the court of the emperor was, in the early ages of japan, the centre of whatever culture and refinement the country could boast, and the emperors themselves took an active part in the promotion of civilization. the earliest history of japan is so wrapped in the mists of legend and tradition that only here and there do we get glimpses of heroic figures,—leaders in those early days. demigods they seem, children of heaven, receiving from heaven by special revelation the wisdom or strength by means of which they conquered their enemies, or gave to their subjects new arts and better laws. the traditional emperors, the early descendants of the great jimmu tenno,[25] seem to have been merely conquering [139]chieftains, who by virtue of their descent were regarded as divine, but who lived the simple, hardy life of the savage king, surrounded by wives and concubines, done homage to by armed retainers and subject chiefs, but living in rude huts, and moving in and out among the soldiers, not in the least retired into the mysterious solitude which in later days enveloped the son of the gods. the first emperors ruled not only by divine right, but by personal force and valor; and the stories of the valiant deeds of these early rulers kept strong the faith of the people in the divine qualities of the imperial house during the hundreds of years when the emperor was a mere puppet in the hands of ambitious and powerful nobles.
towards the end of this legendary period, a figure comes into view that for heroic qualities cannot be excelled in the annals of any nation,—jingo kogo, the conqueror[140] of corea, who alone, among the nine female rulers of japan, has made an era in the national history. she seems to have been from the beginning, like jeanne d'arc, a hearer of divine voices; and through her was conveyed to her unbelieving husband a divine command, to take ship and sail westward to the conquest of an unknown land. her husband questioned the authenticity of the message, took the earthly and practical view that, as there was no land to be seen in the westward, there could be no land there, and refused to organize any expedition in fulfillment of the command; but for his unbelief was sternly told that he should never see the land, but that his wife should conquer it for the son whom she should bear after the father's death. this message from the gods was fulfilled. the emperor died in battle shortly after, and the empress, after suppressing the rebellion in which her husband had been killed, proceeded to organize an expedition for the conquest of the unknown land beyond the western sea. by as many signs as those required by gideon to assure himself of his divine mission, the empress tested the call that had come to her, but at last, satisfied[141] that the voices were from heaven, she gave her orders for the collection of troops and the building of a navy. i quote from griffis the inspiring words with which she addressed her generals: "the safety or destruction of our country depends upon this enterprise. i intrust the details to you. it will be your fault if they are not carried out. i am a woman and young. i shall disguise myself as a man, and undertake this gallant expedition, trusting to the gods and to my troops and captains. we shall acquire a wealthy country. the glory is yours, if we succeed; if we fail, the guilt and disgrace shall be mine." what wonder that her captains responded to such an appeal, and that the work of recruiting and shipbuilding began with a will! it was a long preparation that was required—sometimes, to the impatient woman, it seemed unnecessarily slow—but by continual prayer and offerings she appealed to the gods for aid; and at last all was ready, and the brave array of ships set sail for the unknown shore, the empress feeling within her the new inspiration of hope for her babe as yet unborn. heaven smiled upon them from the start. the clearest of skies, the most[142] favoring of breezes, the smoothest of seas, favored the god-sent expedition; and tradition says that even the fishes swarmed in shoals about their keels, and carried them on to their desired haven. the fleet ran safely across to southern corea, but instead of finding battles and struggles awaiting them, the king of the country met them on the beach to receive and tender allegiance to the invaders, whose unexpected appearance from the unexplored east had led the natives to believe that their gods had forsaken them. the expedition returned laden with vast wealth, not the spoil of battle, but the peaceful tribute of a bloodless victory; and from that time forward japan, through corea, and later by direct contact with china itself, began to receive and assimilate the civilization, arts, and religions of china. thus through a woman japan received the start along the line of progress which made her what she is to-day, for the sequel of jingo kogo's corean expedition was the introduction of almost everything which we regard as peculiar to civilized countries. with characteristic belittling of the woman and exalting of the man, the whole martial career of the[143] empress is ascribed to the influence of her son as yet unborn,—a son who by his valor and prowess has secured for his deified spirit the position of god of war in the japanese pantheon. we should say that pre-natal influences and heredity produced the heroic son; the japanese reason from the other end, and show that all the noble qualities of the mother were produced by the influence of the unborn babe.
