Once a Week (magazine)/Series 1/Volume 3/Japanese fragments - Part 2
JAPANESE FRAGMENTS.
BY CAPTAIN SHERARD OSBORN, R.N.
CHAPTER II.
The English sailor, the English wanderer, in those remote regions where the blue Pacific rolls its vast proportions through frigid and burning climes, may be pardoned for naturally seeking amidst its isles and continents for some resemblance to the pleasant shores of Britain. He hails a country where the oak and pine-tree flourish, where the land is green with herbage, where the field throws forth its flowers, and the wheat will ripen, not scorch, under the glare of a noontide sun. Revelling in the recollection of his home, he loves the new land more, because it resembles the one from which he is an exile. It is this feeling which, in the olden days, when there were new countries for bold seamen to discover, led to the frequent naming of places after the land of the navigator’s birth. The Spaniard ever saw a New Spain, a New Grenada, in the regions of the Far West; and Dutchmen and Englishmen afterwards dotted the Great South Sea and the Indian Ocean with New Hollands, New Zealands, New Albions, and Caledonias. It is, perhaps, with somewhat of the same spirit that we would trace a strong similitude in more respects than one between the Islands of the British and Japanese empires,—a likeness to be traced in their geographical contour, in their relative position to adjacent continents and seas, in their climates, products, and, to a considerable extent, in the love of independence, combined with order and industry, which actuates their inhabitants. If the reader places a globe before him, he will observe, if he considers the great mass of land constituting Europe and Asia as an entire continent, that Britain on the one hand and Japan upon the other are detached portions of that great mass, remarkably alike in general outline, and although differing somewhat in latitude, approximate much in climatic condition. The isothermal lines upon meteorological maps attest that fact; and, even as our temperature is modified with respect to Europe by the action of a gulf-stream from the warm regions of the Atlantic Ocean, so in like manner is that of Japan regulated and rendered temperate as compared with the trying extremes of heat and cold in Northern China by the beneficent action of a gulf-stream from the tropical portion of the Pacific Ocean. The resemblance may still be traced in the products of Japan and the disposition of her inhabitants. We find her mineral wealth almost in excess of our own. Copper, coal, and iron, she has in almost unlimited quantity; and she yields what we could never boast of, much gold and some silver. The vegetable productions are far more varied than those of the British Isles; and they have within the last few centuries acclimatised the tea-plant and silk-worm. The waters which wash the coast are rich in wealth; indeed, the principal food of the inhabitants, with the exception of rice, are the fish which abound in its numerous bays and fiords.
Bold writers have computed the empire of Japan to compose about one hundred and sixty thousand square miles of superficial area. Recollecting how indented its shores are with arms of the sea, how its surface is broken up with lofty mountain ranges, and how little we as yet know of either, such an assertion must be considered a mere approximation; but we believe there are far better grounds for stating that the population now verges upon nearly forty million souls. The size of the empire may be in general terms likened to that of the British Isles, if another Ireland were added to them; and to form an idea of how densely the population is packed upon that area, we must suppose the people of the French Empire to be inhabiting such a kingdom. The three islands of Nipon, Kiu-siu, and Sikok constitute the real empire over which the Taikoon rules. He claims and exercises a feeble sovereignty over Yesso likewise; but there is every reason to believe that the better portion of the latter is still in the hands of unsubjugated aborigines. Nipon, the seat of government, and bearing the same relation to the empire that England and Scotland do to the rest of the United Kingdom, is in every respect the most important portion of Japan. In shape it has been compared to a man’s jaw-bone; but we think a huge centipede, curving through 600 miles of latitude and varying from 50 to 200 miles of longitude in width, will bring it better before the reader’s imagination. On either side we see its numerous legs represented by capes, promontories, or tongues of land projecting into the sea, and forming an endless succession of noble bays and promising harbours. These projections appear to jut out from the central back-bone of mountains which extend throughout its whole length, and that entire ridge is studded with extinct or dormant volcanoes, peerless amongst which rises sharp into the blue vault of heaven the great mountain of Fusi-hama, which is said to be visible in clear weather throughout the major portion of the island. Besides Nipon there are the islands of Kiu-siu and Sikok, which resembles it much in geographical outline, although from being a little more south their climate and products partake of a more tropical character than those of Nipon.
