The Washington herald., 1907-10-20
Life of Jauau

Mr.. Masui Miyakawa In his life Of
Japan most handsomely printed aud
bound volume, each page httingly dec
GRATED with artistic japanese drawings in
colors. has attempted TO set down for
American readers, in excellent English.
something Of the life, religion, and Gus
toms, Of his country. This has been done
often enough by American and English
observers. and undoubtedly some of these
have made mistakes more or less ride
ulous, but II viii be a grave question
whether in approaching the truth about
Japan Mr.. Miyakawa has come any
nearer than those with less intimate
knowledge than he is bound to have.
The author treats of many phases OF
japanese life. These are his chapter
headings: New Japan as Old as Ever"
Religions in Japan" The japanese
Moral Ethics The japanese Woman"
japanese Customs and Habits. .'Topog-
raphy Of Japan" "Feudalism In Japan"
Causes for Overthrow of Feudausm."
japanese Medieval Foreign Intercourse"
Romantic Relation 10 the United
states, 'Triumphs OF American Diplo-
macy, Present Emperor to the Throne"
Reform Of the Financial System Jap
anese Industrial Development" THE
Army ana Navy of Japan" and so on
The book impresses one that Mr.. Miya-
kdWa s attitude toward his readers is not
quite fair. For his first chapter heading
ne gives what purpOrts 10 be a transla-
ton Of the national anthem Of japan 1t
goes thus.
Mag our Lords dominion last
HI a thousand years have passed
TWICE four thousand times o'ert0ld-Ec
What does he mean by our Lords
printed with a capital in English il
might be taken TO signify the universal
japanese acceptance of the Lord as lie
Is accepted by Christianity, certainly he
cannot have meant this Then i'm writ
ing about the native religions he tells
us that 'Shintoism literally means the
way OF God. Most japanese will tell
US on the contrary, that It means ''thc
ways OF the Gods, an entirely different
thing; and this author must know. for
line or two further on he himself agrees
that, according 20 Shintoism. gods were
evolved in both heaven and earth.
Throughout the book the reader win
find note half-apologetlc. half-expIau-
atory Of certain criticisms that have been
rife concerning japanese customs Thus
when Mr MiyakaWa comes to talk about
hara -kiri, suicide by disembowelmert he
is adroit enough to drag IN the example
of Cato. Of ATistides the Just and Of
Demosthenes, examples which do more
credit 70 his erudition than to his view
Of perspective.
The chapter on japanese women is n
striking example Of Mr. Miyakawa's un-
reliability as a guide 10 his own people
He has lot Of say about how well Jap
anese women are educated and how
happy home in Japan, as elsewhere. is
the joint work Of husband and wife but
he says nothing of the custom which per-
mits cOncubin5ge and which allows the
man TO bring other women into his house
hold to usurp the place which belongs 10
the wife. And when il comes TO answer
ing the criticisms that have been leveled
against the YOshawara system in Japan,
japanese merchant in business. and the
true stories told by American observers
as to the nudity Of the japanese rural
women. all this author can find 10 reply
is Tu quoque.
We are Of the opinion that Mr. Miya-
kGwas work. Life Of Japan, viii hard
" he accepted as a useful guide Il Is a
book too evidently written as "A reply to
criticism and, though subtle and well
written, IT does not quite fulfill its pUr-
pose. New York: The Baker-Taylor Coz