Arizona republican., 1904-06-05

precepts nor sacred writings. Every thing "kami' (superior) was worship ped. A late authority declares that tine superior representatives of every
 class are "kami." as trees. stones,
 mountains, birds. animals, men and
 spirits, and denies that the ''kami" are spirits within the natural objects.
 In the ancient traditions mention is made of gods of the earth and of hea- ven, which was simply a plane a little above the earth. Some gods were good and some were bad and some were mortal and welded to women. From one of the latter class of gods is descended the emperor. There were deities also of the saucepan. the cqul- dron and the kettle. gods of the kitchen and of the gate, as we'll as gods of pest Hence, storms and the stars. In fact there was no distinctive class of gods, but everything was worshipped which excited fear or admiration. Nothing was related of heaven or hell as places of awards, but there were confused and contradictory accounts of hades as the place of departed beings. The rites were purifcation by water from crimes and deflements; the offerings were anything of value.
 At later period Buddhism and Chi. nese civilization were introduced. Shintoism for awhile yielded to Budd hism. Buddhist priests became tho custodians of the shrines, and introduc- ed their own ritual, The distinctively Shlnto priests became mngicians and fortune tellers,
 In the last century, however, sue cession of great scholars, Mabuehi, Mo toori and. Hirata, animated by love for antiquity and hatred for all things foreign. attacked Buddhism and Coli fucianism and sought the re-establish- ment of pure Shintoism," They taught that it's essence was obedience to nature and to the emperor. They produced marked effects in politics and literature, but Shintoism was too vague and ill-defined to gain religious hold of the people, The sentiment aroused was utilized, however, by the revolutionists of 1S65-1s6s, when the western clans overthrow the govern ment of the shogun and restored the emperor to the head of the government.
 At the restoration Buddhism was disestablished and Shintoism put in it's tain itself in the fierce light of the new civilization then breaking upon Japan, and became merely a code of ceremon- ies for court and officials, At present. according to the best authorities. Shir- toism represents the intense patriotism of the people, and furnishes the rites for religious ceremonial at the court, all officials being obliged to observe its forms. Shintoism undoubtedly ex presses the Japanese nature in its deep reverence for the imperial house and in its admiration for all things extra ordinary. But as the term religion is
 
 can scarcely be called a religion. And as for Buddhism, it seems to have lost what hold it at one time had on th- people.
 Indeed, Japanese scholars in this country have been unanimous in tell ing us that the Japanese today are without a religion.
 Possibly the astute Marquis Ito in saying that his countrymen are not afraid to face death on the battlefield, because they firmly believe that the next world is better than this,' was shrewdly making a play for the sym pathy of Americans. That the Jap is always ready to die for his emperor cannot be questioned, but we may doubt whether thoughts of the here after have any place in his resolution.