the world can give. Reactionism has, on its part, tried hard to build a structure of its own, based on cant, bigotry, and hypocrisy, into which it would unite the whole Japanese race, and, of course, excluding foreigners. But all these systems and schools of ethics are mainly confined to lecture-rooms and to loud talkers. The heart of the nation is still swayed by Bushido. It commands and guides us, and, consciously or unconsciously, we follow. It is through the medium of Bushido that the best reverence of our fathers and the noblest lore of our mothers still spring, for our flesh and blood has been imbued with it. How could it be otherwise? We can be but the children of our parents. And when I say so I am far from advocating, on the one hand, the revival of old feudalism, for it was not a trait inherent in our race; nor do I mean, on the other hand, that we should preserve obsolete political or social institutions, for institutions must of necessity be ever changing with the march of time. The spirit of Bushido is ever ready to listen to and to adopt whatever is good, pure, and of good repute. The transformation of modern Japan is itself the fruit of the teachings of Bushido."

Is it not a code to be emulated which, although designed for a warlike class, taught mercy and patience under insult, and drew a strong line between righteous and unrighteous anger? Have not the educational codes. of religious morality of the West too often resulted in a teaching of hatred rather than of peace, of honesty because it pays to be honest, of hypocrisy rather than rectitude, of selfishness rather than justice? There are flaws to be found in Bushido doubtless, since there is nothing perfect; but the great strength that it has to the thinking mind is that it gets beneath the various creeds and dogmas to the fundamental truths necessary to the building up of fine character. Is it not reasonable to suggest that the nations of the world may look with

more equanimity upon the future of Japan, knowing that since the Japanese have been reared in an atmosphere charged with the moral ideas of Bushido, unnecessary wars will be avoided and the horrors of necessary wars will, wherever possible, be mitigated? Is such a nation as likely to abuse the power she possesses and is acquiring as another nation without the same privileges might be ?

CHAPTER IV

ANCESTOR-WORSHIP

THE influence of Bushido upon the Japanese nation cannot well be over-estimated, but there is another influence still more far-reaching and fundamental. This is ancestor-worship, which may be regarded as the foundation-stone from which spring loyalty and patriotism, and which supplies that enormous reserve of energy which makes Japan what she is to-day. Baron Kaneko Kentaro expresses the consideration held of ancestor-worship by the fact that the Japanese are a little different from the Western people in regard to their respect for the past; for they adore the past and the history of their ancestors much more than occidental people do. "As keenly and as profoundly as we look toward our future and our prosperity," he says, "the future of our family and our nationwe cling still more keenly and more delicately to our past -the tradition of our forefathers and our nation. We always look ahead in search for something higher than our present condition for our descendants. Our present welfare and happiness is nothing to us when compared with an illustrious past and a great future for our family and our nation. Thus looking forward to our future, we constantly strive to mark out 'the grand policy for a century to come.' This is a rather high-sounding phrase, but when we examine our history we always find it underlying our national movements-social, religious, and politicalbecause the Japanese, from time immemorial, have shown

the peculiar characteristic of marking out what they will do for the future. In order to establish this grand policy, they always study the problem with a far-reaching foresight. This trend of mind is a characteristic of our race. When they contemplate a great problem for national affairs they never think of themselves, but always look forward through the labyrinths of the future to find out the surest way to attain their ultimate aim and goal. According to Japanese notion, compared to this grand policy for the future, the present welfare and happiness of ourselves dwindles into nothingness."

It may be said without exaggeration that every Japanese man, every Japanese woman, and every Japanese child is an ancestor-worshipper. This applies to the

Christian convert equally with the Buddhist devotee.

Ancestor-worship, or more properly the veneration of ancestors, is beyond the touch of religion; it does not interfere with it, and cannot be affected by it, and differs very materially from that in vogue in China or elsewhere, being a higher, purer cult, and productive of results quite unlike those produced in China. It is worth noting here that in China the greatest strides were made by the Jesuit fathers in gaining converts and power after they had declared that ancestor-worship was not a religion, and therefore need not be abandoned by the convert to Christianity. Nowadays it may seem strange in European eyes to see the various members of a family called together by telephone, from the home, the Government office, or the bank, to meet for the ceremony of the veneration of the family ancestors under electric light with some members in Western and some in Eastern garb! But no matter what the externals, the inward feelings are as sincere and as powerful as ever before.

"In Europe and America," says Dr. Nobushige Hozumi, the leading Japanese authority on the subject, " ancestor-worship has long ceased to exist, even if it was

ever practised on those continents. In Japan, where at the present time a constitutional government is established, where codes of laws modelled upon those of Western countries are in operation, where, in short, almost every art of civilization has taken firm root, the worshipping of deceased ancestors still obtains and still exercises a powerful influence over the laws and customs of the people. The practice dates back to the earliest days, and has survived through hundreds of generations in spite of the many political and social revolutions which have taken place since the foundation of the empire. The introduction of Chinese civilization into the country was favourable to the growth of this custom, by reason of the fact that the morality, laws, and institutions of China are also based upon the doctrine of ancestor-worship. Buddhism, which is not based upon this doctrine, but is, on the contrary, antagonistic to it, was compelled to yield to the deep-rooted belief of the people, and adapt itself to the national practice; while the introduction of Western civilization, which has wrought so many political and social changes during the last thirty years, has had no influence whatever in the direction of modifying it. Thus, it will be seen that the three foreign elements, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Western civilization, all of which have had immense influence upon our laws, manners, and customs, and two of which were diametrically opposed to ancestor-worship, could not make way against, nor put an end to, the widespread and persistent faith of the people. The people, whether Shintoists or Buddhists, are all ancestor-worshippers."

There are many misconceptions as to the nature of ancestor-worship, chief among them being the idea that it had its origin in the fear of the ghosts of the ancestors and the necessity of propitiating them. It seems much more probable, and Mr. Hozumi agrees in this view, that the custom originated rather in the love felt by people for