All these islands are washed on their eastern shores by a great stream of warm water, which, like the gulf-stream of the Atlantic, flows ever to the north-east from equatorial regions. This stream modifies the climate of the Japanese Empire to a very great extent; preserves it from the desolating extremes to which China in a similar latitude is so sadly subject; but at the same time causes its shores to be swept by tempests in no wise inferior to those which renders the seaman’s career in our seas a life of danger and of hardship. The difference of temperature between the air and water, occasions during spring and autumn, dense fogs, increasing the perils of navigation as well as in adding still more to the resemblance between the climates of Nipon and Britain. The entire empire is said to be divided into sixty-eight great provinces, all but five of which are ruled over by great feudal princes, who even in our day exercise despotic sway within their borders. They yield allegiance, it is true, to the Taikoon or Emperor dwelling in Yedo, as well as to the Mikado or Pope dwelling in Miaco; but they have a strong voice in the councils of either, and do not always consider it necessary to comply with new rules or laws emanating from either the great temporal or spiritual rulers. This independence and power of the great princes serves as a great check upon the despotic powers of the Emperor, though at one time, before the great Taikosama crushed them, their opposition used to be carried to a dangerous and inconvenient extent.
An instance, however, of how limited the imperial power is in some senses, is to be found in the fact, that in recently granting permission to Europeans to trade with the empire, the Taikoon and council could only declare such ports open to us as lay within the imperial domains. And although it appears doubtful whether any of the princes could declare one of their own ports open to foreign commerce without imperial sanction, still we were told that the Taikoon might be resisted by the local authorities if he assumed in the initiative upon such a point. The five imperial, or reserved provinces, are supposed to support the expenses of the Taikoon and Mikado’s Courts; but the various princes all contribute in rich presents, which are duly acknowledged with certain complimentary or honorary distinctions.
In strange contradistinction to China, whence many of their laws and ordinances must have been derived, all rank and office in Japan is hereditary, and the old feudal system of Western Europe exists to-day in a well governed and powerful empire on exactly the opposite side of the globe. In Japan we have rough, strong-handed justice without what we should term liberty; but still the people of that country are a vast deal better governed, better protected, the laws better enforced, the public and private reputation of its officers and servants stand far higher, and a much better condition of social and moral polity exists, under the rule of the Taikoon and his princes, than can anywhere be found amongst the court, mandarins, or masses of China. The results of the two systems pursued in China and Japan have brought the former to decay, both politically and morally speaking, and given to the latter stability, prosperity, and a strong government. In both countries the systems have been worked out for centuries; the results are curious, and should be instructive.
In the absence of a representative system to assist the ruler in governing the state, the Taikoon in Yedo can only act through his council, elected from the great feudal princes of the empire and a proportion of a second class of the nobility who hold their letters by rendition of military service to either the Emperor or to the princes. This second class it is which fills all the offices of governors, generals, admirals and judges throughout the empire; and they thus bring into the Imperial Council a vast amount of practical knowledge as to the general condition and wants of the various portions of the empire. The acts of Taikoon and council can only become lawful when confirmed by the spiritual authority emanating from the Dairii, or Council of the Mikado, whilst over all hang the ancient laws and customs as a safeguard for the state and the community at large. The great secret of Japanese government—and, after all, it is that of all good government—is to possess perfect information; and to ensure this they have instituted a system the most extraordinary the world has ever seen, a system of reporting based upon mutual responsibility. Every man is responsible for some one else’s good conduct and obedience to the law. Every man, therefore, makes a note of his neighbour’s acts, and his neighbour takes notes for a similar reason. We are all very much shocked at such a system, but the people directly interested do not appear to consider it irksome or inconvenient. Indeed, open espionnage, or a system of recording publicly every infringement of the rules of the states, must naturally bring about its own remedy, by people taking very good care not to break those laws and customs. On the other hand, the transmission of a series of reports to the head information office at Yedo, such reports being counter-checked in all directions, must, in the absence of a public press, parliament, or popular meetings, ensure that the abuse of power by an official, or the wrongs of private individuals, be brought to the notice of the Emperor and Council.[1] This system of report and counter-report, together with the careful inculcation of a high tone of honour amongst a proud nobility is the real safeguard of the Japanese people, and the secret of the Taikoon’s power. It is the want of the last of these two elements, perfect and truthful information, and probity in officials, which is the curse of the government of China.
