The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
LAST OF THE SHOGUNS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIM.


Correspondence Of The Washington Herald.
Tokyo, March 5.-Any fine afternoon in
Tokyo one may see an old gentleman with
white hair riding a bicycle about the
streets. He is Keiki the fifteenth and last
of the Tokugawa shoguns. a dynasty Of
military usurpers which ruled Japan for
265 years, until the restoration Of the Mi
kado 20 actual power In 1868. Keihi, whose
official name Is Prince Yoshlnobu Toku-
gawa, came into power at a time when
the Shogunate was already trembling 10
its fall, and by his resignation in 1861
he saved the country a long civil war
For a time he was retired TO small
place in the town Of shidzuoka, deprived
of rank and wholly without influence.
In recent years, however, the Mikado
has honored him by creating him prince
in his own right, thus giving him seat
in the House of Peers. He lives quietly
in Tokyo, where he and his ancestors
maintained their capital. He takes very
little interest In the affairs Of govern
ment, devotiBg himself for amusement to
his bicycle by day. and his phonograph
by night Once in a while he takes
luncheon or dinner with the Emperor
and is always treated with the honors
due 10 royalty. II he ever regrets his
lost power he conceals his feelings, for
outwardly he is as happy and contented
as any man Of seventy could wish to be.
When the fate of shogunate became
evident and Keiki and his vassals knew
that they must surrender their power,
one Of the Tokugawa feudal lords came
to the Shotgun and said: We have lost
the fight. There is nothing left for US
to do but commit hari-kari." The daimyo
left the presence of the Shotgun, and
with a deft turn of MS sword, sent HIM
self into eternity. But the Shotgun him
self thought it all over and said: mot
for Keil6i" Thus by his violation Of the
ancient japanese standards Of honor and
suicide Prince Tokugawa Is alive to-day
TO enjoy his bicycle and his phonograph.
The present Emperor Of Japan is the
direct descendant Of the hrst Mikado,
Jirmu Tenno, who ascended the throne
660 years before Christ. His is the Oldest
dynasty In the world and can claim the
longest direct line Of rulers IN history.
But. as a matter of fact for 100 or sos
years before the restoration. in 1888, the
Mikado was a ruler in name only. The
real power was vested in the Shotgun, a
military captain, who kept the Miksdo viz
tually imprisoned at Kyoto while the af-
fairs of state were directed from the
Skogunate, IN Fedo. The Shoguns ORR
ginally were the chiefs Of the mightlest
clans, and reached their position by sheer
force Of arms in defeating other clans
which aspiTed 10 the chief military rule.
The TohugaWa line Of Shoguns, Of
which the Keiki was the last, was found
ed in 1903 by the great Iyeyasu, the most
conspicuous figure in the history Of Japan.
It was he who made the plans of feudal
system which would prevent the eternal
warfare among the clans. 1t was Jye-
yasu. Also who shut up Japan from the
outside world and decreed that no for
eigner might come in and that no Japan
ese might 60 out The one exception 10
this rule was the tiny concession at Ma
gasah granted to the Dutch traders. but
their intercourse with the japanese was
quite limited.
At about the time that John Smith
came TO jamestown, Iyeyasu set about
expelllng the Jesuit priests from Japan
and prosecuting the native Christians, of
whom there were great numbers. In
this work Of determination he had the
advice OF the Protestant Dutch traders
and the Rome hating English pilot. VIII
Adams. who was the first Englshman to
come TO Japan. Adams lived at the court
Of the Shotgun, taught the japanese how
70 build ships, married a japanese wom-
an, and was created a noblen1an, A
statue erected 10 his memory testihes
that he has not been forgotten. Iyeya-
su's grandson Iyemitsu. perfected the
feudal system Of Japan which permitted
the various lords, or daimyos. to rule
as they liked in their own provinces pro-
vided they paid certain tribute 20 the
Shotgun and once a year visited the
court at Yedo in token OF their loyalty.
In the meantime the Mikado was little
better than a prisoner at Kyoto. He was
regarded as sacred, as the descendant OF
the sun and moon, and looked upon as an
actual deity. To look upon his face
would blast a mortal man. so he sat
with his head behind a screen, presenting
the hideous face OF a dragon. The Sho-
guns paid nominal obedience TO him, and
each was appointed by the Mikado. But
the Emperors often did not have enough
10 eat: they were usually little boys who
were forced 20 abdicate by the time they
were approaching manhood, and their
only function was q religious one. The
abdicaung Mikados became monks and
went into a life Of retirement
IN the first half Of the last century
some of the daimyos and many Of the
samurai. or knights, became restive under