VI

The age of the Japanese--Ito and Inouyé--Intermarriages--Commander

Hirosé--Some abuse of the Japanese nationality--The climate of

Japan--Chrysanthemums--Japanese rain--The two great currents--How Japan

developed--Summer resorts of foreigners--Spring and autumn--

Picnics--Sports--A letter by an American--Pastimes of the

Japanese gentry--Description of the Japanese chess and the game of

'Go'--Description of Japanese cards--Poem cards--Flower cards--Pierre

Loti--Public baths--An interview on common and military education in

Japan--George Washington and Nelson--The cause of Russian defeats

according to the wounded

I found myself once more in a group of people, including some ladies.

The group was very incongruous, as is usual in dreamland. The

conversation went on merrily and very light-heartedly.

--'Now, baron, it is your turn. You must now tell us something

interesting,' said one of those present.

--'I have nothing worth telling,' I answered.

--'But you must: you were in Europe for many years, when quite young, I

have heard. You must have had some experiences to interest us.'

--'Well, I can remember only one or two amusing incidents. I once knew

a charming young lady, called by her friends "the modest Violet." She

lived with her mother and sisters in a country home near London. I was

often invited there to take tea and play tennis, or accompany them for a

drive. On one occasion, I was walking with her round the garden, when we

came to a nook where there was a garden seat. We sat down. But the seat,

being old, the part on which I sat gave way all of a sudden, and I found

myself flat on the ground, the other part of the seat remaining intact.'

--'Does she still remember you, or rather, have you seen her since your

arrival in Europe this time?' asked another.

--'Yes! I have seen her, and I noticed when I visited her she was still

using on her table a silver trinket, of which I made her a present years

ago, on the occasion of her wedding.'

--'That is one--and another.'

--'Well, I was at Brighton one summer, and met there a young lady with

whom I was acquainted. We went for a walk together on the Parade one

bright afternoon and then went down to the beach. She sat on a small

rock and leaned against the stone wall. She had a book of select poems

in her hand and read a good many of them while I reclined on the sand by

her side. When she rose from her seat, I noticed that the back of her

white summer dress was stained green by the moss on the stone against

which she had leaned, and she was obliged to go home with her sunshade

open over her back.'

--'Let me again ask if you have met her since?'

--'No, I have lost trace of her altogether. She was the daughter of an

astronomer. If she is still living, she will remember me when she sees

my _Summer Dream_.'

--'What?'

--'I don't know.'

--'But I have heard you utter those words once or twice. Surely they

must have a meaning.'

--'No! I think not. You must know that I was formerly a Deputy of the

Japanese Diet.'

--'What has that to do with the subject?'

--'Well! Deputies often talk about things which they know nothing

about. Just observe the deputies who talk most in the chamber. They are

sure to be those who have never read through the documents they hold in

their hands.'

--'What a pleasantry! However, we have had the second tale. What next?'

--'No more amusing ones. But I remember another which was somewhat

chivalrous. In a large town in the north of France, there was a group of

rich manufacturers belonging to the same family, originally English,

though some of the younger members had been born in France. A bosom

friend of mine, and another compatriot, were staying there, and they

were both on intimate terms with all the members of the family. I spent

several summer days in that town, and also in Dunkirk and Ostend, with

my friends and most of the people I am referring to. They were all very

cordial, and it goes without saying that I spent a very jolly time.

There was a young lady belonging to one branch of the family, who in

age, to say the least of it, was past the first bloom of youth. I

noticed that she and the members of another branch of the family never

spoke together, which aroused my curiosity, and as a result of discreet

inquiry, I found that some discord existed between them, the cause of

which was she had not married the man of her choice on account of the

interference of an uncle, who was the head of the other branch of the

family. I felt rather sorry about the matter, for it was the only rift

in the family lute, otherwise most happy and harmonious. A strong desire

came over me to bring about a reconciliation. One day at Dunkirk, I

accompanied the young lady to the sea-coast, where, after a long

persuasion, I obtained her consent to be reconciled. The chief

individual having been won over, I had no great difficulty in persuading

the others; and peace was proclaimed then and there at Dunkirk.'

--'But you were only a young man, then.'

--'Certainly I was younger than I am now, but I am not quite so young

as you may imagine. The Japanese, as a rule, appear to European eyes

many years younger than they are in reality. Thus, for instance, when

Marquis Ito and Count Inouyé came over to England as students for the

first time, they were both "over twenty," and Count Inouyé was older

than the Marquis Ito by some years.'

--'Their relative ages, however, must have remained the same always,'

said one jestingly.

--'That is so: but that is not my point. They were then considered as

young students of seventeen or eighteen. When, therefore, they told

their teacher that they would return to Japan and counsel their Prince

to change his anti-foreign policy into a pro-foreign policy, he laughed

at them, saying, "You boys, what can you do?" And Ito and Inouyé only

succeeded, after great perseverance, to obtain the necessary consent.

However that may be, I am glad to have heard since that the lady in

question was happily married.'

--'Allow me to ask a very delicate question. Have you never fallen in

love, or something like it, with any European lady during your long stay

in Europe?'

--'Well, I have always preferred to keep my heart well in hand, so as

not to be hampered in the more serious duties of life; and, moreover, I

do not believe in the desirability of intermarriage between foreigners.