with the introduction of literature, art, and buddhism, a change took place in the relations of the court to the people. about the emperor's throne there gathered not only soldiers and governors, but the learned, the accomplished, the witty, the artistic, who found in the emperor and the court nobles munificent patrons by whom they were supported, and before whom they laid whatever pearls they were able to produce. the new culture sought not the clash of arms and the shout of soldiers, but the quiet and refinement of palaces and gardens far removed from the noise and clamor of the world. and while emperors sought to encourage the new learning and civilization, and to soften the warlike qualities of the people about them, there was a frontier[144] along which the savages still made raids into the territory which the japanese had wrested from them, and which it required a strong arm and a quick hand to guard for the defense of the people. but the emperor gradually gave up the personal leadership in war, and passed the duty of defending the nation into the hands of one or another of the great noble families. the nobles were not by any means slow to see the advantage to be gained for themselves by the possession of the military power in an age when might made right, even more than it does to-day, and when force, used judiciously and with proper deference to the prejudices of the people, could be made to give to its possessor power even over the emperor himself. and so gradually, in the pursuit of the new culture and the new religion, the emperors withdrew themselves more and more into seclusion, and the court became a little world in itself,—a centre of culture and refinement into which few excitements of war or politics ever came. while the great nobles wrangled for the possession of the power, schemed and fought and turned the nation upside down; while the heroes of the country [145]rose, lived, fought, and died,—the emperor, amid his ladies and his courtiers, his priests and his literary men, spent his life in a world of his own; thinking more of this pair of bright eyes, that new and charming poem, the other witty saying of those about him, than of the kingdom that he ruled by divine right; and retiring, after ten years or so of puppet kinghood, from the seclusion of his court to the deeper seclusion of some buddhist monastery.
within the sacred precincts of the court, much time was given to such games and pastimes as were not too rude or noisy for the refinement that the new culture brought with it. polo, football, hunting with falcons, archery, etc., were exercises not unworthy of even the most refined of gentlemen, and certain noble families were trained hereditarily in the execution of certain stately, antique dances, many of them of chinese or corean origin. the ladies, in trailing garments and with flowing hair, reaching often below the knees, played a not inconspicuous part, not only because of their beauty and grace, but for their quickness of wit, their learning in the classics,[146] their skill in repartee, and their quaint fancies, which they embodied in poetic form.[26]
much attention was given to that harmony of art with nature that the japanese taste makes the sine qua non of all true artistic effort. the gorgeously embroidered gowns must change with the changing season, so that the cherry succeeds the plum, the wistaria the cherry, and so on through the whole calendar of flowers, upon the silken robes of the court, as regularly as in the garden that graces the palace grounds. and so with the confectionery, which in japan is made in dainty imitation of flowers and fruits. the chrysanthemum blooms in sugar no earlier than[147] on its own stalk; the little golden orange, with its dark green leaves, is on the confectioner's list in winter, when the real orange is yellow on its tree. the very decorations of the palace must be changed with the changing of the months; and kakémono and vase are alternately stored in the kura and brought out to decorate the room, according as their designs seem in harmony with the mood of nature. this effort to harmonize nature and art is seen to-day, not only in the splendid furnishings of the court, but all through the decorative art of japan. in every house the decorations are changed to suit the changing seasons.
through the years when japan was adopting the civilization of china, a danger threatened the nation,—the same danger that threatens it to-day: it was the danger lest the adoption of so much that was foreign should result in a servile copying of all that was not japanese, and lest the introduction of literature, art, and numerous hitherto unknown luxuries should take from the people their independence, patriotism, and manliness. but this result was happily avoided; and at a time when the language was in danger of being swept[148] almost out of existence by the introduction of chinese learning through chinese letters, the women of japan, not only in their homes and conversation, but in the poetry and lighter literature of the country, preserved a strain of pure and graceful japanese, and produced some of the standard works of a distinctly national literature. favor at court to-day, as in the olden times, is the reward, not of mere rank, beauty, and grace of person, but must be obtained through the same intellectual endowments, polished by years of education, that made so many women famous in the medi?val history of japan. many court ladies have read much of their national literature, so that they are able to appreciate the bonmots which contain allusions in many cases to old poems, or plays on words; and are able to write and present to others, at fitting times, those graceful but untranslatable turns of phrase which form the bulk of japanese poetry.[27] even[149] in this busy era of méiji,[28] the emperor and his court keep up the old-time customs, and strive to promote a love of the beautiful poetry of japan. at each new year some subject appropriate to the time is chosen and publicly announced. poems may be written upon this subject by any one in the whole realm, and may be sent to the palace before a certain date fixed as the time for closing the list of competitors. all the poems thus sent are examined by competent judges, who select the best five and send them to the emperor, an honor more desired by the writers than the most favorable of reviews or the largest of emoluments are desired by american poets. many of the other poems are published in the newspapers. it is interesting to note that many of the prominent men and women of the country are known as competitors, and that many of the court ladies join in the contest.
