The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 101

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

101

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of endurance, they are a vigorous and prolific race,
and better food and careful physical training is
largely correcting whatever physical weaknesses
they may have.

Filial piety and national patriotism are two out-

standing qualities of the Japanese people. The
Japanese live for their family and country, and

from childhood up the Japanese is taught that self-
sacrifice for the state and family should be self-
evident and that the interests of the individual must
always be surrendered in the interest of family and
country. On the other hand, it must be admitted
that the Japanese are not as honest and upright as

of the country, succeeded in making a treaty of
amity and trade, and opened the country to the
outside world. From that day a decided change
took place in the people. Coming out of their re-
tirement, they cast themselves in an ever-increasing
degree into the world’s affairs, and the empire to-
day is one of the great powers of the world. In
1868 the Mikado cast off the iron rule of the
Shogunate and took over the actual rule of the
country. Since 1889 Japan is a constitutional mon-
archy, the Mikado exercising the executive powers,
assisted by his cabinet, while the legislative powers
are in the hands of the two-chambered Diet.

Buddhist Temple at Kioto, Japan.

they should be in their social and commercial inter-
course and that licentiousness is a national vice
among them, concubinage being very common and
prostitution having the legal sanction of the gov-
ernment. Girls are expected to consent to lead a
life of shame to help their parents when they are
in financial difficulties or to help a brother to get
an education !
Government.

Japan has been subject to one and the same
dynasty of rulers since the beginning of the seventh
century and even before. ‘The present emperor is
said to be the 122d of the dynasty. Up to 1853
Japan was closed to foreigners. In that year Com-
modore Perry, U.S. N., broke through the reserve

Native Religions.

Japan has three native systems of religion —
Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shinto-
ism is the oldest religion of Japan. It has no idols
or images, and its shrines are severely plain. Be-
fore these shrines are artistic gateways, called torit.
Shintoism, “The Path of the Gods,” kamt no micht,
is rightly so named; for in the course of years it
has developed into an aggregation of eight million
gods and goddesses. Connected with its worship
are’ all sorts of degrading customs and licentious
ceremonies. Every phenomenon of nature, every
tree and plant, every river and mountain, is sup-
posed to have its own spirit. As sin is supposed to
make a person physically unclean, a large part of