16 INTRODUCTION. 



those that are official. The Emperors themselves are not exempt ; vizier, graml councillors, 

 vassal princes, provincial secretaries, all are under the eye of an everlasting unknown police. 

 The wretched system is even extended to the humblest of the citizens. Every city or town is 

 divided into collections of five families, and every member of such a division is personally 

 responsible for the conduct of the others ; everything, therefore, which occurs in one of these 

 ftimilies, out of the usual course, is instantly reported to the authorities by the other four to 

 save themselves from censure. It has well been said that the government of Japan is a 

 "government of spies." 



We have said that the Emperors are not exempt. The Ziogoon has his minions about the 

 Ifihado, and the grand council have theirs about the Ziogoon. And the cowardice engendered 

 by such ceaseless distrust necessarily leads to cruelty in penalties. Take as an illustration the 

 case of a measure submitted by the grand council to the Ziogoon ; to which, contrary to his 

 usual custom, he does not at once assent without examination. Suppose he should disapprove, 

 the measure is referred immediately to the arbitration of the three princes of the blood who 

 are the nearest kinsmen of the Ziogoon, and their decision is final. If they do not agree in 

 opinion with the monarch, he must instantly relinquish the throne to his son or to some other 

 heir. He is not allowed even the poor privilege of revising or retracting an opinion. Should 

 the three princes concur in the Ziogoon's opinion_, then the member of the council who proposed 

 the obnoxious measure thus rejected must die; and those who voted with him are often required 

 to die also. Sometimes the whole council, with the " Governor of the Empire" at their head, 

 have in this way been obliged to atone for a mere mistake in national policy by putting them- 

 selves to death. 



4. As to the government of lordshijjs, which are only smaller principalities, the rule is the 

 same ; a duality of governors, an alternation in the discharge of official duties, and a separation 

 every other year from all domestic enjoyment. 



5. In the imperial provinces and imperial cities the Ziogoon, or rather the vizier and grand 

 council for him, select two governors from the nobility, and surround them with the usual appa- 

 ratus of secretaries and under secretaries, police officers, spies, and all other officials. 



As to the spies themselves, they are of every rank in life below that of the hereditary princes. 

 The highest nobility dare not shrink from the occupation, and even stoop to disguise themselves, 

 the more efiectually to perform the degrading office. The fact is, if directed to act as spies, they 

 must either do it or adopt as the alternative, death ! Doubtless many of those who jicrform this 

 dishonorable work would gladly, were it j)0ssible, escape from the degradation ; while there are 

 some, ambitious of succeeding to those whom they denounce, tg whom the occupation is congenial 

 enough. 



A story is told by the writers on Japan which illustrates this. Complaints were sent to the 

 grand council of the governor of the town of Matsmai ; the council resorted to its usual plan of 

 employing a spy. In a little while the offending governor was removed. To the amazement of 

 the people, they recognized in his successor a man whom they had known as a journeyman 

 tobacco-cutter in the town, who, a short time before the displacement of the old governor, had 

 suddenly disappeared from his master's shop. The journeyman was a disguised nobleman, who 

 had acted the part of a spy by order of the court. 



A very singular custom of self-punishment, even unto death, prevails among all the officials of 

 Japan. When one has offended, or even when in his department there has been any violation 