There have, of course, been many intermarriages between the Japanese and

the occidental races, and the results of some of them have been

apparently very good, but there have also been many failures, and I do

not think, in general, happiness can be secured in intermarriages of

this kind, so much as those between people who have greater resemblance

in customs and manners and everything else to each other. Even if the

couple are happy, it often happens that it is not so between them and

their relations. You know, perhaps, that the late Commander Hirosé was a

bachelor. He was a man of stoical character. There is, however, a rumour

about him that while he was staying over here he met a young European

lady whom he liked very much. He did not propose to her but for one

reason, and that was because he was afraid she might feel unhappy when

taken to Japan for the reason I have just mentioned, in addition to the

fact that he was a naval officer, in consequence of which he would have

to leave her to herself more than ordinary married women--and that in a

country to which she was a stranger in many things!'

--'But your success in the war will make your countrymen very popular

among young ladies,' interposed another laughingly.

--'I have no fear. Western young ladies are cautious enough. But,

nevertheless, there is a slight danger of the name of Japan being taken

advantage of. I heard a story only the other day that in California some

Chinese cut off their plaits and dressed in European costumes while they

were staying at an hotel, and were passing themselves off as Japanese.

They were discovered when a real Japanese addressed them in his

language, to which they were unable to reply. I have heard of another

incident which took place in a town in the north of England. A

foreigner, professing himself to be a Japanese, tried to take an

apartment. The landlady, who had had some Japanese lodgers before,

somewhat suspected the nationality of the man from his way of bargaining

for the rent. She asked a Japanese to call in on her, and the foreigner

was soon discovered to be a European whose nationality belonged to a

country where the climate is very hot, and whose complexion alone bore

resemblance to the Japanese.'

--'What is the Japanese climate like?' asked another.

--'Well, that is a question I am asked so often. You see Japan is a

long, narrow country running from north to south-west; therefore, if you

take the northern and southern extremities, there is much difference of

climate, but as to Japan proper, that is to say, the middle part, the

climate does not much differ from yours. The latitude there is much

lower than England or France. The latitude of London is fifty-one

degrees, one minute north; that of Paris, forty-eight degrees, fifty

minutes north; whilst that of Yokohama, which is the port of Tokio, and

about twenty miles south of the latter, is thirty-five degrees,

twenty-six minutes; and, therefore, people taking an analogy from Egypt

or Algeria often wrongly imagine that Japan is a tropical land, but it

is not so. We have our seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, at

the same time as you. We have snow, frost, even hailstones, much similar

to you. We have occasional rain and showers also, as you have, or

perhaps a little more frequent. We have a rainy season in June, although

we do not have so much fog as in England. The weather is generally fine;

our summer lasts longer than yours, and is somewhat hotter, but not so

hot as people generally imagine. Our autumn lasts longer and is finer

than yours, because you seem to jump almost from summer to winter, and

winter to summer. In fact, in Japan, we almost doubt which is the better

season of the year, spring or autumn. In autumn, in many parts of the

country, almost all the foliage, as well as the maples, turn to all

shades of red and scarlet intermingled with yellow. It is the result of

the brilliant sun shining on the frosted leaves--a grand sight, which

you seem not to have in this quarter of the world.'

--'The chrysanthemums are also very fine too, I think,' said another.

--'Yes, but in that respect we cannot now boast so much, as it is

cultivated so extensively in the West, and the blossoms are, as a rule,

much bigger than ours. Everywhere in society nowadays chrysanthemums are

plentifully used for table decorations. Indeed, people say the

introduction of that flower was a great boon to the florists of Europe,

as the chrysanthemum season happens to fall just at a time when the

scarcity of flowers is most felt. There is, however, one difference in

its cultivation between the Occidental and Japanese horticulturists. The

latter strive to keep all the leaves fresh and green from the bottom of

the stalk to the top, which is no easy matter, and do not trouble to

produce very large blossoms, but in the West the size of the flower

appears to be almost the only care, in consequence of which I have seen

almost all the flowers exhibited at shows without any stalk at all. I

may add a word concerning the rain in Japan, especially in Tokio. The

shower is often very heavy, and falls in a slanting direction on account

of a strong wind, which often prevails in Japan; therefore, the roofs of

the buildings have long eaves; even the buildings in European style must

have eaves and windows specially designed, differing from the ordinary

Western architecture, otherwise the rain would soak through. The reason

why the climate of Japan is temperate in comparison with its latitude is

chiefly due to the effects of two great currents, one coming from the

Behring Strait and the other coming from the south, one cold and the

other warm; and between those currents is produced the climate of Japan.

Strangely enough, in Manchuria and the northern parts of China proper,

that is to say, the regions surrounding Pekin, the summer is excessively

hot and the winter extremely cold.'

--'Do you say the climate in every part of Japan proper is pretty much

the same?' asked one.

--'Pretty much, but not exactly. You see Japan proper has a range of

mountains, which divides the country into two parts, one side facing the

Pacific Ocean and the other the Sea of Japan. The former is more bright

and cheerful, and conversely the latter is less bright and less

cheerful. Perhaps, owing to that disadvantage in climate, the Japan Sea

side is less advanced in all respects. Then, again, the development of

Japan seems to have proceeded from west to east, beginning at the

north-western part of Kiusiu, thence along both sides of the Inland Sea,

thence along the Pacific Ocean on toward the Plain of Kwanto, where

Tokio is situated. All travellers can discern this very easily by the

general development of these regions in comparison with other parts of

the country.'

--'Is the summer so hot as to be unbearable?' asked another.

