The National tribune., 1904-01-07
WAR GODS
OF JAPAN.

The Land Of the Morning Calm
is a Land Whose Religion is
the Religion of War.
Will viii there be war between Russia and
There will be If Russia wishes it; Japan
is entirely willing. She does not desire
war for the sake of war; but she is not
afraid to fight. Her gods are war gods
and gods of war-as family of gods.
She has gods to spare, if not to burn; gods
for abont all the emotions, pursuits and
possibilities but her gods of highest honor
are her gods Of war.
The uncertainty of the situation between
Japan and Russia-the assurance of peace
yesterday, the imminence of war to-day
exclteS popular interest as to the people
and nations involved. Everybody knows
the history Of Enthusiastically well but
who 10, knows Nst the history Of the Japanese
know that just now the eyes of the world
are turned upon the japanese, even If the
Museum people did not read q newspaper
or hear word of foreign news, The
visitors to the Museum pay protracted and
hibits Many visitors ask for the location
Of the japanese exhibits and linger over
them, then depart without attention to
anything else. Very few inquire about the
exhibits from Russia.
There is remarkable similarity between
The only existing thing that is uglier
than Chinese god is japanese god. The
only created thing that is uglier than any
Japanese god you chance to see is any other
japanese god you may chance to see.
The more hideous and terrifying the
al cf Ia H. r. -
admired, loved and revered by his wor-
shippers. The utmost point of possibilities
in ugliness has been surpassed by the
japanese artists who designed and the
japanese artisans who gouged, hewed, cut,
carved, whitfield, chiseled, sawed and bored
the Japanese gods of war.
Of the japanese war deities the most
potent is Hauchimau. There are many
war gods on their military roll of honor,
but none other with so great following as
his.
His mother was the original lingo. and
many centuries ago she reigned over Japan
"a female Mikado of the softer sex sort
of Borgia of a period so distant in the
past that her history has become dim and
its facts faded to the point of evanish-
ment, were they not made gloriously bril-
s. Her husband, the Mikado, Arumasumai
dreamed that there was an island west
of his own land-then, as now and eter-
nally-the Land of the Rising Sun-and
the Land of the Morning Calm---which he
was told in the dream to visit and subju-
gate; and he was told to ride dolphin
when he went forth to conquer the land
of the dream revelation.
In the morning Arumasumai told his
wife, lingo. about his dream, and she told
him to put on his souwester, mount his
dolphin and go forth to subjugate the un-
known dreamland. He merely laughed and
w ho
had used real good English, would have
been: ''Oh, FUDGE" Then he told her
that he had often looked to the west from
the most altitudinated surface inequality
in Japan and that there was no land to the
gasted if he'd go! Whereupon he was.
promptly Frustrated and instantly died,
slain by the breath of the angry gods
whose revelations he had despised; and it
is altogether possible that, having died,
be gasted, as he said he would be.
At that time lingo expected to present
Arumasumai an heir to his throne very,
very soon. Arumasumai being dead, and
the expected lineal successor not yet born.
the crown passed to the widow lingo, and
she let the Japs realize the fact
Remembering the dream of her gasted
husband she mounted dolphin and rode.
half-seas-over, to Korea, where she sub
sequently had her army join her; only,
they travelled in junks. She exterminated
the natives and peopled the place with
leisure to return to Japan and permit her
people to realize on their long-deferred
hope for the birth of the lineal heir to the
throne.
Having returned and presented Hachi-
mau to his subjects, she passes out of his
lingo named him DIN, but he changed that
to please himself He was accepted as
god and reigned for 100 years then joined
the rest Of the gods in the gods country,
for a time; but has made repeated re-
turns, under various names, always occu-
plying the throne. Indeed. all of Japan's
rulers are gods, even to this day.
In the japanese system of Immortality
all soldiers who die in battle become inn
mortal, and the royal armies regularly
pay them homage on the 9th, 18th, and
these occasions the army, in detachments,
march to the Shinto temple at Kauda and
tremendously honor their departed prede-
cessors in arms, whose departure was effect
ed in battle. In these ceremonies all the
people gladly join the soldiers in doing
The military spirit is universal in Japan.
1t permeates the people; prevails in all
classes; predominates over business; in
spires the children and makes babes men
alarms. The little ones play at war and
There is not village in Japan that can
not turn out kindergarten platoon for
military evolution that would put the
average Home Guard Company out of bus
mess in competitive drill.
Japan is artistic; but she is military be-
fore she is artistic. and she is not merce-
nary. Indeed she holds commercialism in
contempt, as compared with military dis
play. power, place and pleasures. She is
not bloodthirsty, but she is brave, heroic
and ambitious for military exhibition and
recognition. Her available army of drilled
military legions at present falls little shert