The sun., 1904-08-27
Ancestor Worship In Japan.

Why is Il that the Japanese, as their
enemies attest, present the extraordinary
spectacle Of men fearless Of death and
insensible to pain7 We call the spectacle
extraordinary because it is exhibited
not only by individuals. but by q nation
! in arms. The rank and file, drawn
principally from the agricultural and
trading masses, seem animated with
the dauntless temper Of their officers,
who, together with the privates of the
Imperial Guards, are recruited excltl-
sively from the Samurai, the descend
ants Of the two-sworded men that con-
stituted the retainers of the great mobiles
under the feudal system which through
out Japan was still in full vigor less than
forty years ago. It is not only by pre-
cept and example that the SamuraI have
infused their spirit into the bulk of the
army-it is also, to some extent, by terror,
for the Japanese agriculturist or trades
man Is immeasurably moro afraid of
his own officers than he is OF his Russian
opponents. The question, therefore.
which we have TO answer is, What has
given the SamuraI in particular, and the
Japanese soldiers in general, their in
comparable courage? The answer is to
be found in Shintoism, the indigenous
religion of Japan, the cardinal tenet Of
which is ancestor worship, and in the
Bushido, or ethical code, which makes
Of shame the most awful penalty.
There is one thing which even the
samuraI fear, and that is disgrace. They
shudder at the very thought Of shame,
because Of the dreadful and irremedi-
able effect which ignominy incurred
by themselves will produce upon their
descendants. We are won't to think
that death ends for us OUR responsibility
to our families. In Japan it only begins |
then. This view Of the posthumous re-
lation of man to his children accounts
for practice which has often puzzled |
foreigners. It is customary for the |
Mikado to ennoble a subject who has |
died, or who has only a few hours to live.
The Same assumption that between
. father and his male offspring exists
m indestructible solidarity explains the
phenomenal loyalty which the Japanese
exhibit toward their Emperor. In their
eyes the Mikado is the living representa-
tive Of the First Imperial Ancestor and
contains in himself all tho virtues and
al the powers Of his progenitors. The
with which they regard him
marks them of from all other peoples.
The restoration Of tho Enperor's tenn
poral authority and the assimilation
of Western civilization have in no wise
weakened the sentiment. Religion Is
no bar to it; neither is agnosticism.
The Christian convert and the Free
Thinker alike reverence the Mikado.
Their traditional loyalty has been un-
shaken because their thoughts and lives
continue to be shaped by ancestor
It should be obvious that the moral
fleet upon a soldiers conduct Of know
ng that his descendants will meet 80
many times every year to talk over his
neritorious deeds must be enormously
,otent. The injunction Never degrade
q any way the good name of tho an
estor" Is always present in his mind.
resent, also, is the firm belief that any ,,
ct Of heroism or OF devotion to his ,
ountry will lift the doer to q preeminent q
osition in the esteem Of those who will
ONE after him and who periodically I
rill assemble to commemorate his deeds.
difficult must 1t be TO
erform oowardly action when soldier \
nows that not only are the eyes of his
omrades on him. but also the eyes Of all 1
is forefathers and Of an his male pos =
,rity. Considered in connection with
ne teachings Of the ethical code named
which holds up shame a. the
reatest punishment conceivable, the "
feet Of ancestor worship upon Japanese :.
oops cannot be exaggerated. y
To prepare oneself to be q good an v
sstor and never to disgrace In any way =
ie good name Of ones own ancestors
lat is the formula, the adoption and 81
oplication Of which has had such strik- :, :,
g consequences in tho present war. Il
nce the Arab fanatics who followed n
victory the Generals Of the first Ca = =
phs, tho world has newer known war :,