--'I would not say "unbearable," but, of course, it would be far more

comfortable if one went to good summer resorts. There are many places in

Japan suitable for spending the summer, and are visited by a large

number of Occidentals, not only from all parts of Japan, but also from

most of the open ports of the neighbouring countries. For instance,

Karuizawa, where I have a small villa, is over three thousand feet above

sea level, and there nearly one thousand foreigners spend the summer

every year. _Apropos_ to Karuizawa, I may tell you _en passant_ an

incident which occurred there a few years ago. Early one morning I

discovered two foreigners had got into a corner of my garden and were

cutting down branches of my favourite trees; they were not very refined,

and evidently belonged to some irregular mission. On my asking for an

explanation, they told me the branches were for the decoration of the

house of God. They did not know to apologise, but appeared to assume

that they could do anything in the name of their mission. I had to

explain to them that they were doing what they ought not to, and that if

they did the same thing in the grounds of less tolerant people, trouble

might ensue. I then formally gave them the branches already cut down, in

order to exonerate them from any possible infraction of the Ten

Commandments. I mention this incident in order that other people engaged

in similar missions might take it as a warning. But to return to my

subject: well-to-do Japanese also resort to the mountains or to the

seaside places for their summer holidays. For the people in general,

however, spring and autumn are the best seasons of the year. It is then

that countless groups of men and women indulge in innocent picnic

parties to see all sorts of flowers and tinted leaves, and to visit

places of interest, with which the country abounds; indeed, some of the

people who are more æsthetic and poetic often travel great distances

simply for those objects. The fire-flies also are a sight in many parts

of Japan.'

--'I have read some accounts of those excursions,' said one, 'and their

fondness for hanging down from the branches of trees their quaint but

simple and innocent effusions of poetic thought, written on slips of

paper.'

--'But what are the general pastimes of the Japanese gentry at home?'

asked another. 'Are they fond of open-air sports as the English are?'

--'No, I am sorry to say they are not. In England, more than elsewhere,

all sorts of open-air sports have been invented and played, perhaps

owing to the condition of the climate. Mr. Balfour, the Prime Minister,

as everybody knows, is a great golfer. Professor Balfour, his brother,

was a great cricketer. His premature death years ago, by an accident on

the Alps, was lamented very deeply by the scientific world; and I, for

one, grieved much, for he was very kind to me when I went up to

Cambridge, and smoothed my way considerably for the University study.

With us, however, outdoor sports have always been considered childish,

and the rude sports of children have never been improved to suit

grown-up men. In recent years, of course, Western open-air sports, such

as base-ball or lawn tennis, are played by students very widely (at this

moment some Japanese teams of base-ball players have gone to America to

play against the Americans). But older people seldom indulge in that

kind of sport. Billiards also is only of modern introduction.'

--'But surely you must have some kind of pastimes?'

--'Well, we have some, but before entering on that subject I will say a

word about a letter written by an American on kindred subjects. It

caught my eye accidentally in the _Japan Times_. It is rather

interesting and, therefore, I will recite it to you _verbatim_. The

heading of it is "Japan is a queer country."

'Such was the heading of an article in one of our American papers

of recent date. As an example of the country being "queer" the

writer stated among other things that "old men in Japan fly kites

and spin tops, while children look on." Now, I for one have been in

Japan a good while and have seen many flying kites and spinning

tops. Yet I have never had the fortune of seeing the picture

described above. It is easy to conceive how the kind-hearted

Ojiisan might show his little grandson how to fly a kite or to spin

a top while the little fellow looked on, but that is in no way

peculiar to Japan. The same thing might be seen in almost any

country.

'Again the writer says, "Japanese writers use paint brushes, not

pens, and write from bottom to top," in which he has gotten his

ideas more topsy-turvy than the Land of Topsyturvydom itself. And

further, "in Japan there are no lawyers, and Japanese doctors never

make any charges." Comment is unnecessary.

'These are only specimens of much that has for years flooded our

Western newspapers about Japan. Not a great while ago I saw an

article in which it was said that Japanese babies never cried, and

if a dog barked at night he was taken off next day and killed. It

is high time that Western people were beginning to have a few sane

thoughts about Japan, and stop speaking of it as "an Oriental

puzzle, a nation of recluses, a land of fabulous wealth, of

universal licentiousness, or of Edenic purity, the fastness of a

treacherous and fickle crew, a Paradise of guileless children, a

Utopia of artists and poets." Japan has some superficial oddities,

but what country is there that has not? To be a bit humorous, if

people wish to say ludicrous things about Japan, it may not be so

bad, but to put such things out as sober truth makes a false

impression and does the people an injustice.

'Imagine a Japanese going to America, for example, and writing back

something like this: "America is a queer country. The people clothe

themselves with the hair and skins of animals. They fasten their

clothing on by means of little knobs hung in holes; the women go

about with the arms and upper part of the body nude. Owing to the

peculiar make of their shoes, they all walk on tiptoe. The people

eat dead pigs, and drink a white, thick fluid called chichi, which

they squeeze out of the body of a large animal. When eating they

stick long iron instruments in their mouths. When moving about they

are obliged constantly to set one foot out in front in order to

keep from falling on their noses. Sometimes when there is a company

of them together they open their mouths very wide at each other,

utter loud, inarticulate cries, and jump about in a very curious

manner, shaking from head to foot."

'Now what would the Japanese people think of such a story, and what

kind of impression would they get of the American people? But this

is a fair specimen of the style in which many have written about

this country. We cannot quite speak of it as lying, yet it amounts

to the same in that it deceives and makes a false impression. The

people of Japan are much the same as the world at large.