there are also, at the palace, frequent meetings of the poets and lovers of poetry[150] connected with the court. at these meetings poems are composed for the entertainment of the emperor and empress, as well as for the amusement of the poets themselves.
in the school recently established for the daughters of the nobles, under the charge of the imperial household, much attention is given to the work of thoroughly grounding the scholars in the japanese language and literature, and also to making them skillful in the art of composing poetry. at the head of the school, in the highest position held by any woman in the employ of the government, is a former court lady, who is second to none in the kingdom, not only in her knowledge of all that belongs to court etiquette, but in her study of the history and literature of her own people, and in her skill in the composition of these dainty poems. a year or two ago, when one of the scholars in the school died after a brief decline, her schoolmates, teachers, and school friends wrote poems upon her death, which they sent to the bereaved parents.
it is difficult for any japanese, much more so for a foreigner, to penetrate into[151] the seclusion of the palace and see anything of the life there, except what is shown to the public in the occasional entertainments given at court, such as formal receptions and dinner parties. in 1889, the new palace, built on the site of the old tokugawa castle, burnt seventeen years ago, was finally completed; and it was my privilege to see, before the removal of the court, not only the grand reception rooms, throne-room, and dining-room, but also the private apartments of the emperor and empress. the palace is built in japanese style, surrounded by the old castle moats, but there are many foreign additions to the palace and grounds. it is heated and lighted in foreign style, and the larger rooms are all furnished after the magnificent manner of european palaces; while the lacquer work, carvings, and gorgeous paneled ceilings remind one of the finest of japanese temples. the private apartments of the emperor and empress are, on the other hand, most simple, and in thorough japanese style; and though the woodwork and polished floors of the corridors are very beautiful, the paintings and lacquer work most exquisite, [152]there is little in this simplicity to denote the abode of royalty. it seems that their majesties, though outwardly conforming to many european customs, and to the european manner of dress, prefer to live in japanese ways, on matted, not carpeted floors, reposing on them rather than on chairs and bedsteads.[*]
their apartments are not large; each suite consisting of three rooms opening out of each other, the empress's rooms being slightly smaller than the emperor's, and those of the young prince haru, the heir apparent, again a little smaller. the young prince has a residence of his own, and it is only on his visits that he occupies his apartments in his father's palace. there are also rooms for the empress dowager to occupy on her occasional visits. all of these apartments are quite close together in one part of the palace, and are connected by halls; but the private rooms of the court ladies are in an entirely separate place, quite removed, and only connected with the main building by a long, narrow passageway, running through the garden. there, in the rooms assigned to them, each one has her own[153] private establishment, where she stays when she is not on duty in attendance on the emperor and empress. each lady has her own servants, and sometimes a younger sister or a dependent may be living there with her, though they are entirely separate from the court and the life there, and must never be seen in any of the other parts of the building. in these rooms, which are like little homes in themselves, cooking and housekeeping are done, entirely independent of the other parts of the great palace; and the tradesmen find their way through some back gate to these little establishments, supplying them with all the necessaries of life, as well as the luxuries.
a court lady is a personage of distinction, and lives in comparative ease and luxury, with plenty of servants to do all the necessary work. besides her salary, which of course varies with the rank and the duties performed, but is always liberal enough to cover the necessary expenses of dress, the court lady receives many presents from the emperor and empress, which make her position one of much luxury.
the etiquette of the imperial household[154] is very complicated and very strict, though many of the formalities of the olden times have been given up. the court ladies are models of conservatism. in order to be trained for the life there and its duties, they usually enter the court while mere children of ten or eleven, and serve apprenticeship to the older members. in the rigid seclusion of the palace they are strictly, almost severely, brought up, and trained in all the details of court etiquette. cut off from all outside influences while young, the little court maidens are taught to go through an endless round of formalities which they are made to think indispensable. these details of etiquette extend not only to all that concerns the imperial household, but to curious customs among themselves, and in regard to their own habits. many of these ideas have come down from one generation to another, within the narrow limits of the court, so that the life there is a curious world in itself, and very unlike that in ordinary japanese homes.
