(Meiji-era: 1968-1912)
It is sure that even if some westerners are not christian, almost always they are christian. Namely, their method of thinking is almost same as christian.
I think the Japanese westernization made possible to rival western country. However, as a result, we had to be saddled with many problems. One of the problem is WW2. Another problem is current loss of integrity. I think there is a limit that Asian accept western values, and western values is not best as well as Asian value is not best. Changing value means that we have to suffer from another problem as well as progress.
I thought about State Shinto when I visited in Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine. The shrine was also a shrine of State Shinto amid the imperial age(1868-1945 ). The shrine worshiped by samurais. The God enshrined is called Hachiman-dai-bosatsu and also called Hachiman-okami.
Japanese State Shinto based on Japanese traditional Shinto. Originally, Japanese gods were not integrated. And, Shinto is very natural thought and there is no absolute. Japanese imperial government broke down the religion and made a nonsensical State Shinto. Shinto is religion that, for example, we worship because we feel a god in the trees. Very natural. Thus, there are many gods lacking system. State shinto regard emperor as the absolute god integrated every gods and empeor was a ruler of Japan. Very strange.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe wrote that Emperor having been a centre of Japanese spirits. However, I don't think so. There were ages many doesn't know the existence of Emperor.
Here, I explain the difference. Chinese emperor is far different from Japanese emperor. That is, Briefly speaking, Chinese emperor is a ruler on the ground who entrusted by heaven. Japanese emperor is , that is, so called, a Shinto priest and a descendant of Gods of myth. Chinese emperors prided themselves on fortune but Japanese emperors prided themselves on culture. Japanese emperor is "Tenno(天皇）" in Japanese. Chinese emperor is "Kotei(皇帝)" in Japanese. That is, Chinese emperor lived in the earth but Japanese emperors lived in
the world which differ from the world. Moderately, Japanese emperor is similar to pontiff. It seems Japanese emperor studied Japanese classic literatures.
And Japanese imperial government changed the Japanese emperor to a emperor similar to Chinese emperor. I wonder why many Japanese accepted Meiji emperor as a absolute. Some educated person opposed the policy, but the state had been changed.
Yukichi Fukuzawa, a famous academian and the face of 10,000 yen bill and was born in Osaka, is regarded as a person leading the westernization. But I think he was in fault because he denied Japanese traditional things. He made "Keio university" regarded as a symbol of worship of money. Amid the Meiji era, my university's founder, who was a philosopher criticized him and others and disorderly westernization. He forecasted that Japanese will become dangerous absolutism government and suffer from complications of value and education and so on. As a result, the westernization was correct answer for a while and we came to suffer the bad effects.
I think this country's hard luck was that we had to change over a short amount of time. American Marines led by Commodore Perry invaded Japan as well as Western countries invaded China. There was no enough time and I think it was a account bill of closed-door policy in Edo-era. (The closed-door policy was correct answer in the era though) Especially, the arrival of the black ships of Commodore Perry was a seismic incident. It changed Japanese thoughts and Japanese came to think Japan have to change. If they did nothing, Japanese would be a colony of western countries.
According to a writer of a book, "America no ronri(Logic of America)", He wrote about neoconservatism of America, As a irony of history, the invasion caused Perl Harbor as well as westernization. And perl harbor caused current American interventionist policy and many Japanese hate it. when I comes to think of it, assuredly, it is an irony of history.
I think the most accusable fault of Meiji Government is that they didn't or couldn't established civilian control system. This is one of cause that leaded Japan to WW2.
As for Greater East Asian War(WW2), now, even though I don't know what Americans think of the war, it seems many Japanese think that Both Japan and western country including America were in fault about WW2 and the war was scramble of colonies between developed countries. I agree with it because I think if we need to feel apologetic for history, we should view from a macroscopic and basal standpoint. I think it is a good stand point to cut the chain of hatred.
By the way, That I worry about current education reform including fostering nationalism is that some politicians regarded Meiji era as a origin of Japan. I don't think so, and I think we can't correct history and careless reform may cause renewed problems. I think buddhism is also our main spiritual culture. I suppose current education reform is a kind of fundamentalism.
But, it seems a new-religion named SOKA-GAKKAI interfere that buddhism is accepted as a main culture. The SOKA-GAKKAI has a political party named KOMEITO. Even though SOKA-GAKKAI is also buddhism, it doesn't accept other sect, and insists it is best religion in the world, and encourages to burn other sect's amulet and security blanket and so on. KOMEITO is a partner of LDP (Liberal Democratic Party). LDP can't win election without support by KOMEITO. Thus I don't think they can reform spiritual things from this stand point too. I will wrote about the SOKAGAKKAI later. This religion is really thorny religion.
Well, time to quit.
I took the photo from a cable train of Otoko-yama.
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