Japan’s Modern Prophet
Uchimura Kanzô 1861-1930
John F. Howes, 2005, Chapter 2, p. 72-75.
Late in 1889, a few months after Mori’s death and a year before the Rescripton Education that would cause Uchimura so much trouble was promulgated, Kanzô delivered a speech that demonstrated how in fact typical of his day were his attitudes toward the great symbols of his nation. What he said there is remembered now because it contrasts with the image of the traitor that resulted from his later refusal to bow. He spoke to the students of a girls’ school in Azabu. One member of the audience recalled that Uchimura chose as his topic evidences of God’s favour to Japan. First he referred to the chrysanthemums that adorned the lecture platform to illustrate the beautiful botanical specimens in Japan; then he pointed out the window to the cone of Mount Fuji, visible on the clear horizon of a November day. He climaxed his talk with reference to the Imperial family, “the one great pride of the Japanese people.” No statement or act before his refusal to bow would have led any Japanese to suspect his loyalty. Continue reading…
Monumenta Nipponica, an interdisciplinary journal on Japanese culture and society, was founded in 1938, making it one of the oldest English-language academic journals in the field of Asian studies. Published semiannually as an international forum for research on Japan by Sophia University, Tokyo, MN carries both original scholarly contributions on history, literature, art history, religion, and thought, and translations of important Japanese literary and historical sources. Early volumes included articles in German and other European languages, but from volume 19 (1964) English has been the sole language of publication. Beginning with volume 60 (2005), the journal has been published online through Project 
Although motorcycle racing resumed slowly after the war, it grew gradually to become as popular as it had been in the interwar period. This growth was steered by the industrial policies of both private and public sector interests. Competition racing to cull the oversized herd of makers operating in the early 1950s was a plan that developed gradually. The issue of “competition theory” with regard to the weeding out of weaker manufacturers in postwar Japan is important. In the motorcycle industry, competition was far more than a theory — it was a brutal reality for many dozens of manufacturers that could not rise to the challenges posed both by their peers and by the nation’s geography. Racing thus ultimately strengthened the motorcycle industry, enabling Japan to enter the international motor vehicle market.
By the time this chapter was finished, the jury was still out as to whether the government could implement its bold reform program. By the end of 2001, it appeared that Prime Minister Koizumi was locked in stalemate. His administration was still popular and continued to obtain 80 percent support among the voters, but in reality he had accomplished little. Some commentators branded the prime minister “Mr. Nato” – No Action, Talk Only – indicating that his enormous degree of personal popularity was no substitute for effective implementation of reform (Japan Today 2001f; Oriental Economist 2001c).
The hot, humid weather did little to stifle the jubilant mood that 1 July afternoon in Shibuya ward, Tokyo. For the hundred or so well-wishers gathered outside the new residence of His Majesty’s Canadian representative to Japan, Dominion Day, 1929 seemed unlike any other. Traders and diplomats mingled with missionaries, teachers and social workers, reflecting the diversity of Canada’s involvement in the Orient. A hush came over the crowd as A.E. Bryan, the president of the newly formed Canadian Association, rose to address the gathering. He opened the ceremony by welcoming Hugh Keenleyside, who had arrived in May as chargé d’affaires. Then, Dr. D.R. MacKenzie, the longest serving Canadian missionary in Japan, spoke to the crowd, impressing all with his sense of history. He surveyed Canada’s past, from Cartier’s search for a passage to Asia to the dominion’s newfound diplomatic status, and concluded the legation was an idea whose time had come. After a brief speech by Keenleyside and a phonograph recording of prime minister Mackenzie King’s remarks at the recent Peace Tower carillon dedication, the ceremony reached its finale. For the first time in Asia, Canada’s red ensign was hoisted atop the legation as all assembled sang ‘O Canada’ and ‘God Save the King’.
