J a p a n e s e    C u l t u r e

This article in the Asahi Newspaper this morning (June 9th 2015) presents the view of an author, Kazutoshi Hando (Soseki's grandson and editor of "Japan's Longest Summer"), who points out that Shouin Yoshida, the famed Yamaguchi Confucian scholar, educator and revolutionary encouraged the Japanese to invade or otherwise persuade Okinawans, Koreans, Taiwanese to federate with the Japanese. In other words, Handou argues that the Meiji Restoration was from the outset imperialist and "dangerous." He argues argues further that the people of Yamaguchi likewise trace their roots back to the restoration and tend to think of themselves as saviours of Japan. He also points out that prime minister Abe traces his roots to the Yamaguchi region and to the philosophy espoused by Shouin Yoshida.

The part of Shouin's writing that the author refers to is the only part translated into modern Japanese on wikisource.

日が昇らなければ沈み、月が満ちなければ欠け、国が繁栄しなければ衰廃する。よって、国を善良に保つのに、むなしくも廃れた地を失うことは有り得て、廃れてない地を増やすこともある。今、急いで軍備を整え、艦計を持ち、砲計も加えたら、直ぐにぜひとも北海道を開拓して諸侯を封建し、隙に乗じてカムチャツカ半島とオホーツクを取り、琉球を説得し謁見し理性的に交流して内諸侯とし、朝鮮に要求し質を納め貢を奉っていた昔の盛時のようにし、北は満州の地を分割し、南は台湾とルソン諸島を治め、少しずつ進取の勢いを示すべきだ。その後、住民を愛し、徳の高い人を養い、防衛に気を配り、しっかりとつまり善良に国を維持すると宣言するべきだ。そうでなくじっとしていて、異民族集団が争って集まっている中で、うまく足を上げて手を揺らすことはなかったけれども、国の廃れないことは其の機と共にある。

My translation

If the sun does not rise it sets, if the moon does not wax it wanes and if a country does not rise and prosper it falls and becomes weak. So to keep a country in a good condition, sadly disused land will be lost, and useful land will be gained. We should now immediately by all means prepare our armed forces, plan battleships and armaments, send pioneers into Hokkaidou and integrate the tribes within our feudal system, take Kamchatka and Okhotsku, demand of Korea and China that, as in the prosperous past when [we or they I am not sure] gave tribute, that they give us the land of Manchuria, and in the South rule Taiwan and the Luzon islands (of the Philippines) and little by little show some energy in advance. We should then show love to [all] residents, foster persons of high morals, take care to defend, govern well, and pledge to keep the nation in a good condition. If we don't do this, and on the other hand just do nothing while groups of foreign nations fight each other to as they assemble around us, while we didn't do so much as lift a finger, preventing the fall of our country depends on this juncture, these opportunities.

I have placed the Asahi Newspaper article on top of the newsletter of the Old Boys association of my faculty, who are as the above scholar suggests, pleased to trace their roots back to the time of the restoration.

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