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 JAPAN

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JAPAN

coming of the foreigners, but has not j'et been adopted among the people. Labourers work on Sunday, their days of rest being the first and fifteenth of the month.

History. — Ethnology. — Much oljscurity surrounds the origin of the Japanese people. The primitive pop- ulation, I )osi(leji being very sparse, appears to have be- longed wholly to the people called Ainos. Beyond a doulit these came from the Asiatic continent by way of the North. They were conquered by other immi- grants more powerful than themselves who came from the South. The best of these Ainos seem to have ac- cepted the civilization of their masters and become united with them, and from the fusion of these two races are descended the Japanese of to-day. The most refractory tribes were driven by degrees farther and farther north and in the end abandoned the Great Island, confining themselves in Yezo (Hokkaido) and Sakhalin, where they show a tendenc}' to decrease and disappear. They are small and strong, with long hair and beards. Their language is quite different from that of the Japanese. Their garments, which are shorter than those of the Japanese, are made of the bark of trees. In general, they are mild-natured and simple-mannered. They live by the chase and fishing, making use of the harpoon to catch seals, and sla\-ing bears with stakes and poisonetl arrows. They adore the god of the mountain and the bear, whom they be- lieve to be his son. Each year they sacrifice a bear with great solemnity. They beheve also in good and evil geniuses and worship several of the divinities and personages of Japan.

General Dinsion. — The history of Japan is divided naturally intothreechief periods. The first (autocratic period), %vhich extends from the beginning to the sho- gunate of Kamakura, embraces eighteen centuries (660 B. c.-A. D. 1 192), during which time the authority was in the hands of t he emperors. The second begins with t he shogunate of the Minamoto (1192), and ends with that of the Tokugawa (1S6S). This was the period of mili- tary feudalism. Lastly, the third, beginning with the imperial Restoration, witnessed Japan's complete mod- ification of her secular institutions, the Europeaniza- tion of her administration, and saw the country take her place among the great nations of the world.

Autocratic Period (G60 b.c.-a.d. 1193). — According to Japanese tradition, in the seventh century b. c. a tribe, probably of Malayan origin, which had landed and established itself at Kiusiu, advanced towards the north, and after some years of warfare chose the region of Yamato as a place to settle. Hasamu-no-mikoto, the chief of these adventurers, became the first Em- peror of Japan (Jimmu Tenno). His enthronization, assigned to 660 b. c, is considered as the foundation of the empire, and the begirming of a djTiasty which was to reign for twenty-five centuries.

After a gap of 500 years in the national annals we find a rough sort of civilization during the reigns of Sujin (97-30 B. c.) and Suinin (29 b. c.-a. d. 70). Then comes the famous legend of the hero Yamatotakeru (131-190). His son merely ascended the throne (192-200). His widow, the Empress Jingo, ruled after him. The Japanese chronicles attribute to her the conquest of three small kingdoms which lay south of Corea. She was succeeded by her fourth son, Ojin (201-310). During his reign two Corean schol- ars, Ajiki and Wani, came to Japan, bringing with them Chinese literature and Confucianism (285). Ojin's son, Xintoku, governed for eighty-seven years (31.3-399). During the whole of his reign the country was at peace, but after him bloody scenes were multiplied in the imperial family until direct de- scendants were wiped out. A branch laterally de- scended from Ojin ascended the throne. LTnder the fourth sovereign of this branch (Kimmei, 552) Bud- dhism was brought to Japan by bonzes from Corea. The introduction of Buddhism brought about radical changes in ideas and customs. Prince Shotoku (573-

621) favoured its progress, but it was the Emperor Kotoku (645-54), who, by his famous reform of the Taikwa era, accomplished the great political and re- ligious revolution which transformed Japan. Every- thing was then modelled on the Chinese form of gov- ernment, and save for a few modifications this system remained in force until the Restoration (1S68). In the following century the Empress Gemmei (70S-14) transferred the capital to Nara, where it remained for seventy-five years (70S-7S5). The fiftieth emperor, Kwammu (782-805), built the city of Kyoto (794), which was the residence of the court until the imperial Restoration. The Fujiwara then became powerful. They exercised the regency (sessho) during the minor- ity of the sovereign, and then, under the title of Kwampaku, continued to govern even after he had at- tained his majority. However, the effeminate nobles of the palace neglected the career of arms and gave themselves up to frivolous pastimes. Because of this decadence of the imperial authority frequent revolts took place which the court was powerless to repress, and for this purpose called on military clans. Their power became more and more formidable, two fam- ilies especially, the Taira and the ilinamoto, acquiring great influence. Both wished to secure the prepon- derance of power, and for thirty-five years their rivalry filled the country with bloodshed. Finally the Mina- moto overcame and completely annihilated their ad- versaries (1185). The victorious Minamoto, Yoritomo, then raised to the throne a four-year-old child and assumed the title of Sei-i Taishogun. A new era had begun in the history of Japan; feudalism was inaugu- rated.

Age of Feudalism. — It is subdivided into three parts: the Kamakura period (1192-1338); the Ashikaga pe- riod (1338-1573); and the Tokugawa period (1603- 1868).

Kamakura Period. — Ha%'ing been named Shogim, Yoritomo installed himself at Kamakura, which he made his capital. After this he undertook the admin- istrative reorganization, which was to concentrate all authority in his hands. Unfortunatel}' for his plans, he died before this was accomplished (1199). His two sons, Yoriie and Sanetomo, allowed the power to pass to their mother's clan, that of the Hojo. These last, who were descended from the Taira, dared not assume the shogunal dignity, but they succeeded under the title of Shukken (regents) in retaining the power for a century which was the most prosperous in the history of Japan. About this time the only invasion with which Japan had been threatened, that of the Mon- gols, was frustrated through the energy of Hojo Toki- mune, and by a providential storm which destroyed the enemy's fleet (1281). However, decadence mani- fested itself among the Hojo, family tli.ssensions increased, weakening the usurped authority and pre- paring the way for a restoration of the imperial power. The Emperor Go Daigo (1319-39) was the instrument of this work of restoration. Assisted by faithful followers he began the struggle, and in less than two years the supremacy' of Kamakura was at an end (1333). But rivalries arose among the gen- erals. The clan of the Ashikaga, descended from the Minamoto, rose in revolt, its head, Takauji, assumed the title of shogun, raised to the tlirone an emperor of his own choosing, and thus founded a new djmasty of shoguns which retained its power for more than two centuries.

Ashikaga Period (1338-1573).— The dethroned em- peror defended himself courageously. His son and grandsons continued the struggle, and for more than fifty-si.x years was seen the singular phenomenon of two emperors at one time. In 1392 a compromise was effected between the rival powers which put an end to the .schism. The first .\shikaga shoguns knew how to restrain within reasonable limits their warlike spirit, developed by many years of war, but their weaker