Western Influence and Japan.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 14, 3 April 1902, Page 13

Western Influence and Japan.

In view of the treaty recently made between (Jieat Britain and ' Japan the iollowing observations about modem western influence on the people of Japan will be of special interest. They have been contributed by the Hey. Father Liguel, a French missionary m the Island Empire to the ' Mission Catholiques — No foreign influence (he writes) predominates to the exclusion of at the rest. Each has m turn been ahead of the rest, but none has been definitely eliminated, the Japanese people in their mo\emont towards civilisation starting from the standpoint of taking from other countries and assimilating as well as they could whatever they found good mit Up to 1871 France was in the front rank. After that era of her disasters, her credit has diminished year by year m proportion as her defeat in every sense has become more accentuated. Nevertheless striking cases of French influence still remain in the Japanese army and legislature, and the French language and literature have regained ground slightly of late . . England is mistress of the country by means of her gold and her commerce. The English language, whose use is universal outside Europe, is necessary to the Japanese for all their foreign relations, hence it is obligatory m all secondary schools Together with the language English literature is naturally popularised, and, without any otheV kind of propaganda, the idea contained in that literature make thenway insensibly into the public mind by means of education ami the press By means of education and religion the American influence on the 'Japanese people has been rhe most profound and the most sonsible Hence when we say that Japan has been ' Europeanised,' though the statement is correct, it would be more accurate to bay she has been ' Americanised ' For the past ten years Germany has predominated in legislation. The political system, the formation and organisation of army and navy, are modelled on Germany . the German language is much studied, -science in general, and especially medicine, is German. Germany by her philosophy dominates over the intellectual loaders of the country, the teachers in the University, and consequently the whole educational stuff. Japanese teaching, half American as regards education, is on the way to become German as regards instruction Of the arts, the music is German, hut the other arts have come from Italy. To these most interesting and novel observations Father Liguel adds a profoundly true and striking i emark : The Japanese is an artist by nature, a born imitator he handles the pencil with skill. Poetry, drawing, music, excite in him the deepest sensations, even where a European would feel nothing. Jf realism taught by system invades Japanese art, it will kill what was best and most attractive in this people — its cult of ideal beauty.