The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-07
FACTS ABOUT JAPAN
Americans Idea of Nation, a
Distorted One.
HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY
Purely Mythical Before Sixth
Century Of Our Era.
HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY

The New York Evening Post says: We
are accustomed to think Of Japan as a
very small country and the japanese as
| very small persons. and the mind receives
a certain shock at the idea Of such little
[ country and people being pitched in war
against Russia and the Russians, the
giant country and people of the East. Yet
| Japan is not diminutive after all. Its
area is estimated at about one and one
! fourth that of the United Kingdom Of
Great Britain; and its inhabitants num-
Der more than 42,0G0G $50. AS a CONNER
ciaI and industrial power it has only
sprung into prominence in the last de
cade but it has behind it a history which,
for strenuous and violent events, rivals
that Of the many European nations.
Up to the beginning of the sixth century
(of our era) the history of the country IS
purely mythical. Only with the intro
duction of Buddhism at that time do we
get any trustworthy historical data. The
japanese themselves are fond of dating
their history from the accession of the
Emperor-Immu, in the year $50 b. G,
and. religion and patriotism are very
intimately associated in Japan, it is dam
gerous for native scholars to attempt to
challenge this customary belief in the ma
tons antiquity The mythical period of
Japanese history is set forth in the vol
ume known as the Kojki. and the method
generally adopted by the modern native
historians is to reject what IS miraculous
il, nd tho remain
der as historical fact, a method which
does not altogether convince and satisfy
the Western mind
The centuries following 500 a. D. were a
period of assimilation of everything Chin
csc and a centralized system of official
dom imported from China held sway. For
four hundred years, under the Fujimara
family, court officialdom continued to di-
rect the course of the country's history.
This was effaced by the rise of military
caste. For a century and a half, the
rival families of Taira and Minamoto
struggled for supremacy. The latter clan
finally proved the stronger and its chief
warrior, Yoritomo, was in 1lS5 appointed
Shotgun, or generalissimO. This famous
office was not abandoned till 1868. In the
twelfth century the center of rule shifted
eastward to Kamakura, near the modern
port of Yokohoma. After a period of
feudal overlordship the Shoguns in their
turn dwindled into mere puppets and
We're superseded by their vassals, the
Hojo lords. who were in the ascendant
from 1898 to 1898 A. D. At this time oc-
Cured the great MOngol invasion of ia
pan under Kublai Khan. The invasion,
with the aid of the elements. was sue
cessfully repulsed Thereafter, for some
sixty years, there were two rival dynas-
ties of Emperors. the northern dynasty,
supported by the Ashikaga family, fin
ally proving the victor. The rule of this
family continued till 1873 and this period
was one of high culture and refined art
In 1912 the Portuguese entered the coun-
try, introducing firearms and an agrees
sive religion. a wonderful momentary
conversion. under Francis WAIVER, result
ed But papal pretensions and various
imprudences reused the Jealous patriot
ism of the nation period of anarchy
ensued, followed by the rise of three
able generals and administrators. One of
them Hideyoshl having succeeded in re-
storing order and unity in the state. en-
ployed the great army he had organized
in an expedition against Korea Q592-159S).
But no permanent hold on that country
was obtained, and when Hideyoshi died
no one appeared to carry on his ambitious
scheme of territorial acquisition. a great
work of interior organization and central
ization. however, was carried out, and
the turbulent feudal mobiles, the Daimio,
were subdued Meanwhile hostility
against the foreigners had grown apace.
The West it seemed. did not understand
or care to understand the position. The
land became an arena for the struggles,
not Of Western Creeds. but of parties or
confraternities within creed. represent
ing after a sort the rivalres of two kin
bred peoples. the Spaniards and the Por-
tuguese. The insane competition between
the Jesuits and the Franciscans led 70
the reversal of the policy of the pre-To-
kukawa Shogunate. and Iyeyasu. the
Light of the East as ne was afterwards
canonized almost at the very moment
when he brought the 250 petty states into
which Japan was divided under the over
Iordship of his dynasty arrested the de-
velopment for which he had prepared the
way and Withdrew the country into an
isolation. unparalleled in the history Of
the world for nearly two centuries and
half
This was in Ie}S The Dutch alone. in
the restricted area or Nagasaki. were
granted very narrow privileges of trad
ing. Christianity was rooted out. The
Japan of this period is the Japan OF ro-
nance. of judicial suicide. Of elaborate
punctilio. Of exquisite taste in lacquer,
porcelain and inIaid work. Though the
desultory system % private war came 10
an end with the rise TO power Of the To-
kusawa dynasty the age remained an
age Of blood Nen5ettas were merciless-
II continued from generation TO general
ton. the slightest political disaffection
was punished by death. wholesale hara-
l.iri were practiced on trivial pretexts.
while the annual number OF executions
AT Yedo alone by decapitatiou. cruciflx-
ion. and at the stake amounted 70 three
thousand and torture wss principal ele-
ment in criminal procedure. as indeed. il
continued 70 be up 70 ISIS. long after the
Jauarese had begun to cIamor fo- the
abolition Of extra terr.torislity- Yet amid
this ruthless fero1Ity. the arts aourished.
literature and philosophy were cultivated.
refued aruusemeutS were created ard
elaborated 70 an extent that finally re-
duced them 10 conventional pcdantrieS-
Materially ard morally little progress was
made during the Tckucawa period. New
erfheless. the seeds II change lay dor
rnant here ard there. and showed signs
II termination even before the advent 81
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