facts make ineligible her
modern career: they show, not a change OF nat
ure as Captain Brinkley puts it, but the re-
assertion Of an Unborn disposition.
The legendary beginnings of japanese history
record the peopng of the islands by race OF
highly civilized men from the south OF these
there is not rnucn to he known; of their MS
torical development one fact stands out that
cbe5 nv few DeOpleS-1ne
rent Of their national life never diverted
from its normal channel by successful foreign
invasion or overflow of alien races. Japan is
also conspicuous in her lacf Of any native sys-
TEN of philosophy code of ethics. having pro-
duced no teacher of either. The Chlnese COLON
lists of The fourth century brought WIN 'heili
Confucianism. which has been ever since 'iie
gospel of japanese ethics. and the ideographlc
script The significance Of the latter is 1nvs-
FERROUS TO the Occidental mind 1t resulted IN d
radical modification of the japanese language
providing it with alternative pronunciation
and making 1t a dual language as to SOUND
and the most flexible vehicle for translahng
ideas that the world has ever possessed
The Chinese language which was thus graI'e go
on the japanese is not so much colIecllon VI
words as a vast thesaurus Of materials Tor con.
structing words Il is in TACT roper toiIe -. ~
40 600 monosyllables, each OF Whlch mas lts
eyact significance These syllables may be used
si,eyl,, or combined two three four or five at
time 90 as to convey every conceivable loea
however complex. delicate or absuuse-
II was owing to the possession of such mechan-
ism that the japanese scholar found no serious
difficulty in fitting an accurate tefifhhoiosE 70
the multitude of novel ideas presented to him
by Western civilization in the nineteenth
century.
The sixth century was notable for the intro
duction of Buddhism. A religion was needed.
The Shinto cult, tried for eleven hundred years.
had proved itself deficient in the guiding in
huences Of a creed. and Confucianism was pow
erless TO supply them. The nation offered
striking example Of a we'll developed material
civilization side by side with most rudimentary
morality Buddhism supplied the deficiency
Its introduction was largely due to the religious
fervor OF the court which forced it upon the
people; but it found its way to the heart Of the
nation less for the sake Of its doctrine than OF
the civilization it introduced In literary culture
Japan also borrowed largely from China
Throughout the so called Nara" epoch of the
eighth century Japan was writing poetry TO
turn a coupIet deity became the test not merely
of literary education but even Of administrative
competency. Captain Brinkley illustrates the
state of affairs by supposing that at banquet
given by the King of England or the President
Of the United States:
Pens and paper were handed round and all
the guests We're invited to spend several hours
composing verscles themes set by Mr.. Nc
kinley or King Edward, and further examples OF
this pastime were repeated again ann again, day
after day, until the construction of couplets
became engrossing national occupation
Such state of affairs would represent with
tolerable accuracy the custom that began TO
come into vogue in the middle of the seventh
century.
There are sharply defined differences of man.
ners and laws in the different periods Of Japan
csc history. The Nara epoch was one of refined
efennate amusements Then came the usurpa-
tions of four great families. who ruled success
sively the head of the nominal emperors
The Heian epoch. the age Of military feudalism
which lasted from the twelfth to the beginning
of the present state of affairs in Japan. and the
Meiji, existing period of constitutional mon
archy, next in order. The Heian age was
also Of efferninacy and absurd exaggeraton
in the Japanese amusements, and the stories
told of it seem scarcely credible in a nation
of grown minister of state gained
dying fame by his skill in football-which in
Japan consists in kicking ball high and keep
ing il continuously off the ground.
After devoting a considerable part Of 1000
consecutive days to the practice of the art, ris-
ing even from his sickbed for the purpose. he
attained such, lightness and dizziness of foot
that while kicking the ball he traversed the
shoulders of a row Of servitors, including a
tonsured priest, and the men thus trodden de-
clared that they had felt nothing more than
hawk hopping along their backs the priest
saying that for his part il had seemed simply
as though some one had put nat on his bald
pate
II was in this period that the nations pro-
found appreciation of natural beauty was root
ed: singing. dancing and music were highly de-
veloped-all of which have occupied a large
share Of the japanese life ever since: and the
artist and the higher artisan gained the posi-
ton that has much distinction for the
art Of Japan. But these things were paid for