The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-11-20
JoTTlNCS OF A
WORLD JOURNEY
The Reviews World Tourists Still So.
journing in Japan.-Tetl of Sui
eide Of Gen. Nogi and Wife
THE BOX, "rAE SOUL OF JAPAN"

THE BOX, 1.-THE SOUL OF JAPAN
"Hara kiri" and -"Jagai lie" Proper
Forms Of Patriotic Suicide
Sword Cut and Dagger Thrust
Recently a book with the above
title has been printed in English. The
student of conditions here discerns
certain mental attitude that is a
strange blending of the old and the
new. "Bushido'-or the peculiar no.
ton of loyalty akin to emperor wor-
ships a relic of the ancient ideals
1t was revealed afresh in the "hara
kiri" of General Nogi and the "jaga
lie" of his wife, on the eve of the i'm
perial funeral These native words
indicate the proper forms" of patriot
ic suicide. Che former is an upward
sword cut in the stomach; the latter,
a piercing ei the throat with a dag
ger so as to sever the arteries by a
single thrust Mrs. Nogi gave her.
self several strokes with the weapon
and she is therefore proclaimed as
exceedingly heroic. According to
Japanese thought the highest test of
courage is the willingness to yield
ones own life. The institution" of
self-destrucion has been drilled into
the very instinct of the nation. Again
and again the young men have gone
through the tragic details of the COM
mission of hara kiri. Thus suicide
has been exalted into a virtue because
it tested physical bravery. 1t is eX-
pected that the army and navy will
die by their own hands to escape sur
render. In the war with Russia when
Japanese gunboat was sunk, the
native press reported even the last
patriotic words" spoken by the crew
as they took their own lives rather
than be captured. However, a few
months after; some, whose final
speeches had been reported verbatim,
returned as exchanged prisoners. They
were severely condemned as lacking
the true national spirit.
The Japanese educational depart
ment recently circulated book justi-
flying assassination (when advantage
comes to the country" A Judge ac-
quilted the minister of Korea who sue
cessfully organized the plot to muir
der the queen concert of the court
to which he was accredited. The wo-
man was brutally slain and her body
was burned. Japan promoted the
murderer in government service.
We recently made something of a
study of the native picture shows and
were surprised to find how repeatedly
suicide was portrayed as the desil-
able climax. This was Immediately
following the pathetic circumstances
at the Nogi home.
In oriental usage the term Path
er" is SO broad as to include an SUI
perior, and the obligation of filial
piety becomes the more intense as the |
authority ascends. The retainer, up
on the death of his lord, was to be !
ready for a.1iying burial with only his |
head remaining above ground, while |
he was left to slowly starve to death |
and that without murmuring. We
took picture Of QUE Of these old
samurai, 30 years of age, whose
preacher sou said "Father would have
given his life in hara kiri to attend |
his dainEO 10 the other world" That
is the real significance of the custom.
So strong is the trend of early train
ing that the Christian minister put
hardly tone of disapproyal into the
suggestion of self destruction if done
for the sake of loyalty. Indeed, after
many conversations, we did not find
one of number of native pastors who !
criticised Nogi's deed, they said: "The
cannot understand this" A
former student of Congregational
school, the Doshisha OF Kyoto, argued
with us that the event had similarity
to the crucifxion of Christ. Some of
the papers mentioned this dubious