348 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



by the second-rate hotels and tea-houses bother themselves but 

 little about any moral obligation ; but, on the whole, the immo- 

 rality laid at the door of Japanese women is unjust and mislead- 

 ing. 



Regarding the religious life of women as affecting the ethics 

 of the country, little remains to be said. The enamored maiden 

 may write the name of her lover and herself on two strips of pa- 

 per, and, twisting them together, tie the spell to the lattice work 

 of the temple of Kwannon, the goddess of love, trusting that her 

 offering and prayers may be of avail, and unite their lives and 

 hearts. 



Religion enters mostly into the lives of the Japanese people 

 when the sands of life are nearly run out. It is then that the 

 people, and more especially the old women, turn to Buddhism or 

 Shintoism with great avidity, and if wealthy will make lavish 

 gifts to the temples, or cause votive stone lanterns to be erected 

 at their expense along the approach to the temples, and will 

 readily yield themselves to the commands of the astute priests, so 

 that they may be assured of future peace and happiness. The 

 Buddhist faith undoubtedly offers the greatest inducements to 

 believers and condemnation to heretics. The Shinto faith, which 

 is the present court religion, is practically a hero worship, and the 

 Shinto priests are not celibates. Some of the more popular saints 

 or deities have been adopted by both creeds — as a matter of policy 

 — notably the " Seven Wise Ones," Sichi Fuku Jin, among whom 

 are Daikoku and Ebisu, the household Lares and Penates. In 

 the Shinto temples there are no idols, but relics of the deified hero 

 are preserved ; and before the shrine stands a huge mirror of pol- 

 ished metal, into which the worshiper gazes, seeking to place 

 himself face to face with his own soul. In the Buddhist temples 

 there are idols and superstitions galore. 



Such are briefly the most salient features of the ethics of the 

 Japanese, in the account of which I have unavoidably been com- 

 pelled to omit much that is interesting and novel. As I have said, 

 on the whole the Japanese people have been done a great injustice 

 to, when a lack of moral instinct has been charged to them. In 

 no other country, and surely in no other language, has love found 

 an apter exponent. Filial piety, connubial affection, parental ten- 

 derness, fraternal fondness — all these have been sung about in 

 Japanese poetry in a thousand dainty ways, and may be daily 

 witnessed in the lives of the people, and above all this is that 

 ardent spirit of patriotism and love for home that so preserves 

 the unity of the Japanese people ; and should we seek for the key- 

 note of the wondrous ancient heroism and present rapid advance 

 of the country we will surely find it in the words Mikune no tame, 

 " For my country's sake." 