'And finally, what is true of the customs of Japan is also true of

the Japanese language. A Westerner, for instance, will poke fun at

the expression, "For the first time, I hang upon your honourable

eyes," and perhaps with the next breath say, "I knew him as soon as

I laid eyes on him." Literally speaking it is hard to tell which is

the more "okashii" (ridiculous), to hang upon the honourable eyes

of another, or to lay your eyes on somebody else. Or which is

worse, to "stick" to the end of the street in going to your

business, or to "stick to it" when you get there? All languages

must be explained and understood in the light of their idiomatic

use and meaning, otherwise they become idiotic, and in this the

Japanese language is no exception.

'There is one point in that letter to which I must take exception, as is

remarked in the editorial notes, too, but otherwise I quite concur with

the writer. The matter I refer to is that of the kites. On that point

neither the writer of the original article nor the writer of the letter

hit the mark. As a general rule, of course, kites or tops are played

with by children as in the West, but there is one particular method of

flying special kites which is indulged in by grown-up men. It is done in

Nagasaki. The kites are made in a particular shape so that a slight pull

or loosening of the line makes a rapid movement, and if one pulls when

the kite is not in the right position it falls to the ground with

lightning-like rapidity. It requires great skill to manage, and

therefore cannot be done by mere boys. Those kites are well known by the

name of Nagasaki kites. In that town people fly them in a certain season

of the year, making the kites fight one against the other high up in the

air. The method is as follows: A certain portion of the line is gummed

over with a mixture containing fine particles of glass, so that it would

cut another line which might come in contact with it. A skilful flier

manages his kite in such a way that his line will cut the line of others

without hurting his own, and, therefore, during the competition all the

kites are making rapid movements to and fro high up in the air. In

recent years Nagasaki men, a large number of whom are residents in

Tokio, have instituted a display of kite-flying of their method. The

performance takes place on a certain day in spring in a suburban park of

the capital.

'But to return to the subject of the pastimes of the Japanese gentry in

general. Some are fond of handling Kakemono. Some are fond of collecting

old curios. There are, therefore, a far greater number of curiosity

shops in Japan than in any other country. Some are fond of performing

orthodox tea ceremonies, but by far the greater number are fond of

playing at the game of "go," and "Japanese chess."'

--'What are they like?'

'"Go" is a game which you have not in the West. Our chess is different

from yours, but the principle is similar. With us "go" is considered

more refined than chess, and in consequence "go" is more generally

played by the upper classes, and chess by the lower classes. In such

games, ours seem to be more scientific and complicated than those in the

West. I do not like to appear to boast of our own "things," but my

conviction, founded on fact, enforces me to tell the truth.

'I will begin with "chess." In all parts of the world the game of chess

exists in some form or other. They must have descended from a common

origin: we profess to have derived our game from China. It seems there

have been several kinds of chess in China. In Japan also there were

three kinds in earlier days--the great, the middle, and the ordinary.

The last is the one which has survived and has become a national game.

Many improvements have been made since its introduction into Japan, so

that it now differs considerably from that of China. We all know of

improvements which have been made on the Western guns and rifles,

because they belong to our own day: but we do not know when and by whom

the improvements in chess were made. It is said, until some hundred

years ago, there was an extra piece on either side called the "drunken

elephant," having almost omnipotent power--I suppose something like your

"queen." The experts of that time agreed that the problems of the game

would become much more interesting without that particular piece,

because its omnipotency overshadowed the action of other figures, and it

was accordingly abolished by Imperial sanction. We consider our game

more scientific and complicated than any other of the kind. A single

fact will go far to demonstrate my assertion. Bring together at random a

number of ordinary Japanese chess players and the same number of

ordinary European players. Let the movements of the "men" of the

European chess be shown to the Japanese, and let the Europeans and the

Japanese play the European chess, you may be sure that after the second

game, the Japanese will be on the winning side. When I was staying at

Munich over twenty years ago, I learned the European moves from a lad

living in the next flat; after the second game I won continually, and

the lad gave up in despair. Mind, I am not at all a good player as I

play rarely, and, when I do play, I prefer to play "go." On the way to

Europe last year, I played European chess on board the mail steamer,

learning again the movements of the figures, which I had not practised

since my Munich days. After one or two games, I became one of the best

players among the passengers. This was not the case with me only, for

there were several other Japanese on board, and they also became

excellent players. The same is the experience of all the Japanese

travellers.'

--'What is the reason of that?' asked one of those present.

--'Because ours is much more complicated than yours. The only danger we

have to watch against when we play your game is to be caught in an

unguarded moment by a movement which is foreign to us. I mean, for

instance, your knights move sidewards or backwards, and we are often

caught by it, because our knights move only forwards.'

--'But what do you mean by saying, your chess being more complicated?'

asked another.

--'I will only outline the reason, for it is impossible to demonstrate

it in the short space of a _Summer Dream_.'

--'What!'

--'Well, I mean to say that it would take a long time were I to describe

it in detail, but listen: In the first place, the squares of our boards

are nine by nine, therefore there are seventeen more squares than yours:

the number of our men are twenty in all on each side, two rows of nine

each, and two extra, and, therefore, four more men than yours on each

side. Then, again, in your game, when you take one of your opponent's

pieces, you put it aside and never make any use of it except under one

particular circumstance, which I need not describe. With ours, however,

either side of the players can make use of any of the captured pieces of

his opponent and add them to his own men, at any time and place, and

under any circumstance, provided that he brings them on to the board,

one at a time, in his turn of move.'