The Japanese Government, such as we have lightly sketched it, has created, apart from a happy and contented people, one which is singularly winning upon the kind estimation of all foreigners who have visited them. Warm-hearted, loving, intelligent, and brave, the European missionary, merchant, and sailor, have all borne testimony to the love and interest they have awakened. “Of white complexion and gentle behaviour,” Marco Polo reported them to be, from Chinese authority, and ancient English writers of Queen Elizabeth’s time, state, “that the inhabitants of Japan show a notable wit, and incredible patience in suffering labour or sorrows. They take diligent care lest, either in word or deed, they should evince fear or dulness of mind, and above all are anxious not to trouble others with their cares or wants. Poverty with them bringeth no damage to the nobility of blood, and they covet, exceedingly, honour and praise. Though generally affable and kind, and in grave courtesy quite a match for a Spaniard, yet they will not allow an injury or insult to pass unpunished. They are very careful,” continues the chronicler, “in the entertainment of strangers, and make the very curious inquiry in even the most trifling affairs of foreign people, as of their customs, manners, and invention. Hospitable and generous, they detest avarice, and forbid gambling. They study martial feats and delight in arms, and the people generally are fair and comely of shape; but being moved to anger, especially in the heat of drink, you may as soon persuade tigers to quietness as them, so obstinate and wilful are they in the fury of their impatience.”
This is truly a high character, but word for word might we again, in our day, sum up the good inhabitants of Nipon as exhibiting the same traits; and we have merely to call attention to the interesting fact then recorded, to which late travellers again bear testimony. And that is the pleasing curiosity of the people, as to all the doings of their brother-dwellers upon earth, a trait quite as remarkable in the nobility as the lower orders, and accompanied by a most laudable desire to imitate and excel Europeans in their products and manufactures.
There is also chivalry—a sense of generous devotion whether it be to duty or to love—which marks them amongst Easterns, and leads us to hope for yet better things of Japan. Indeed their system of suicide, or “the happy dispatch,” as it is called, is merely a high sense of personal honour, misguided through lack of Christian teaching. We there see that a nobleman, or indeed a common Japanese, when he has lost his character, or failed in duty to the state, destroys himself, to save to his children and relatives his property and estates, and to expiate in the eyes of his sovereign the crime of which he may have been guilty. Hereafter we will tell how nobly converted Japanese men and women laid down their lives on behalf of Christianity, but we need only turn over the illustrations of their every-day books to feel more and more assured that the Japanese still hold dear all those attributes for which all writers of the olden time gave them credit, and that bravery, wit, and chivalry will be still found amongst the gallant sons and beautiful daughters of Nipon.
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A Japanese Beauty. (Fac-simile.
One glance at her eye,
And you lose your city;
Another, and you would
Forfeit a kingdom.—Japanese Verse.
- ↑ The Japanese nation is arranged under eight distinct clauses, their privileges, mode of living, dress, and even daily expenditure, being distinctly laid down in severe sumptuary laws. The classes consist of princes, nobles, priests, military men, professional or learned ones, merchants, and, lastly, artisans, or labourers. Occasionally, through wealth or merit, individuals are advanced to the class above that in which they are born; but to descend into an inferior one, is to forfeit claim to respectability.