but among all the ladies of japan to-day,—charming, intellectual, refined, and lovely as many of them are,—there is no[155] one nobler, more accomplished, more beautiful in life and character, than the empress herself. the emperor of japan, though he may have many concubines, may have but one wife, and she must be chosen out of one of the five highest noble families.[29] haru ko, of the noble family of ichijo, became empress in the year 1868, one year after her husband, then a boy of seventeen, had ascended the throne, and the very year of the overthrow of the shogunate,[30] and the restoration of the emperor [156]to actual power and the leading part in the government. reared amid the deep and scholarly seclusion of the old court at kyoto, the young empress found herself occupying a position very different from that for which she had been educated,—a position the duties and responsibilities of which grow more multifarious as the years go by. instead of a life of rigid seclusion, unseeing and unseen, the empress has had to go forth into the world, finding there the pleasures as well as the duties of actual leadership. with the removal of the court to tokyo, and the reappearance of the emperor, in bodily form, before his people, there came new opportunities for the empress, and nobly has she used them. from the time when, in 1871, she gave audience to the five little girls of the samurai class who were just setting forth on a journey to america, there to study and fit themselves to play a part in the japan of the future, on through twenty years of change[157] and progress, the empress haru ko has done all that lay within her power to advance the women of her country.[*] many stories are afloat which show the lovable character of the woman, and which have given her an abiding place in the affections of the people.
some years ago, when the castle in tokyo was burned, and the emperor and empress were obliged to take refuge in an old daimio's house, a place entirely lacking in luxuries and considerably out of repair, some one expressed to her the grief that all her people felt, that she should have to put up with so many inconveniences. her response was a graceful little poem, in which she said that the narrowness of her abode would not limit her love for her people, and that for them she would endeavor to explore wisely the unlimited fields of knowledge.
upon another occasion, when prince iwakura, one of the leaders of japan in the early days of the crisis through which the country is still passing, lay dying at his home, the empress sent him word that she was coming to visit him. the prince, afraid that he could not do honor to such[158] a guest, sent her word back that he was very ill, and unable to make proper preparation to entertain an empress. to this the empress replied that he need make no preparations for her, for she was coming, not as an empress, but as the daughter of ichijo, his old friend and colleague, and as such he could receive her. and then, setting aside imperial state and etiquette, she visited the dying statesman, and brightened his last hours with the thought of how lovely a woman stood as an example before the women of his beloved country.
many of the charities and schools of new japan are under the empress's special patronage; and this does not mean simply that she allows her name to be used in connection with them, but it means that she thinks of them, studies them, asks questions about them, and even practices little economies that she may have the more money to give to them. there is a charity hospital in tokyo, having in connection with it a training school for nurses, that is one of the special objects of her care. last year she gave to it, at the end of the year, the savings from her own private allowance, and concerning this act[159] an editorial from the "japan mail" speaks as follows:—
"the life of the empress of japan is an unvarying routine of faithful duty-doing and earnest charity. the public, indeed, hears with a certain listless indifference, engendered by habit, that her majesty has visited this school, or gone round the wards at that hospital. such incidents all seem to fall naturally into the routine of the imperial day's work. yet to the empress the weariness of long hours spent in classrooms or in laboratories, or by the beds of the sick, must soon become quite intolerable did she not contrive, out of the goodness of her heart, to retain a keen and kindly interest in everything that concerns the welfare of her subjects. that her majesty does feel this interest, and that it grows rather than diminishes as the years go by, every one knows who has been present on any of the innumerable occasions when the promoters of some charity or the directors of some educational institution have presented, with merciless precision, all the petty details of their projects or organizations for the examination of the imperial lady. the latest evidence of her[160] majesty's benevolence is, however, more than usually striking. since the founding of the tokyo charity hospital, where so many poor women and children are treated, the empress has watched the institution closely, has bestowed on it patronage of the most active and helpful character, and has contributed handsomely to its funds. little by little the hospital grew, extending its sphere of action and enlarging its ministrations, until the need of more capacious premises—a need familiar to such undertakings—began to be strongly felt. the empress, knowing this, cast about for some means of assisting this project. to practice strict economy in her own personal expenses, and to devote whatever money might thus be saved from her yearly income to the aid of the hospital, appears to have suggested itself to her majesty as the most feasible method of procedure. the result is, that a sum of 8,446 yen, 90 sen, and 8 rin has just been handed over to dr. takagi, the chief promoter and mainstay of the hospital, by viscount kagawa, one of her majesty's chamberlains. there is something picturesque about these sen and rin. they represent[161] an account minutely and faithfully kept between her majesty's unavoidable expenses and the benevolent impulse that constantly urged her to curtail them. such gracious acts of sterling effort command admiration and love."