--'But how can you make any distinction between your own men and those

of your opponent, if you put down the opponent's men as your own?' said

another.

'Well, we have no difference of colour between friends and foes and our

men are made flat _ab initio_, and are laid on the squares with their

heads turned towards the enemy, so that one can easily distinguish

friends from foes by the position in which they are placed.'

--'How can you turn the head towards the enemy?' asked one.

--'By the head, I do not mean the head and tail you use when tossing.

Our men are made in such a way that one of the four sides has a

projected part; and that side is the head. In other words, the head does

not mean the flat surface, but rather one of the sides of a flat object.

Call it the top, if you prefer.'

--'I see,' said one.

--'The methods of making use of the captured men makes the whole play

much more intricate. As a rule, of course, if you take a man of your

opponent, possessing greater power, it is better than taking one

possessing less power, but this does not always follow, because

according to the vicissitudes of the game a man which has less power may

be utilised for some particular purpose to greater advantage than one of

greater power. This is the point in which our chess has far more

interest than yours. Then, again, in your chess one does not seek so

much to take a man of one's opponent as one does in our chess, because

with yours mere exchange of men is to be avoided as it does not affect

the relative force of either side, but with ours one often plays in such

a way as to capture a piece or two, even more, even though he loses

similar or identical men of his own, in the same process, because by the

cleverer use of the captured men a better issue can often be obtained.

Another peculiarity of our game is that, when a piece gets into the

third row, or beyond, of the squares on the opponent's side, the player

has the option of changing its power in certain ways. This is another

source of interest. But remember, this method differs from one which is

employed in your chess when a pawn gets into the last row of the squares

on the opponent's side. As a consequence of all this, you can easily see

that there cannot be such a result as a drawn game in our chess.'

--'Can you describe the kind of men and the moves of your chess?' asked

one.

--'Oh, that would take too much time; but I will tell you an incident

connected with it. After a dinner party in England, I had some talk on

the subject with a bishop, who happened to be present. He asked me what

our "castles" (_tours_) were like. I answered we had no castle, because

we did not believe a castle could move about on land. We call our

corresponding figures "light chariots," or, more commonly, "lances." He

next asked me what our queen was like. I answered, we have no queen,

because we do not believe in the advisability of making a queen work

hard, not only harder than the king, but than all other subjects. You

may call it "keeping a woman in seclusion," but we think it respect and

consideration for the fair sex not to expose them to such a task as

fighting. We have two generals, between whom the power of your queen is

divided. One is called "diagonal dasher," and the other "flying

chariot." He then asked me what our bishops were like. I answered, we

have no bishop, because we do not consider it good taste to make a

venerable bishop fight a sanguinary battle, besides, the same moves with

which your "bishops" are empowered are bestowed on our "diagonal

dasher."'

--'You fabricate the story,' said one.

--'Not at all,' I answered. 'It was a true and genuine incident. In

fact, I do not think the names of most of your "men" very commendable.'

--'Well, then, what are your names, and how do you arrange the position

of the men at the commencement?' said another.

--'We place the king in the centre of the last row. We can do so

because our squares are nine and not eight, as yours. On each side of

the king we have the gold general, silver general, knight, and lancer

respectively. On the second square of the second row from the left we

have the diagonal dasher; and in the second square from the right in the

same row we have the flying chariot. The third row is allotted to the

pawns, which we call foot-soldiers,--the same signification as yours.

Thus you can see the starting position is entirely identical on both

sides, which is not the case with yours, because your squares being

eight, you cannot place the king in the very centre of the row.'

--'But how do you manage when a weaker hand plays with a stronger hand?'

interposed another.

--'Well, in that case, the stronger hand takes off one or more men from

the board at the beginning, just as you do, and thus equalises the

relative strength.'

--'What is "go"?'

--'It is a game which you have not, and, therefore, it is rather

difficult to describe, and it would not interest you much, if I

described it, because I could make no comparison. When I was in England

before, now many years ago, some people played a childish game called

"go-bang." The board and the pieces used are the same as our "go,"

though those I have seen in Europe are very simple and cheaply made. In

Japan they are rather expensive. The materials both of the board and

pieces are generally choice kinds of wood, and rare black stone and

shells, which make them expensive,--in fact, some people regard them as

an ornament for the room. The game, which is the same as your "go-bang,"

is also played by the name of "gomoku narabe," that is, placing five

pieces in a row. We call the board for "go" "go-ban," which literally

means the board for "go," and from that I conclude that your game of

"go-bang" came from Japan, only you have misapplied the appellation of

the board to the game. In Japan, it goes without saying, that game is

only fit for boys and girls, though occasionally some people show, even

in that game, great scientific skill. Unlike chess, the pieces of "go"

