A Fantasy of Far Japan; Or, Summer Dream DialoguesSuematsu, Kencho
Philosophy
A Fantasy of Far Japan; Or, Summer Dream Dialogues
Suematsu, Kencho
Japan -- Civilization
'I could mention several more books, but I might weary you. The names I
have just cited are, in Japan, no less household words than Voltaire or
Rousseau in France, and Johnson or Goldsmith in England. Satow, Aston,
Chamberlain, or Brinkley might not have had time enough to touch upon
the Bushido, but if one says that because they have not touched upon it
there is no such thing as Bushido in Japan, it is tantamount to saying
that there is no such thing as a diamond in South Africa because some
travellers have not mentioned it in their diaries.'
--'You appear always to be making use of the names Bushi and Samurai
indiscriminately. No doubt they signify one and the same category of
people. But what is the difference?'
--'You are right in raising that question. The term Samurai is a pure
and simple Japanese word, derived from a verb meaning "to wait" or "to
serve." In ancient times military men on guard at the Imperial palace
were called by that name; but when one wished to make the appellation
more concise and appear more scholastic, the term Bushi was used. The
Chinese character Shi is uniformly translated in Japanese as Samurai,
but one preferred to employ the term Bushi more commonly because it gave
more prominence to the military calling. At first the guards were
recruited from ordinary people, but in course of time the recruiting
became hereditary in certain families. They also began gradually to form
a sort of class in different provinces, having their leaders, and at
last formed a regular class of military men. Those men were universally
called Bushi, and their families, when collectively spoken of, were
called _Buke_ namely, "Houses of Bu."'
--'I understand. But what is the difference between Daimio and Samurai?'
--'A Daimio is the lord under whom the Samurai served. There were nearly
three hundred feudal lords of different standing in Japan. And the
number of them therefore, when spoken of roughly, was called "three
hundred." In the broad signification the lords were also included in the
category of Samurai. In a popular drama, in which a child lord is
represented as being in want of food on account of an intrigue, he
pathetically says, "A Samurai does not feel hungry even with an empty
stomach." Feudal lords belonged to the category of Buke, in
contradistinction to _Kuge_, namely, noble families attached direct to
the Imperial courts. At present, of course, there is no such
distinction, all former feudal lords and court nobles form the Japanese
nobility as one class.'
--'I see, it is quite plain,' said the duke. 'The reviewer appears to
have some knowledge of Japan, but judging from what I have just heard
from you, I am more convinced than ever of the saying that "a little
knowledge is a dangerous thing." One is apt to commit errors on account
of such knowledge, especially if he has any feeling of spite and tries
to find fault with others. It amuses me all the more, because he further
says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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