By Nippon's lotus ponds; pen pictures of real Japan . the Japanese churchrise to the occasion! XI KENJUTSU * AH, the Japanese delight in fighting, we heard/% one of them say recently; but indeed hescarcely divulged any secret. College andhigh school boys in hundreds and almost thousandsmay at times be seen with swords and guns out formilitary drill. But it is to be questioned whetherthese are ready to enter the actual fray as gleefullyas their forefathers. Conscripts are often heardto speak deprecatingly of the military service, andschemes and tricks to exempt themselves from itare not uncommo
By Nippon's lotus ponds; pen pictures of real Japan . the Japanese churchrise to the occasion! XI KENJUTSU * AH, the Japanese delight in fighting, we heard/% one of them say recently; but indeed hescarcely divulged any secret. College andhigh school boys in hundreds and almost thousandsmay at times be seen with swords and guns out formilitary drill. But it is to be questioned whetherthese are ready to enter the actual fray as gleefullyas their forefathers. Conscripts are often heardto speak deprecatingly of the military service, andschemes and tricks to exempt themselves from itare not uncommon. Parents whose sons weredrafted for the late war are known to have not al-ways offered them gladly. The sword, as of old, is still playing a great rolein the polity of this empire; it forms part of theimperial regalia. This weapon also adorned thebelts of the old samurai until the edict of 1876 abol-ished this custom, when precious metal in greatquantities was heaped in the curio shops. Beforethat time, however, the samurai would just as soon 112. REVERING THE SWORD 113 have surrendered life itself; for the sword was thebadge of this aristocracy and the etiquette that regu-lated its wearing, though ever so trivially offended,was often the cause of murderous brawls anddreadful reprisals. To touch anothers weapon orto come into collision with the sheath was a dire of-fence, and to enter a friends house without leavingthe sword outside was a breach of friendship. Aservant of the host brought it in and laid it upona sword-rack in the place of honour near the guest,to be treated with all the politeness due to a the bare hand of the most intimate friend darednot touch it; a silken napkin being kept for thatpurpose. Indeed Old Japan had also other weapons of war,such as the bow, crossbow, spear, lance, shield,broadaxe, halberd, bludgeon, roped hook, pitchfork,etc. Wrestling also was included in the militaryarts. The sword, in ancient days, was a straight,double-edged wea
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