are placed on the top of the cross, and the end of the lines which mark

the board into squares. There are nineteen by nineteen of such spots,

and, therefore, there are three hundred and sixty-one black and white

pieces altogether, though in practice, the more skilful the players the

less the actual number of pieces used. From the simple fact of the

pieces being white and black, and having no difference of value, casual

observers might think the game of "go" does not possess so much interest

and variation as chess, but according to the opinion generally accepted,

there is much more in "go" than in "chess," though some who are more

partial to chess profess that there is a little more in chess than in

"go." At all events, there are more people who understand chess than

"go," because the latter is more difficult to learn. "Go" has also been

introduced to us from China in the earlier days of intercourse, more

than ten centuries ago, but no one knows the exact history of its

introduction. In Japan the game has undergone many changes. It is known

that the board used in China in ancient times contained a less number of

squares, but I am not sure if it had already the present number when

first introduced into Japan. It seems the present number of the squares

is most productive of all sorts of problems. In ancient times in China,

the black pieces were offered to the person who held a better social

position than the other, or to the stronger hand in case of a match

between those of equal position. This was so in the earlier stage of the

game in Japan, but later the white pieces came to be used uniformly by

the better player. The methods of starting, and the rules for equalising

the relative strength of the players at the beginning, and for counting,

have all undergone improvements. For three centuries there existed an

academy for "go," and also for "chess," under the superintendence of the

best players of the empire, who received certain annuities and personal

distinction from the central government in order to maintain the

interest in the games. Indeed, diplomas of different degrees were given

to champions, according to their deserts. The ceremony of the

competition by the best players was annually performed in the castle of

the Shogun. From this you can well imagine that we have had better

players in those games than in the country whence they were originally

derived. Great geniuses were occasionally produced. Since the

inauguration of the present Government, these institutions have

disappeared (though they still exist as private institutions), and the

positions of the best players, whatever their genius, are no longer

lucrative nor distinguished. I am not, therefore, sure if we can keep up

our former standard of skill. In all the games I have seen and heard of,

there is none which has so many degrees of skill as the game of "go."'

--'Are there no more games of a similar nature?'

--'There are several more, but mostly childish, and played by young

girls or children at certain seasons of the year, such as "poem cards."'

--'What is that?'

'The Japanese name for "poem cards" is _Uta-Karuta_. Strangely enough,

the term "Karuta" is not Japanese. It is of European derivation, being

the same as the word "Carta" (card in modern English). There had existed

poem shells before poem cards came into use. One half of a short poem

was written inside one half of a shell, and the other half of the poem

inside the other half, there being usually one hundred shells with

different poems written in them. The game was to find the one half of

the shell which belonged to the other. The shells were often richly

decorated, as one may see from the remnants of old ones. A little more

than three hundred years ago, when the Island of Hirado was the trading

port for Dutch and English vessels, the European traders brought with

them their cards with which they were in the habit of playing. The

Japanese who happened to see them seem to have thought that the shape of

those cards had some novelty and were more simple than their shells.

They, therefore, substituted cards for shells, and hence the original

name "Carta" came to be used by us. I will now explain the game of "poem

cards"; it is played at the time of the New Year, generally by young

girls. There are two sets of cards. One half of short poems is written

each separately on one set, and the other half is written in the same

manner on the other set as at poem shells. One set is either thrown in

the middle of the players or dealt out in equal numbers. While one

person is reading the first part of a poem, each of the players picks up

a card on which the other half of the same poem is written, or turns it

upside down, when the numbers are equally divided, as the case may be.

In the one method, whoever has picked up the most is the winner. In the

other, if one were slow in turning over her card and it were picked up

by another of the party, she would have as penalty a card from the one

who had picked hers up. Thus the one who has turned all her cards upside

down first would be the first winner, and one who has any cards left

unturned at the end, is the last loser.'

--'Surely you must have some kinds of cards played more seriously,' said

one.

--'We have another game called "flower cards."'

--'What's that like?'

--'Well, the flower cards is a more difficult and serious game. In

times gone by no game of cards having any resemblance to gambling was

played among the gentry; moral discipline forbade such. Since the

introduction of European ideas, the rigidity of discipline has somewhat

slackened and cards are now played to some extent. Nevertheless, people

do not consider card-playing good taste. If they play they do so with

some diffidence, somewhat in a similar way as smoking is done by ladies

in European society nowadays. The "flower-cards" is a game thus played;

our name of it is _Hana-karuta_. The term "Karuta" is, as I said before,

of European derivation. The principle is taken from your cards, but so

altered and improved, that scarcely any similarity can be detected in

its present form. To begin with: the pictures represented on your whist

cards appear to us rather incongruous and vulgar; ours are more poetical

and consistent. With ours some significant objects of each month, mostly

flowers, such as the blossom of the cherry and plum, the iris, wisteria,

and peonies, are represented, variegated by birds, the moon, or falling

rain. There are four cards for each month, and, therefore, the number of

the cards is forty-eight in all. There is a different value assigned to

each card. Naturally there are several methods of playing the cards, as

is the case with your whist cards, but the method which is used most is

very intricate and interesting. I do not care for playing at cards, but

I know the methods. I am also acquainted with various European games

from whist to bridge as far as the methods are concerned, but none of

them equal in intricacy and variation our game of "flower cards," though

there is a certain resemblance between flower cards and bridge. But

please, I repeat, do not think I am saying all this from any sense of

vanity, because such a thing is scarcely worth boasting of; I am merely

stating a fact as I see it.'

--'What is, then, the method of playing?'

--'Well, to describe it in full would require at least a pamphlet, but

I will give you an outline of the game. The proper number of players

engaged at one time is three; the game can be played by two, but it is

as slow as playing dummy whist. The advantage of our game lies in that a

party could consist of up to six players. The limits of the players

engaged at a time, as I have just said, is three, and therefore the

number exceeding three is obliged to stand out for one game, namely, for

the play of one deal. But no particular person is obliged to stand out,

so that one must either be bought off or allowed to play by the

resignation of any other player, unless he himself prefers to stand out.

