The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-09-22
DEVELOPMENT OF OUR own

be treated equally as beloved sub
jects OF the Emperor. who is ever
anxious to make them happy and
prosperous; but on the other hand
the Japanese people are all under
the moral obligation to endeavoI
TO contribute. according to theiI
respective endownments and apti'
tudes, to the noble cause OF Ksdo
In other words. the equal and dis
criminative aspects of the status
OF Japanese subjects should be
taken into account In attempting
philosophical Interpretation oil
Kodo. Owing to the synthesizine
spiritual power welded by the
Emperor. the democratic principle
as we'll as the elite principle are
ingrained tremendously in Kodo
TO give a palpable definition OF
Kodo Is not within the reach OF
my power because OF the fact that
Kodo Is largely traceable TO a ma
tional moral emotion and evades
any explanation in terms OF logic
Its first element, however, is the
conviction that the Japanese State
Is governed by the sacred Emperor
whose lineage has continued unin-
terruptedfy from the very begin
ming OF the universe and will also
last forever. This National convic-
ton Is manifested eloquently In
ancient Japanese mythology: The
Sun Goddess or the Heaven-Shin-
ing Great1August-Diety who SYM
bolizes the Sun, addressed her
grandson when he was about to de-
scend TO this country from Hea-
ven, "This Reed Plain-1500-Autu-
mns-Fair- Ears-Land Is the region
In which my descendants shall be
sage-kings. Go, thou, my August
Grandchild, proceed thither and
govern II. Go and may prosperity
attend thy dynasty. and may 1t,
like Heaven e. Earth. endure
forever" This divine edict is brief
but II makes clear the lofty ideal
with which Japan was created.
Japan means In the Japanese Ian
guage the source or the center OF
the Sun, and our ancestors
thought the Sun to be the primor-
dial cosmic force, to which all
things and creatures owe their
life and existence.
In this Edict, we find first Of all
the State Iron-Law-that the
rights OF sovereignty are determin-
ed "a priori by the tie of blood
relationship, the direct Imperial
successors OF the Sun Goddess be-
ing only entitled to ascend the
Throne, and hence no other cas-
ual cosideration Is allowed to
modify this Imperial holy order.
This fundamental character of the
Japanese State stands our sharply
against either the Chinese political
theory. which justifies the over
throw of a monarch, considered
destitute of virtue. or the modern
Western political conception ac-
cording to which. instead OF the
monarch. the people are vested
with the rights of soveignty OF
the State. The Japanese constitu-
tional law provides in the article
/: "The Empire OF Japan shall be
reigned over and governed by a
line of Emperors unbroken for
ages eternal" This State structure
has assured steadfast and solid
stability as well as an unsurpassed
longevity for the Japanes Empire.
Next. the words OF the Edict,
"The reign of which my descen-
dants shall he sage-kings" carry
a very important significance for
us. because they refer to yirtu-
Gus government to be exercised
with the full degree OF benevolence
and Righteousness We make a dis
tinction between the conception OF
Ushlhalu and that of Shirasu. BY
Ushihaku. we generally under
stand despotic misrule Of OPP
preston and exploitation OF the
people. while Shirasu Is conceived
OF as the good and benevolent rule
TO be carried out on the basis OF q
general consultation with the pev-
pie. Shirasu means ito know
what the people are wishing for
The Japanese Emperors have
never strayed from the right patti
OF Shirasu. despite their being as.
sured of the supreme and abso'
lutte position as the sacred head Of
the great family State. The per
manency of the Imperial .bloot
relationship secured the stability
and authority of the State. unlike
ly to be affected by any change o.
political organization. whereas thu
virtuous rule of Shirasu OF thu
Emperors made this Imperial au
thority quite compatible with thu
full freedom OF their subjects; Thu
I, Emperor treats his subjects al
though they were his own children
and the subjects in their turn de
vote themselves TO the Emperor
with the purest possible sentimen
of loyalty unknown in the modern
world, where selfish and indivi
duaffcrn holds oWau o1f1oot NTH