Ernest Mason Satow

“ Satow agreed with the President’s opinion that Shintôism contained no moral code. Indeed that view was expressly maintained by Motoori, one of the leaders of the modern revivalists of pure Shintôism. According to Motoori morals were invented by the Chinese because they were an immoral people, but in Japan there was no necessity for any system of morals, as every Japanese acted aright if he only consulted his own heart. Further, Motoori declared that all the duty of a good Japanese consisted in obeying the commands of the mikado, without questioning whether those commands were right or wrong. ”

“ In order to give his readers a general idea of the manners and customs of the people, the author states: “One of their amusements, which they share with the Chinese, is strange to us—that of flying immense kites; not by the boys, who only look on and admire, but by the men.” ”

“ The climate of Loochoo, as we should expect from its position, is very warm. Ice is never seen, and snow falls but rarely. The vegetation is green throughout the year, and resembles for the most part that of the south of China. Of rice six kinds are produced, of barley and wheat three, and six sorts of beans. The sweet potato is cultivated in large quantities, though not indigenous, and forms one half of the sustenance of the people. Each household possesses a number of plantain trees, from the fibres of which the women weave the only cloth made in the island. ”

“ There is another peculiarity of Japanese geography which deserves to be noticed. Although the Japanese possess a fine map of the coast line of Japan and an elaborate set of charts for the use of junks, and are generally acquainted with the seas in the immediate neighbourhood of their own country, they do not give any names to the bays which abound along the coast, nor to the straits which separate them from other countries or divide their own. The bays of Yedo, Ôzaka and Owari are not known by those titles. ”

“ By order of Taka-mi-musu-bi no kami, they entrusted the charge of thinking out a plan to Amé-no-koya-né no mikoto, the wisest of the gods. He suggested that an image of the goddess should be made, and artifice be employed to entice her forth. A large rock from near the source of the river having been taken to form an anvil, the god Ishi-kori-domé no mikoto and the blacksmith Ama-tsu-mare no mikoto made a mirror in the shape of the sun with iron taken from the mines in heaven. ”

“ The temperament of the people and their manners and customs closely resemble those of our own nation. The countries which from ancient times have rendered homage to Japan are China, Corea, Liukiu and Holland. Intercourse with China is restricted to visits made to Nagasaki for the purpose of trading, while the Coreans have ceased to visit the capital in modern times, and though the Dutch visit the capital, their numbers do not exceed three individuals on any one occasion. ”

“ The town of Furuichi, about eight miles from Toba, where the pilgrims lodge, stands on a long ridge between the two Temples. It consists entirely of inns, brothels and houses of entertainment, mostly of large size, though this fact is less apparent from their standing with their gables towards the street. In few towns in Japan does the architecture present such a solid appearance throughout. A traveller who takes the route from Séki or Yokkaichi would approach the Temples through the town of Yamada, north of the Gékû, and pass through Furuichi after visiting it, on his way to the Naikû. ”

“ In ancient times the chiefs of the families and tribes were the first priests, their houses the first temples, and it was only several centuries after Jimmu that the temple of the Sun Goddess was separated from the dwelling of the Mikado. There appears to be good evidence that Shintôism resembles very closely the ancient religion of the Chinese; we find the same sacrifices made by the Japanese as are reported to have been made by the Chinese; sacrifices consisting first in the killing of the animal offered to the god, and in later years in the setting at liberty of the animals so offered ”

“ Considering that the country had been open to foreign trade for at least eleven years when the edition from which I quote was published it is a little strange that the author should not know better than to assert that there are few domestic animals in Japan. Cows, horses, dogs, cats and poultry may certainly be included in this category, and the experience of every one who has resided here even for a short time must have convinced him that all these species of domestic animals abound. ”

“ The most extensive plains are those of the Kantô, of Echigo and the north of Ôshiu. The provinces of Mikawa, Mino and Owari, also, are very flat. Half-way between Yedo and Kiôto lies the table-land of Shinano, elevated at least 2,500 feet above the level of the sea, and surrounded and intersected by lofty ranges of mountains, of which those on the boundary of Hida are certainly the highest. From the eastern edge of this province there is a sudden drop of 1,800 feet on to the Yedo plain, while on the north the ground slopes gradually away down to the province of Echigo. ”

“ The old ones ought to be cast into a river or into the sea, or may be destroyed by burning. They are usually employed to light the fire which boils the water for the bath prepared for the miko, or virgin priestesses, after their dance in honour of the uji-gami, or patron-god of the locality, at his festival. Up to the revolution in 1868, as it was pratically impossible for every householder to fetch his own o-harai from Isé, there existed a class of persons called oshi, who made it their trade to hawk the o-harai about the country, selling almanacs at the same time. ”

“ According to Japanese accounts the natives of these islands are of a calm and reflective temperament, not given to losing their presence of mind even on the most trying occasions. They observe the precepts of Confucius and are extremely courteous in their demeanour towerds others. Conservative in their opinions, they also adore the native gods. In fact, such value do they attach to a polished behaviour that they style their native land ‘the country which observes propriety,’ and pillars inscribed with this appellation in Chinese characters stand at the corners of the streets in Shiuri. ”

“ It is no wonder, therefore, that native pilots are often accused of being ignorant of the names of places which it is their special business to know. The blame lies, not with the surveying officers who have prepared the charts, but with the native interpreters attached to them, who are often unable to read the names on Japanese maps. The mistake of Rockuren for Mutsuré evidently arose in this manner. The native name for the Shimonoséki strait is Hayato no séto, for the Idzumi strait, Kado no Séto, and for the Tsugaru strait, Mim’maya no oki, from a port of that name in Tsugaru. ”