This takes place after the cards have been dealt. Here, therefore, comes

in much consideration and often "bluff." Naturally, each one plays for

himself and for his own advantage, therefore there is no partnership as

in whist; and yet in the course of playing one has often to form a sort

of alliance for a moment with a second player in order to prevent the

common calamity against the probable stratagem of the third player. I

may also add, that as each one plays on his own account, he has the

option of standing out for one game, as I have already indicated, in

which case, however, he has to pay a certain penalty. Should all players

but two thus stand out, those remaining two would play the game. One

deal sometimes finishes without any play at all, when all the players

but one throw up their hands and pay penalty rather than play with bad

cards, in which case, of course, the penalties go to the one who

remains. The penalty paid varies according to the relative positions of

the payers to the dealer, as well as the kinds of the six cards which

are thrown out on the table at the beginning of the game, and therefore

paying penalty and standing out from the play for one game requires much

consideration. The prices for buying up the surplus number of the

players also differ according to the six cards on the table and to the

cards the seller holds. Similar to bridge, certain rewards are given to

the player who holds certain sets of cards and also to the player who

gets in certain sets of cards. It is the latter point which requires, as

is natural, the greatest skill, inasmuch as one who aims at getting in

one such set loses much when he fails, and it often happens that while

he is striving to get in a certain set, another player gets in a far

better set; therefore one has often to sacrifice his own chance in order

to hinder an opponent. Twelve games make a rubber. The method of

counting the issue is as follows: Each player must have in his hand in

the case of quit one hundred and twenty points at the end of the rubber,

and therefore it would seem that each receives one hundred and twenty

points in counters at the beginning, but, as a matter of fact, he only

receives seventy-two points or sixty, as the players agree upon. The

counting in this game generally goes by dozens, though odd numbers also

come in. Thus counters are made of two kinds, one is a dozen points and

the other single points. The balance between the points which one

actually receives when starting and ten dozens which he has to make good

in his hand at the end of the rubber goes to the person who is the

greatest winner of the rubber, and therefore the more players, the

greater the rewards for the winner of the rubber. Of course it is most

difficult to play in such a way as just to quit oneself, because there

are so many tricks, and one often has to float a loan in the course of

the game, or in other words, to borrow a requisite number of counters

from the banker, which must be repaid at the end of the rubber.

'The "rain" cards are another source of fluctuation in the game, because

every one of them, whatever value it possess, may be counted as a single

point card somewhat similar to what you sometimes do with your aces. I

almost think the invention of your bridge is in some way based upon our

flower cards.'

--'It is dreadful: one could never get a clear idea only by hearing the

explanation. You have, after all, wasted your time in trying to make us

understand, though I asked you for the explanation,' said one cunningly.

'Thank you very much,' I said.

--'You say your social atmosphere in respect of such matters was far

better in times gone by,' said another.

--'I do,' I answered.

'But I hope it will not get worse.'

--'I hope so too,' I said, 'but the influence of Western civilisation is

so overwhelming.'

--'Pierre Loti's description of some of the features of Japanese society

is very fine from a literary point of view, but I understand it is not a

true representation. Is that your opinion too?' interposed another.

--'I have not read it, but from what I have heard, I can decidedly

answer in the affirmative. The main facts therein contained are nothing

else than exaggerated stories of exceptional incidents often practised

by foreigners themselves. Do you think we Japanese could not have the

same experience in the West if we liked? Nay, more: can you say that

similar incidents do not happen in some parts of the West? I don't

expect an answer. I shall be doing greater service to the West by

letting such a delicate subject drop.'

--'Perhaps you may think me a little abrupt,' remarked a gentleman; 'but

may I ask you rather a delicate question? People say that in Japan men

and women bathe together, and talk about it as a sign of immorality. Is

it a fact?'

--'Not exactly,' I answered; 'in public baths, in times gone by, both

sexes bathed together, but you must remember, even in those times, those

who went to public baths were people of the lower classes, for the

better classes always managed to have their own bathroom, and in Japan

houses having such bathrooms are very common. Moreover, even in those

days, there was nothing more indelicate in the matter of public baths

than a sea-bath by both sexes in occidental countries. I should like to

remind those who write about such matters of many customs in their own

countries to which they may be too much accustomed to perceive any

impropriety, but which appear very indelicate to the eyes of strangers.

I may go a step further: we are sometimes even astonished to notice that

the most indelicate performances--such that, if it were in Japan, would

not be permitted by the police to go on two minutes--are given, under

the name of dances or suchlike, and men and women of respectability go

and see them without showing the slightest embarrassment. I confess I

have personally seen some of these performances while visiting out of

curiosity different places of interest. But, in reality, there is no

necessity for me to set up such matters against our former customs of

public baths, because, for several decades, such bathing has been

forbidden, and every public bath has long since had one division for men

and another for women. Those who think that the former custom still

exists are mistaken, and are labouring under a false impression given by

travellers of former days.

'_Apropos_ of a bath, I prefer in a way our system, be it public or

private, to the ordinary Western method. With our system, a large space

of the floor of the bathroom is made either of wood or concrete, in such

a way that water may be poured on to it. There is, besides the main

bath, also a small tank containing fresh cold and warm water in separate

sections, so that one who bathes can make free use of the water, warm or

cold, both before getting into the bath and before dressing.'

--'I think, on the whole, I like your country,' said another. 'It seems

very different from what many people have represented it hitherto, but

you have not yet given us a comprehensive survey of your people, in

respect to social and moral organisation.'

