Music: “The Music and Musical Instruments of Japan” (Piggott); “Miyako-Dori” (Bevan).
Poetry: “History of Japanese Literature” (Aston); “Classical Poetry of the Japanese” (Chamberlain); “Japanese Odes” (Dickins).
Drama: “Artistic Japan,” vol. v. (edited by S. Bing).
Flower Arrangement: “The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement” (Conder).
Landscape-Gardening: “Landscape-Gardening in Japan” (Conder).
Tea Ceremonial: “The Book of Tea” (Okakura).
General: “An Artist’s Letters from Japan” (La Farge); “Jinrikisha Days in Japan” (Scidmore).
CHAPTER XVII[153]
DISESTABLISHMENT OF SHINTŌ
Outline of Topics: Religion in Japan; Shintō; a “natural religion”; simple services; religious patriotism; perfunctory worship; Shintō doomed “as a religion”; secularization of Ise shrines; element of embarrassment to Christians; “worship” (?) of Emperor’s portrait; difficulties in translation of Christian terms; method of reforms in Japan; future of Shintō.—Bibliography.
IT is a curious fact that Japan cannot boast of an indigenous religion, or of much original mental or moral philosophy. “Shintō” (The Gods’ Way), purely Japanese in its origin, is only a cult, a system of worship, not a religion, or even a philosophy. Buddhism and Confucianism came in from China, perhaps through Korea, and Christianity entered from Europe and America.