“ In the market places throughout the country only women are to be seen exchanging their wares, the men have no concern in the matter. It follows from this that they have no one to carry home their purchases for them, and they have to do this themselves, supporting the burden on a bundle of straw placed on the top of the head. The wives of the better classes go to market in the same way as the poorer women, from whom they are distinguished by a piece of cloth a foot long carried in the hand. ”

“ Thousands of pilgrims resort thither annually, chiefly during the spring months, when the weather is most suited for travelling. In Yedo no artizan considers it possible to gain a livelihood unless he has invoked the protection of Daijingû Sama, as the common people are accustomed to call the gods of Isé, by performing the journey thither once at least, and the peasants are even more devout believers. ”

“ Professing to go back to the origin of all things, it proves to be atheistical, for the first material substance wants a creator. The details of the cosmogony it treats of are puerile and unphilosophical. The Kojiki contains no system of morals, discusses no ethical questions, prescribes no ritual, or points to any god or gods as objects of worship. All the essentials of a religion are wanting in Shintôism, and it is difficult to see how it could have ever been denominated a religion at all. ”

“ The next island proceeding westward is another Ôshima lying at the south of Kii, and separated from it by a narrow strait. South of Kiushiu extends another long chain, which may be said to begin with Tané-ga-shima opposite to the province of Ôsumi and to end with Hateruma, the most southerly of the Yayéyama group, which lies close to the 24th parallel of north latitude. Yayéyama is called Pachusan in Keith Johnston’s Royal Atlas, but that is not the name given to it by the natives. The ordinary maps of Japan do not include any of the islands south of Yaku no Shima. ”

“ The Tenriu gawa flows out of the Lake of Suwa in Shinano, runs past the town of Iida almost parallel to the Kiso gawa, and traversing the province of Tôtômi falls at last into the Tenriu nada. It has no tributaries of any importance.
The Oi gawa rises in the south-west of Kai and traverses the province of Tôtômi, intersecting the Tôkaidô between Kanaya and Shimada. It is more remarkable for the breadth of its bed, which near the mouth is 21/2 miles wide, and for the swiftness of its current, than for the length of its course. ”

“ The Japanese word kuni, which I have rendered by province, seems literally to mean ‘country,’ and province must be taken in the sense in which it was used in the maps of France previous to the revolution of 1789. The word kôri, which is used by the Japanese for the subdivision of a province, would be best translated ‘department.’ The number of departments in a province varies according to its size. In the old system there wore altogether 629 departments, but the addition of the Hokkaidô has raised the number to 715. ”

“ An inspection of any native map shows that the greater proportion of the surface of the four main islands of which Japan is composed is covered with hills, which rise in many places to mountains of considerable height. ”

“ Out of it flows the Aka no gawa, which was formerly at ributary of the Shinano gawa, but now falls into the sea some miles north of Niigata.
For a country in which the only vehicle used in travelling was until lately the palanquin, Japan possesses a very good system of high-roads. Amongst these the Tôkaidô is best known to foreigners. Its existence probably dates from the time when the country was divided into circuits, though it has of course been much improved since it was first constructed. It is the only road in the country which is named after the circuit which it traverses. ”

“ There are four other entrances in the Itagaki, formed by torii, one on the east, one on the west, and two on the north side. Those on the east and west are near the lower or left-hand end, and opposite to each stands a bampei about 24 feet distant. Of those on the north side, one is situated about the middle, and has a bampei opposite to it. The other, which is smaller, only gives access to the mi-ké-den, which is probably the reason of the absence of the bampei. The whole of the Itagaki, with the exception of the San no torii on the south side, has been erected since the Restoration in 1868. ”

“ Another statement is that the country is deficient in timber, which may perhaps be correct of the neighbourhood of Nagasaki, but certainly does not apply to the rest of Japan. The facts that all the houses are constructed of wood, and that the maritime inhabitants possess countless junks and fishing-boats are a sufficient contradiction. ”

“ Wherever it may have originated, it is, as a religion, hollow, empty and jejune beyond any other that is known among men. It is certain, that the Japanese government in attempting to substitute Shintôism for the long prevalent Buddhistic faith, has undertaken a herculean task. ”

“ The sugar cane grows freely. The vegetables are of unlimited variety, including every kind of gourd and melon. Most of the trees known in Japan and several species peculiar to China are successfully reared. The domestic animals are the cow, horse, sheep, pig, cat and dog, and amongst wild animals the deer, ape and wild-boar are mentioned, but no beasts of prey exist in the islands. ”

“ It seems, however, that at the present time the ordinary Japanese method of burying the corpse at once is followed, the ceremony being conducted by Buddhist priests.
A man’s tomb is decorated with a piece of white cloth and a hat, and a pole is stuck in the ground close by on which are hung his straw sandals and wooden clogs. On a woman’s grave they place a palm leaf fan, fresh leaves of the same and a piece of white cloth. ”

“ The steps, balustrade and doors are profusely overlaid with brass plates, but there is none of the elaborate wood-carving which may be seen on many of the shrines which for ages past have been in the charge of the Buddhists, as for instance, the shrines of Kami-no-Suwa and Shimo-no-Suwa in Shinshiu. The external ridge-pole, cross-trees, and projecting rafters are also adorned with brass, and the ends of the latter are prolonged more than is usual. The roof is what is termed a gable roof, but projects some three feet beyond the walls at each end. ”