--'I think I have done so often,' said I; 'but if you do not object, I

will do so once more by repeating to you the exact words of an interview

which I gave to a representative of the London press:

'"You remember the story of George Washington and the cherry tree?"

said Baron Suyematsu, with a smile, to our representative. "Well,

that is very often told to the children in the Japanese schools."

'The distinguished Japanese statesman, who is at present in London,

was explaining how the moral virtues, and especially patriotism and

bravery in battle, are not merely considered desirable things in

Japan, but are actively propagated in the schools and in the army.

For, as Mr. Lyttelton, the Colonial Secretary, remarked to an

audience last week, they teach patriotism in Japan.

'"You see, there is no religious teaching in the public schools in

Japan," said Baron Suyematsu; "but the teaching of morality

occupies an important place in the curriculum. From the Western

point of view it may seem difficult to teach morality without

connecting it with religion, but we do it!"

'This patriotic bravery, as one of the virtues, comes into the

code. The teaching is based upon the Confucian ethics, and the

"cleanness of conscience" which is the essence of Shintoism, the

national religion of Japan.

'THE CODE OF HONOUR.

'"Then there is Bushido," said the baron, "which may be called the

code of honour of Japanese knighthood. This Bushido had a tight

grasp of the military class, which consisted of the retainers of

feudal lords, who had not to work for their daily bread. These

retainers were not rich, but they had something to live upon, and

frugality was one of their virtues. Their only business was to do

their duty to their lords, which meant in time of war to fight for

them. But as for more than two centuries and a half the country had

been at peace, and as the military class had no fields of ordinary

occupation, they naturally gave their energies to intellectual

pursuits side by side with military training. In a word, their

business was to make themselves as much gentlemen as possible. Thus

grew up a code of honour which was primarily founded upon military

duty alone, but which later on was extended to the acquirement of

gentlemanly conduct, and then to be a true gentleman, and loyal to

their lords.

'"After the opening of our country to other nations, there was a

time when we seemed to lose the guiding influence of our old

morals, for Confucianism lost its influence to some extent, and

intercourse with strangers gave some shock to our old morality, and

led our people to imagine that freedom from restraint and

obligation was the characteristic of European ideals.

'"It was at this juncture that the emperor issued an edict defining

our ideal of morality. In accordance with his edict, the curriculum

of the schools includes the teaching of morality, and the moral

virtues are explained and expatiated upon in lectures and

discourses. The teachers introduce sayings and maxims of great men

of all nations.

'WASHINGTON AND _SELF-HELP_.

'"As I have told you, the story of George Washington is often

quoted. Smiles's _Self-Help_ is often used, and I have no doubt

Nelson's signal at Trafalgar. The principal examples are naturally

the great heroes of our own country who served the emperor and

Japan. In that way both boys and girls are imbued with the moral

virtues, among which loyalty and patriotism are prominent.

'"But this teaching is not limited to the schools. It is carried on

in the barracks in the form of what we call 'spiritual education.'

The aim is to make men capable of appreciating their duties as

soldiers. This barrack teaching is in accordance with an edict

issued by the emperor when universal military service was

introduced, and it is based upon the moral virtues. We have no

chaplains. The teaching is undertaken by the officers themselves as

part of their regular duty, and they deliver exhortations in the

barrack-rooms.

'"But you must know that, man for man, Europeans recognise that

Japanese are superior to Russians, and I am not surprised that that

is said. In Japan education is universal, and there is scarcely a

soldier who cannot read and write, or who has not had some kind of

education. For that reason they ought to be intellectually superior

to the Russians. And as we have universal service, all sorts of

people are found in the ranks, without distinction of social

position or vocation. In the barracks you find the son of a

nobleman and the son of a coolie, and there is no aloofness between

them. That makes the company so efficient.

'MILITARY TRAINING FOR BOYS.

'"In the schools we not only have the national flag, but the boys

are drilled in military manner. If the municipality can afford it,

real arms are used in the higher grade schools. In the peers'

school and many others they have regular firing manœuvres.

'"It is not generally known, I suppose, that I was once an English

volunteer?" said Baron Suyematsu, with a laugh at the recollection.

"That was when I was at Cambridge. I joined the University Rifles."

'As to Chinese soldiers, the baron said that the moral teaching of

the Japanese army constituted one of the great differences between

them. Then he pointed out that in China soldiers are rightly looked

down upon, for they are recruited only from the worst classes, and

respectable men will not enter the ranks.

'Baron Suyematsu does not approve of the efforts of the Christian

missionaries to discourage the national custom of committing

suicide rather than be captured in battle, for he thinks the effect

would be to lower the soldiers' high ideal of patriotism and

courage.

'"There is all the difference," he said, "between wanton suicide

and voluntarily sacrificing one's life for the honour of the

nation. Our ideal is to die for one's country rather than bring

upon her the disgrace of being taken by the enemy. What can be

nobler than that? It is the same as being killed by the enemy. And

the missionaries are trying to teach our soldiers that it is wrong.

It is a great pity."'

--'But that only covers one phase, the method of your education,' said

one.

--'True, but it covers a good deal!' I said. 'Do you think I can write a

big book on Japan at a moment's notice?'

--'Well, I will leave you alone then,' said he.

--'Every one of the Russian soldiers who returned wounded from the

battlefield, when asked the cause of their defeat, said that the

Russians were defeated because the Japanese soldiers were great scholars

compared to themselves. I have it on good authority,' interposed

another.

--'Perhaps it looked like that to them,' I answered.