not very long ago, on one of her visits to the hospital, the empress visited the children's ward, and took with her toys, which she gave with her own hand to each child there. when we consider that this hospital is free to the poorest and lowest person in tokyo, and that twenty years ago the persons of the emperor and empress were so sacred in the eyes of the people that no one but the highest nobles and the near officials of the court could come into their presence,—that even these high nobles were received at court by the emperor at a distance of many feet, and his face even then could not be seen,—when we think of all this, we can begin to appreciate what the empress haru has done in bridging the distance between herself and her people so that the poorest child of a beggar may receive a gift from her hand. in the country places to this day, there are peasants who yet believe that no one can[162] look on the sacred face of the emperor and live.
the school for the daughters of the nobles, to which i have before referred, is an institution whose welfare the empress has very closely at heart, for she sees the need of rightly combining the new and the old in the education of the young girls who will so soon be filling places in the court. at the opening of the school the empress was present, and herself made a speech to the scholars; and her visits, at intervals of one or two months, show her continued interest in the work that she has begun. upon all state occasions, the scholars, standing with bowed heads as if in prayer, sing a little song written for them by the empress herself; and at the graduating exercises, the speeches and addresses are listened to by her with the profoundest interest. the best specimens of poetry, painting, and composition done by the scholars are sent to the palace for her inspection, and some of these are kept by her in her own private rooms. when she visits the class-rooms, she does not simply pass in and pass out again, as if doing a formal duty, but sits for half an hour or so[163] listening intently, and watching the faces of the scholars as they recite. in sewing and cooking classes (for the daughters of the nobles are taught to sew and cook), she sometimes speaks to the scholars, asking them questions. upon one occasion she observed a young princess, a newcomer in the school, working somewhat awkwardly with needle and thimble. "the first time, princess, is it not?" said the empress, smiling, and the embarrassed princess was obliged to confess that this was her first experience with those domestic implements.
sometimes in her leisure hours—and they are rare in her busy life—the empress amuses herself by receiving the little daughters of some imperial prince or nobleman, or even the children of some of the high officials. in the kindness of her heart, she takes great pleasure in seeing and talking to these little ones, some of whom are intensely awed by being in the presence of the empress, while others, in their innocence, ignorant of all etiquette, prattle away unrestrainedly, to the great entertainment of the court ladies as well as of the empress herself. these visits[164] always end with some choice toy or gift, which the child takes home and keeps among her most valued treasures in remembrance of her imperial hostess. in this way the empress relieves the loneliness of the great palace, where the sound of childish voices is seldom heard, for the emperor's children are brought up in separate establishments, and only pay occasional visits to the palace, until they have passed early childhood.[31]
the present life of the empress is not very different from that of european royalty. her carriage and escort are frequently met with in the streets of tokyo as she goes or returns on one of her numerous visits of ceremony or beneficence. policemen keep back the crowds of people who always gather to see the imperial carriage, and stand respectfully, but without demonstration, while the horsemen carrying the imperial insignia, followed[165] closely by the carriages of the empress and her attendants, pass by. the official gazette announces almost daily visits by the emperor, empress, or other members of the imperial family, to different places of interest,—sometimes to various palaces in different parts of tokyo, at other times to schools, charitable institutions or exhibitions, as well as occasional visits to the homes of high officials or nobles, for which great preparations are made by those who have the honor of entertaining their majesties.
among the amusements within the palace grounds, one lately introduced, and at present in high favor, is that of horseback-riding, an exercise hitherto unknown to the ladies of japan. the empress and her ladies are said to be very fond of this active exercise,—an amusement forming a striking contrast to the quiet of former years.
the grounds about the palaces in tokyo are most beautifully laid out and cultivated, but not in that artificial manner, with regular flower beds and trees at certain equal distances, which is seen so often in the highly cultivated grounds of the rich in[166] this country. the landscape gardening of japan keeps unchanged the wildness and beauty of nature, and imitates it closely. the famous flowers, however, are, in the imperial gardens, changed by art and cultivated to their highest perfection, blooming each season for the enjoyment of the members of the court. especially is attention given to the cultivation of the imperial flower of japan, the chrysanthemum; and some day in november, when this flower is in its perfection, the gates of the akasaka palace are thrown open to invited guests, who are received in person by the emperor and empress. here the rarest species of this favorite flower, and the oddest colors and shapes, the results of much care and cultivation, are exhibited in spacious beds, shaded by temporary roofs of bamboo twigs and decorated with the imperial flags. this is the great chrysanthemum party of the emperor, and another of similar character is given in the spring under the flower-laden boughs of the cherry trees.
