Third Millenniun Library
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Third Millenniun Library |
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A HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE PEOPLE
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE END OF THE MEIJI ERA
BY
CAPT. F. BRINKLEY
I. The Historiographer's Art in Old Japan
III. Japanese Mythology (Continued)
V. Origin of the Japanese Nation: Historical Evidences VI.
VII.
VIII. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN REMOTE ANTIQUITY IX.
It is trite to remark that if you wish to know really any people, it is
necessary to have a thorough knowledge of their history, including their
mythology, legends and folklore: customs, habits and traits of character, which
to a superficial observer of a different nationality or race may seem odd and
strange, sometimes even utterly subversive of ordinary ideas of morality, but
which can be explained and will appear quite reasonable when they are traced
back to their origin. The sudden rise of the Japanese nation from an
insignificant position to a foremost rank in the comity of nations has startled
the world. Except in the case of very few who had studied us intimately, we
were a people but little raised above barbarism trying to imitate Western
civilization without any capacity for really assimilating or adapting it. At
first, it was supposed that we had somehow undergone a sudden transformation,
but it was gradually perceived that such could not be and was not the case;
and a crop of books on Japan and the Japanese, deep and superficial, serious
and fantastic, interesting and otherwise, has been put forth for the benefit of
those who were curious to know the reason of this strange phenomenon. But among
so many books, there has not yet been, so far as I know, a history of Japan,
although a study of its history was most essential for the proper understanding
of many of the problems relating to the Japanese people, such as the relation
of the Imperial dynasty to the people, the family system, the position of
Buddhism, the influence of the Chinese philosophy, etc. A history of Japan of
moderate size has indeed long been a desideratum; that it was not forthcoming
was no doubt due to the want of a proper person to undertake such a work. Now
just the right man has been found in the author of the present work, who, an
Englishman by birth, is almost Japanese in his understanding of, and sympathy
with, the Japanese people. It would indeed be difficult to find anyone better
fitted for the task—by no means an easy one—of presenting the general features
of Japanese history to Western readers, in a compact and intelligible form, and
at the same time in general harmony with the Japanese feeling. The Western
public and Japan are alike to be congratulated on the production of the present
work. I may say this without any fear of reproach for self-praise, for although
my name is mentioned in the title-page, my share is very slight, consisting
merely in general advice and in a few suggestions on some special points.
Dairoku Kiktjchi. Kyoto, 1912.
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