The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-01-26
JAPAN'S WAR.
Continued from Page 81

old is torn down.
Thus Il Is reasonably certain that the
simple archaic structures with their
rudely matched roofs which one sees
today at Ise are in all points Identical
with the primitive hut shrines In which
the Japanese worshipped before the
beginning OF the Christian era, The
solemn avenues of ancient cryptic
merias, which lead up to the shrines
through long stretches Of gloom. deepen
this impression Of great antiquity.
Here It was that the present MI
kado returned thanks for the victorious
ending Of Japan's greatest war. on
that day. November II. the wheels of
government and of business were stop
ped and the entire empire reverently
observed the event.
What the japanese themselves
thought Of the occasion may best be
seen from the editorial comments of the
time. Passing by the intensely loyal
remarks OF the pro-Government Ko-
kumin, we find the following in two
OF the leading independent journals.
The Nichinichi said:
The present imperial visit to the
Great Shine, when viewed in parallel
with the numerous rescripts in which
his Majesty has attributed the VIC
tories of the imperial hosts TO the vir-
tues Of his ancestors and to the efforts
of his people. make clear how truly
and boundlessly the Emperor is de-
voted to the living spirits of his fore
fathers and how deeply he loves his
subjects. In other words the Emperor
| tN Ae ho Nd fu,
ing example of universal humanity
filial piety and humility.
The Asahi said:
We modern Japanese are luckiel
than all our forefathers,l in living t.
see so grand an event as the presen
imperial pilgrimage to Ise, as the like
of IT, with all the glories It implies, ha.
never before occurred in the histor,
OF the empire. Our present Emperor Il
the rejuvenator Of Japan and has givel
her a new history. Furthermore, hi
Majesty intends no doubt to renew Il
us the spirit of traditional faith ant
worship, as this his fourth visit to tn
Great Shrine clearly indicates.
The Japan Times, In referring to tn,
projected pilgrimages OF the Empress
and the Crown Prince, remarked tina
such visits, especially that of the EN-
press, had no precedent In the histor!
OF the empire.
1t is safe to say that not for 100
years has Shintoism been so empha
sized as 1t is today. The work of re
vival began in the eighteenth century
but made little progress for the Mika
does were then still under the thum
of the Shoguns.
In 1868, when the imperial house wa
restored to power, the revival wa
again pushed forward, but the worl
done was chiefly destructive and ex
pended itself in clearing away the or
nate buildings, pagodas. etc, and tn
ford decorations with which Budd
hism had adapted the Shinto establish
ments to its own purposes. That move
ment was strong enough to lead tn
art loving Japanese to sacrifice man,
precious objects of national art to tn
reformers' zeal, but still the work wa
negative.
The revival of today is vigorous an
positive, and doubtless, like all othe
movements connected with the wal
has been carefully planned and time
TO the occasion. 1t certainly makes
plain that whatever changes take plac
ever much her sphere of influence shall
widen Japan at heart pledges hersel
TO keep faith with the dead"