The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-09-15
Development Of
Our Own

growth of this organized relation
OF the sovereign to his people. the
Japanese dynasty endures forever,
like Heaven and Earth. IL Is
fascinating story how the Japa-
nese Emperor came TO have the
double quality of divine and hui
man being. According to the ia
panese mythical narrative. the
August Grandson OF the Sun God
dess. upon his descent to this land,
met a charming maiden as beauti-
full as a flower In full bloom and
asked her hand. Whereupon, she
said her father, the Deity
Great-Mountain-P ossessor would
like to decide the matter. So the
divine grandson sent message to
the Deity for this purpose, and the
latter. greatly delighted, had her
elder sister. called the Princess
Long-as-the-Rock, accompany the
graceful princess, and thus they
both appeared again before the
prince. The prince, Niniginomiko-
to. was alarmed at the sight OF
the elder sister, who was very
hideous,, and sent her back, only
keeping the younger sister, whom
he Immediately married. Then, the
y-Great-Mountian Possessor
was covered with shame at
Princess-Long-as-the Rocks being
sent back, and he said my reason
for respectfully presenting my
daughters together was that, by
sending Prince-Long-as-Rock, the
August offspring of the Heavenly
Deity. though the snow falls and
the winds blow, might live eter-
nally and be immovable like the
enduring rocks. But, you have sent
her back and married the Princess
Blossoming- Brilliantly-Like t h
Flowers OF the Trees-so the life
OF the August Offspring of the
Heavenly Deity shall be but as
frail as the flowers OF the trees,
This story is replete with symb@
.lical meanings: AS the direct DE- Y
.scendant OF ire sun Goddess. ~
August Prince, -srnIBInomikoto1
had been purely divine being
who eyjoted perpetual life. How
ever. IN consequence OF his mar
riage with the Princess-the-B
soming- Flower. who was 10 pass
away just like flower which falls
after time. he acquired anew
an earthly human nature and had
10 die like other ordinary human
beings. So II happened that the
direct descendants of the AuKTsi
Grandson OF the Sun Goddess, who
a.cendcd the Japanese Throne,
have become provided with dual
capacity. The first capacity Is that
of the divine successor to the
Japanese Thrown, which lasts
eternally through all ages (since
the time OF the descent on this
land of the grandson OF the Sun
Goddess. who Yields the absolute
heavenly power). Hence, from this
point OF view, the Emperor par
takes of an endless and divine
character and what amounts to be
the infallibility of the Imperraf
authority comes from this /.
The second capacity Is that OF a
human being sharing all secular
concerns with his subjects, and
thus the life OF the Emperor ia
limited and death will befall him
in the due course Of time. Herein
lies the double nature OF the Japa-
nese Emperor and this affords the
key to a deep understanding OF
the popularity OF Japanese culture
which combines the transcenden-
tai and ideal respectively with the
immanent and real. In word, we
have been led to believe that
Japan, as the source of the Sun, Is
a Kingdom OF Heaven brought
down to this earth. The foregoing
will also account for the nature of
our sentiment OF loyalty towards
the Emperor which is akin to
religious devotion TO the supreme
divine being who created this land
and this people. This is also the
very secret OF the spontaneous
readiness with which the Japanese
will dedicate their lives and proper
ty for the sake of the Emperor.
1 (To be continued next week.