The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-06
JAPAN AS SHE REALLY is.
Initiates American Culture Without
Understanding 1t.

Yone Noguchi the celebrated young
Japanese poet who for ten years resided
in America and England, has lately re-
turned to Japan to lecture on American
literature in a Japanese university. Writ
ing from Toxic, he contributes to the
National Magazine for August scathing
Indictment of literary and educational
conditions in his own country. In part
he says:
"Our Japanese writer's are working UNI
der the most unfortunate conditions. They
are not given a proper reading pubic as
in America-or the western sea, as we
say In Japan. Strange to say In spite OF
the wide spread report Of the enlightened
civilization of the Meija Era, the truth Is
that not until lately is the general public
beginning to recognize that culture, the
feeding ones thoughts nobly, or the I'M
Outstanding what is human kind, Is
gained only through literature.
.'Since the restoration QS6D Japan was
put In a forge of change-the most sud
den and tremendous revolution ever
known in the history of the world-whose
tumult has not yet subsidized. Spiritual
peace is not yet attained. The builders
of modern Japan, having been born IN
the disturbance of the destruction OF the
Tolxugawa feudalism, did not get the per-
feet samurai education OF gentleman
education of those days. They came 10
America instead They saw and were
astounded at the material civilization OF
telegraphs, steamers and machinery.
1.-THE real American culture they did not
have time to fathom; the spiritual CIVIL
cation was a closed book. Only rev OF
them acquired superficial knowledge or
Christianity, swallowed it, as we say col
loquially. They had neither the best OF
their ancestors culture nor could they
e.,~o u,A LOFT ha GGSenCe
American civilization.
Nevertheless, Notwithstanding their
poor equipment. these people formed the
educational structure Of Japan TO-DAY, ana
they belong to what are termed our up
per classes True literature they nave
always regarded as an imbeciiity. Tney
are on speaking acquaintance with Shake
speare, Thackeray, Dickens ana hugo
But they do not know that English liter
AZURE is buided on the Greek or Roman.
They do not know any of the present
writers or poets of England or America,
and Furthermore they know not one OF
their own. but they denounce, without
the slightest investigation, the modern
Japanese literature as inferior.
They have not read any or the pest
literature of our Japan of the early age,
either; the books of Chikamatsu, of Sal
kaku of Genji or Makurazoshi. And as
Tor the modern masters, the late hoyo
Ozald, Roban Koda and Ichiyo Higuchf,
they never mention them.
And the people under forty as a read
Ing public? They also are dfsappoint-
ment And the source of the whole evil
is In the fiimsy education they have
gained and are gaining. Our modern edu-
cation is far too hasty; our common high
school has too many courses OF useless
study and lacks the most important one
Tor the nourishment of the human mind.
Ihe students are then moved into the
higher middle school, where they are
turned Into a speciality all at once and are
not given time for general knowledge or
for gaining cultivation worthy of a man.
Ihen they enter the university, and with
the exception of the students of the liter
airy department. all show terrible gap
In human knowledge. AS students OF hu-
manly history and general culture they
are poverty stricken. Their thoughts are