Page:Things Japanese (1905).djvu/423

Rh misrepresentations of history and even of patent contemporary facts on which it partly rests, vastly important in the concrete results which it achieves. New Japan could never have risen and expanded as she has done without some ideal to beckon her onwards; and this Imperialistic ideal was the only one within reach. It has been the lever that has raised her from Oriental impotence to her present rank among the great powers of the world. Whether it should be called a religion is a mere question of how we may choose to define that word. To the present writer, the term "ideal" seems less open to misconstruction.

(See also Articles on Things Japanese/Buddhism, Things Japanese/History and Mythology, Things Japanese/Missions, and Things Japanese/Shintō.)

 Roads. Several of the chief highways of Japan are extremely ancient. Such are some of the roads near Kyōto, and the Nakasendō running the whole way from Kyōto to Eastern Japan. The most celebrated road of more recent origin, though itself far from modern, is the Tōkaidō, along which the Daimyōs of the western provinces used to travel with their splendid retinues to the Shōgun's court at Yedo. The Ōshū Kaidō leading north, and the Reiheishi Kaidō leading to Nikkō, are other great historic roads. Many roads in Japan are lined with tall cryptomerias and other trees. Shortly after the introduction of telegraphy into the country, the Japanese began to hew down these monumental trees in their zeal for what they believed to be civilisation. The telegraph-poles would, they thought, show to much better advantage without such old-fashioned companions. A howl from the foreign press of Yokohama fortunately brought the official Goths to their senses, and after the Tōkaidō had been partially denuded, the remaining avenues were spared.

In too many of the newly built roads, though the engineering selection may be good, the execution is bad. Roads are made of clay and dirt only. They run over artificial embankments sup ported by mud foundations, there is no sufficient provision made