The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-16

A Japanese Account OF Japan.


edited BY ldr. AIyRED SxnAp, and published
by Dodd, Mead d Co. 1t 10 true. as the
editor points out In q preface, that tn ere
are Thousands Of books about Japan: It was
At one time the fashion for every chance
visitor to write one. A fe@ Of these books
arc Trustworthy, but che majority arc In
accurate and unloading. When wa read OF
Japanese victories by sea and land
over tho Russians, we must recognize
that Tho serious side OF Japan can
NO longer be ignored. An authoritative
account Of the new and powerful State that
has arisen In the Orient has become indis-
panaable. It was nom q perception Of this
heed, and Of the tnpoeRfbnity Of . foreigner
supplying 1t, that Mr.. Stead conceived the
iiaa Of inducing the Japanese 30 do II them
ssfyos- He went to Japan for that purpose
and suggested to several Of It's leading MN
thas they should undertake the production
Of q comprehensive work on the past, pres
emit and future Of their country for The In
formation Of the outside world Tho idea,
we are told, was taken up with enthusiasm
Among those who willingly cooperated in
the. proposed task were Mr.. 6aaatani, MIR.
Tsud1vki, Baron sannomiya, Baron Suye-
xnatsu, Baron Shibusawa, Mr.. Yamazah
and Mr.. Kodama of the Finance Depart
Ipeht-
In reviewing the book the poll indus
trial, comm ercial, financial and military as
pects Of Japanese civilization win be passed
ovor We cen direct attention, however, to
some particularly interesting chapters,
those, namely, which deal with the imperial
family, with the religious and ethical sys-
TENS. with the position OF women and with
the art and literature Of Japan.
{, N.'
The article on the imperial family Is by
Baron Yoshitane Sannomiya. He begins
BIZ pointing out that the epoch-making
event which gave to the Japanese their
actual emineuce in the Far East Is termed
Restoration because by 1t the Mikados
influence was brought back to the form and
power which it possessed in the time Of the
first Emperor, Jimmu. who reigned B. O..
eeO-ss4., The imperial proclamation Of
Dec. II, 1857. declared that the constitution
Of the nation was reestabished upon the
basis which had been laid 2.527 years before.
The existence OF the Shogunate from AID.
lls7 to 1857 had constituted a singular
feature in the governmental scheme OF
Japan, and caused much misapprehension
there reigned oontemporaneously over the
country two emperors. one spiritual and
the other secular, was an idea which misled
the outside world for centuries. The real
situation will be understood if the fact is
kept in view that the Shotgun, tn head
Of the Shogunate. was always appointed
by the Mikado, and simply exercised in the
Mkados name the civil and military ad-
rninistration What are called the rights
of sovereignty" as distinguished from
administrative functions, have remained
uninterruptedly In the person Of the En-
peror since the foundation Of the Japanese
Empire.
When the first Emperor, Jimmu, con-
quered the country or part Of it, and
founded the empire, he, as head Of the
State combined in himself the rights OF
sovereignty and the supreme command OF
the army and navy; as the present Mikado
does, IN pursuance of the provisions Of the
existing constitution. The Emperor Jimmu
appointed from among his followers Min
listers of State, who in time OF peace formed
his Government, and in time Of war com
posed his General Stat. These offices
became hereditary in the families Of the
different funotionaries. That is to say, a
feudal system was gradually evolved, pre-
cisely as 1t was to lie many centuries later
Ia central and western Europe among the
functionaries of the Carlovingian Empire
This state OF things continued in japan
till the time of the fOrty-ninth Emperor.
Konin "a. d. 77O-8l), who decreed that civil
and military offices should be distinguished.
Under the Emperor konin "a. d. 770) a
military class sprang up, which rapidly came
to occupy powerful position. People at the
court and in the Government were losing
their vigor. living as they did amid the
luxury, corruption and intrigues which in
creased at the capital, XII OTTO, during GEN.
turtles of peace, while the two principal
military clans Of Japan. the Taira and the
Minamotos, descended from Princes of
the imperial family, we're spreading the
sphere of their influence the former chiefly
In the south and the latter in the north and
east. Certain disagreenents arising at
court between the Emperor and his Minis
ter of State on the one hand and the ex-
Emperor and his Minister Of State on the
other these two clans were called upon
to help settle the dispute. The Tara clan
assisted the new Emperor and gained
entire control.
During the reign Of the eighty-first En-
peror, Antoku "a. d. 1880, member OF
the Minamoto clan named Yoritomo rose
against the Taira, and, at the famous battle
Of Dan-no-ura CA. D. 1880, the Taira were
utterly defeated Then Yoritomo appealed
to the eighty-second Emperor. Go-Toba
"a. d. 11S3-l19s), to permit him to organize
q military administration Of Japan, on the
ground that such an administration was
the only one suited for the restoration Of
peace and order in the country. The re-
quest was granted, and Yoritomo placed
his residence and centre of operations at
Kamakura in the province OF Sagami, a
ooign of vantage which enabled him to
exercise military control and to WELD the
Minamoto power throughout japan. He
established his principal retainers in the
best strategic positions throughout the
country; they were to act as military gov
ernors, and to report to Kamakura. The
scheme OF administration introduced by
Yoritomo was the foundation Of the highly
organized feudality which thereafter pre-
vailed In Japan for more than seven CEN
turtles In A. d. 1892, the Emperor was
pleased to appoint Yoritomo the 'seji