in these various ways the empress shows herself to her people,—a gracious and lovely figure, though distant, as she needs[167] must be, from common, every-day life. only by glimpses do the people know her, but those glimpses reveal enough to excite the warmest admiration, the most tender love. childless herself, destined to see a child not her own, although her husband's, heir to the throne, the empress devotes her lonely and not too happy life to the actual, personal study of the wants of daughters of her people, and side by side with jingo,[32] the majestic but shadowy empress of the past, should be enshrined in the hearts of the women of japan the memory of haru ko, the leader of her countrywomen into that freer and happier life that is opening to them.
[168]
each marks the beginning of a new era,—the first, of the era of civilization and morality founded upon the teachings of buddha and confucius; the second, of the civilization and morality that have sprung from the teachings of christ. buddhism and confucianism were elevating and civilizing, but failed to place the women of japan upon even as high a plane as they had occupied in the old barbaric times. to christianity they must look for the security and happiness which it has never failed to give to the wives and mothers of all christian nations.[*]
footnotes:
[25] the japanese claim for their present emperor direct descent from jimmu tenno, the son of the gods; and it is for this reason that the emperor is supposed to be divine, and the representative of the gods on the earth. the dynasty, for about twenty-five hundred years since jimmu tenno, has never been broken. it must, however, be said in connection with this statement, that the japanese family is a much looser organization than that known to our western civilization, on account of the customs of concubinage and adoption, and that descent through family lines is not necessarily actual descent by blood.
[26] in ancient times, before the long civil wars of the middle ages, much attention was given by both men and women to poetry, and many of the classics of japanese literature are the works of women. among these distinguished writers can be mentioned murasaki shikibu, seisho nagon, and iséno taiyu, all court ladies in the time of the emperor ichijo (about 1000 a. d.). the court at that time was the centre of learning, and much encouragement was given by the emperor to literary pursuits, the cultivation of poetry, and music. the emperor gathered around him talented men and women, but the great works that remain are, strange to say, mostly those of women.
[27] the court ladies in immediate contact with the emperor and empress are selected from the daughters of the nobles. only in the present reign have a few samurai women risen to high positions at court on account of special talents.
[28] méiji (enlightened rule) is the name of the era that began with the present emperor's accession to the throne. the year a. d. 1890 is the twenty-third year of méiji, and would be so designated in all japanese dates.
[29] the empresses of japan are not chosen from any branch of the imperial family, but from among the daughters of the five of the great kugé, or court nobles, who are next in rank to the imperial princes. the choice usually rests with the emperor or his advisers, and would be naturally given to the most worthy, whether in beauty or accomplishments. no doubt one reason why the empress is regarded as far below the emperor is, that she is not of royal blood, but one of the subjects of the empire. in the old times, the daughters of the emperor could never marry, as all men were far beneath them in rank. these usually devoted their lives to religion, and as shinto priestesses or buddhist nuns dwelt in the retirement of temple courts or the seclusion of cloisters.
[30] tokugawa shoguns were the military rulers of the tokugawa family, who held the power in japan for a period of two hundred and fifty years. they are better known to americans, perhaps, under the title of tycoon (great prince), a name assumed, or rather revived, to impress the foreigners when commodore perry was negotiating in regard to treaties. the shogun held the daimios in forced subjection,—a subjection that was shaken in 1862, and broken at last in the year 1868, when, by the fall of the shogunate, the emperor was restored to direct power over his people.
[31] the emperor's children are placed, from birth, in the care of some noble or high official, who becomes the guardian of the child. certain persons are appointed as attendants, and the child with its retinue lives in the establishment of the guardian, who is supposed to exercise his judgment and experience in the physical and mental training of the child.
[32] jingo kogo, like many of the heroic, half mythical figures of other nations, has suffered somewhat under the assaults of the modern historical criticism. many of the best japanese historians deny that she conquered corea; some go so far as to doubt whether she had right to the title of empress; all are sure that much of romance has gathered about the figure of this brave woman; but to the mass of the japanese to-day, she is still an actual historic reality, and she represents to them in feminine form the spirit of japan. whether she conquered corea or no, she remains the prominent female figure upon the border line where the old barbaric life merges into the newer civilization, just as the present empress, haru ko, stands upon the border line between the eastern and the western modes of thought and life.
