JAPAN
304
JAPAN
eighteen companies, attached to the eighteen divi-
sions of the army, and commanded by a brigadier-
general. It numbers only 2500 men. In 1907 it inter-
vened in 2082 cases, and assisted 66 sick or wounded
persons.
Navy. — Under the government of the Tokugawa the lack of stimulation and the complete rupture of relations with the outside world caused the nav.v to lie completely neglected. In 1871 a vessel presented by the King of Holland and some ships purchased abroad li.v the Government of the shogun and the daimios of Tosa and Satsunia constituted the im- perial fleet. Of all the services organized under the present reign none has undergone such rapid develop- ment as that of the navy, as is shown by the follow- ing table: —
Year
No. OF Ships
Tonnage
Horse-power
1871
1894
1904
1907
17
33
76
126
6,000 tons
61,000 ■•
258,251 "
506,093 •'
518,040
1,045,383
This list does not include the 77 torpedoes weighing
7258 tons. This proiligious development of the Jap-
anese navy in recent years is due to the three projects
of exjiansion voted successively by the Chambers, the
first (1903) requiring an extraordinary expenditure of
115,000,000 ven; the second (1905), 175,000,000 yen;
the third (1907), 76,000,000 3-en. There are five mari-
time prefectures: Yoko-Suka, Kure, Sasebo, Maizuru
and Port Arthur; three naval stations, Takeshiki, the
Pescadores, and Ominato. The fleet is divided into
three squadrons. On 31 March, 1908, it was com-
posed as follows: armoured battleships, 15, tonnage
varying from 10,960 to 19,900 tons: armoured cruisers
of the first class, 13, from 7700 to 14,600 tons; ar-
moured cruisers of the second class, 10, from 3700 to
6630 tons; armoured cruisers of the third class, 8,
from 2439 to 3420 tons; armom-ed coast-defence boats,
12; armoured gunboats, 6; torpedo gunboats. 2; des-
patch boats, 5; destroyers, 55, from 350 to 381 tons;
torpedoes, 77; total tonnage, 7258 tons. The navy
is recruited by conscription and volunteer service,
more than half the naval forces being volunteers. The
number of recruits varies greatlv each vear. In 1902
there were 4130; 1905,9583; 1906,5839; 1907,8682.
On 31 March, 1908, the naval forces were composed
as follows: —
Rating
21
<>
k
s
s S
5§
<
3 ^
a S
Z E "
b
Q ^
Active service..
First resen'c. . .
Second reser\-e.
69
52
16
803
128
40
2270
47
84
236
1067
60
57
8,356
2,677
2,206
33,662
6,433
4,730
Totals
137
971
2401
236
1184
13,239
44,825
There were more than 780 students; in all 63,773 men.
But in 1895 the force was 17,140; in 1899, 28,710; in
1904, 45,999. In 1907 the courts-martial judged 756
cases. Seamen committed to prison, 730; released,
562. Marine hospitals, 5; sick persons cared for dur-
ing the year, 31,088; deaths, 191.
Jap.\nese Religions. — Shinloism [literally, "way of the gods " (Kia/ii)] is properly the religion of Japan, born on the very soil and without foreign admixture. It has neither tlogmas, nor moral code, nor sacred books, and is summed up in a rather confused mixture of nature-worship and veneration of ancestors. Phil- osophical anal.vsis discovers a basis of pantheism. Shintoi.st mythology first speaks of five gods culled Koto-.\matsu-Kami. The first three are tlic creators of heaven and earth, and they arc Amc-no-minaka-
nushi, who existed immobile at the time of the Crea-
tion; Takami-musubi, and Kami-busubi. agents in the
Creation. The other two, Umashi-asliirabi-llikoji and
Ame-no-Tokotachi, have no clearly deterrained role.
After them come seven generations of heavenly spirits
(Tenj'in shichi-dai) , namely, Kuni-Tokotachi. Ivuni-
Satsuchi, Toyokunnu: then the four co\iples, l^ijini
and Suijini, Otonoji and Otomalie, Omotaru and K;ish-
ikonc; finall,y Izanagi and Izanami, the special creators
of Japan and of a number of gods, gods of water,
wind, trees, mountains, rivers, roads, thunder, rain,
etc. Of Izanagi and Izanami were born Amaterasu,
Tsukiyomi, and Susano-o. Amaterasu became the
goddess of the sun, Tsukiyomi that of the moon, and
Susano-o, the god of the earth. Amaterasu sent her
grandson, Ninigi-no-mikoto, to reign over Japan and
he was the great-grandfather of Jimmu Tenno, the
first emperor. From .-Amaterasu to Jimmu Tenno
there are five generations called terrestrial spirits
(Chijiu-go-dai), who succeeded the seven generations
of heavenly spirits.
Hence, according to Sliintoist mythology, the em- peror is not only the high-priest, he is the representa- tive and direct descendant of divinity, and as such the duty devolves upon him of celebrating the wor- ship of the gods who are his ancestors and of offering to heaven as supreme mediator the prayers and sacrifices of the subjects whom he governs. At first the only temple was the palace of the emperor, and the cere- monies consisted chiefly of ablutions and purifica- tions. The temple of Ise was the first erected outside the palace, and an im|ierial princess was charged with the sacred treasures there contained. The treasures, which were transmitted by Amaterasu to her descend- ants, were the Mirror, the Sword, and the precious Stone.
Shintoism remained in this state of simplicity until the introduction of Buddhism in 552. It was soon supplanted by the new religion, which brought with it more profound metaphysics, a more exalted moral code, and more solemn ceremonies. A few conserva- tives attempted to resist, but the bonzes won the day by what they called Rio-bu-Shinto, a system accord- ing to which Shintoism and Buddhism should form one and the same religion. Thenceforth, save for a few private ceremonies at the palace and in the great temples of Iso ancl Izumo, the two religions were but one. This state of tilings lasted until the eighteenth century, when the works of Kaino Maliuchi and several others brought, aljout a reaction in favour of the na- tional religion against Buddhism and Confucianism, both foreign importations. The Restoration com- pleted what had been begun, and since 1868 Shintoism and Buddhism have been entirely separate from each other.
Together with the gods of its mythology Shintoism adores several of the emperors and famous men of Japan. It also pa.vs special honour to the spirits of soldiers who died for the imperial cause. In several towns temples called Shakon-sha (temples where souls are invoked) are erected in their honour. Shintoism is divided into ten branches which differ only in cere- monial details, the moral code of all being reduced to the single iirineiple: follow the inspiration of your own heart ami obey the emperor. Number of temples {miya or jinjaj 190,436; staff: administrative heads of sects, 12; heads or rectors of temples, 16,365; priests (preachers), 74,347; priestesses, 4428; semi- nary students (March, 1908), 259; boys, 250; girls, 9. Japanese especially professing Shintoism, about 19,000,000.
National Feasts. — (1) Shihohai, a ceremony cele- brated in the palace on the first day of the .year, from 3 to 5 A.M. The emperor turns successively to each of the four cardinal pomts, venerates the tomb of his an- cestors and prays for the prosperity of his reign and preservation from every calamity during the year.
