PAGE JAPAN BEFORE THE FIFTH CENTURY 10 JAPAN 61 NORTHERN JAPAN 85 SOUTHERN JAPAN 99 KOREA 117 CENTRAL JAPAN 124 JAPANESE PORTS OPENED TO FOREIGN TRADE. 1858 159 DOWNFALL OF THE EDO GOVERNMENT. 1867-1868 168 THE INSURRECTION IN THE ISLAND OF KIUSHŪ. 1877 181 ISLAND POSSESSIONS OF JAPAN 193 FIRST ENGAGEMENTS OF CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 1894 261 CAMPAIGNS IN KOREA AND MANCHURIA 268 WEI-HAI-WEI, FORMOSA, AND PESCADORES 270 FOREIGN SPHERES OF INFLUENCE IN CHINA AND MANCHURIA 278 JAPANESE ADVANCE TO LIAO-YANG 309 BATTLE OF THE SEA OF JAPAN, RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR 315 PART I FROM THE FOUNDING OF THE EMPIRE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FEUDAL RÉGIME. 660 B. C.-1186 A. D. HISTORY OF JAPAN Chapter I THE MYTHICAL AGE The period prior to the reign of the Emperor Jimmu is known as the Age of the Deities. From this era strange and incredible legends have been transmitted, some of which follow. Tradition says that in remote times the deities Izanagi and Izanami were commanded by the God of Heaven to form a country out of the islets floating in space. They forthwith descended to the island Onokoro, and there, becoming husband and wife, created the Eight Great Islands of Japan. Thereafter were created deities to rule the sea, the mountains, the winds, fire, herbs, and trees. Subsequently the divine pair gave birth to the goddess Amaterasu-Ōmikami and the gods Tsukiyomi and Susanoö. These newly-born divine beings proving themselves greatly superior to other deities, found high favor with Izanagi. He commissioned Amaterasu to govern Takama-no-hara, or the Heavenly Region; Tsukiyomi to govern Yo-no-osukuni, or the Land of Night; and Susanoö to govern Unabara, or the Seas. But this last deity proving unfaithful to his father's commands, Izanagi, in anger, expelled him from his kingdom, whereupon he ascended to the Heavenly Region to convey to his sister the news of his misfortune. The fierce and enraged demeanor of the dethroned deity led his sister to imagine that he had come with aggressive intentions, and she hesitated to receive him. But Susanoö vehemently declared the integrity of his purpose and succeeded in partially reassuring the goddess. Nevertheless, his behavior was so disorderly that Amaterasu, becoming fearful, secluded herself in a cave, with the result that total darkness overshadowed her realm and troubles of various sorts ensued.