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It resulted in the establishment of two Mikados, who reigned simul- taneously—one, the creature of the Shoguns, occupying the old capital of Kisto ; wile the second held his court 393 164 JAPANESE LITERATURE at Yoshino and other places in the province of Yamato, and enjoyed a somewhat precarious independence. This system, known in Japanese history as the Nam-boku-cho (Southern and Northern Courts), was put an end to by the reunion of the two lines in the person of Go Komatsu (1392), after a prolonged series of intestine troubles. A new dynasty of Shdguns, the Ashikaga House, was by this time established at Muromachi, in Kidto, a place which gave its name to the next period of Japanese history. It remained in power until 1603, when the Shégunate, having again changed hands, was transferred a second time to the east of Japan. The 270 years covered by these two periods were sin- gularly barren of important literature in Japan. One or two quasi-historical works, a charming volume of essays, and a few hundred short dramatic sketches (the V@) are all that deserve more than a passing notice. “ JINKOSHOTOKI” The author of the /zxkdshotoki was a statesman and soldier named KITABATAKE CHIKAFUSA, who acted an important part in the civil wars which disturbed Japan during the first half of the fourteenth century. Chikafusa was descended from a prince of the Imperial family. He was born in 1293, and held various offices in the early part of Go Daigo’s reign, but on the death of a prince to whom he was attached he shaved his head and retired from public life. In 1333, when the Emperor Go Daigo returned from the island of Oki, whither he had been banished by the Kamakura Government, Chikafusa was persuaded again to take office, and distinguished him- self greatly in the wars which followed. The eminent 4 : CHIKAFUSA 165 services he had rendered to the cause of the Southern Court by his sword, his pen, and his counsel, were recog- nised in 1351 by the highest honours which his sovereign could bestow. He died a few years later. The /inkoshétoki is Chikafusa’s principal work. His object in writing it is indicated by. the title, which means “History of the True Succession of the Divine Monarchs.” It was composed in order to show that the Mikados of the Southern Court, whose minister he was, were the rightful sovereigns of Japan. This explains the prominence which he gives to matters affecting the authenticity of the Mikado’s claims to the throne, such as the history of the regalia, genealogies, questions of disputed succession, and the like. It was written in the reign of Go Murakami (1339-1345). The first of the six volumes of which it consists is purely mythical. It begins literally 2d ovo with the egg-shaped chaotic mass from which heaven and earth were deve- loped. Then we have an account of the creation of Japan by the male and female deities Izanagi and Izanami, taken partly from the Nzhkongz, but mixed up with Chinese philosophy and Indian mythical cosmography in the strangest manner. The descent of the Mikados from the Sun-goddess, who in Japan is the daughter of the divine _ creator pair, is then traced with due attention through a series of deities down to Jimmu Tenno, who is reckoned the first human sovereign of Japan. The next four volumes are a resumé, necessarily brief and meagre, of the history of Japan from Jimmu Tenno (who came to the throne, according to the ordinary Japanese chronology, in B.C. 660) down to the accession of Fushimi in A.D. 1288. The sixth volume deals with the history of Chikafusa’s 12 - 166 JAPANESE LITERATURE own time. It is very disappointing. Although the writer and his sons took a prominent part in the fighting and politics of their day, Chikafusa has not thought proper to give more than a short and bald account of the events in which he was a principal actor. Most of this volume is taken up with dissertations on the principles of govern- ment, which, however necessary for a comprehension of the motives and ideas of Japanese statesmen under the old regime, are not very interesting to the European reader. By his own countrymen Chikafusa has been much Jauded as an exponent of the Chinese type of political philosophy. Even modern critics bestow on him a lavish praise which to us seems hardly deserved. His writings certainly contain evidences of statesman-like capacity, as for example his condemnation of sinecures and mortmain grants to ecclesiastical foundations ; and if there is also much that we are inclined to set down as mere platitudes, it is fair to remember that Chikafusa was the first Japanese writer who attempted to apply philosophical principles | to actual politics, and that what seems trite to us may have appeared novel and striking to contemporary readers. The style of the /zxkdshotok? is simple and unpreten- tious. Its value as literature is small in proportion to the political influence which it has exercised. Not only was the cause of which the author was a devoted champion substantially furthered by its publication, but it has also left its mark on later times. Chikafusa’s patriotic senti- ments and his loyalty to the de jure sovereign of his country had a large share, directly, or filtered down through the works of writers who derived their inspira- tion from him, in forming the public feeling and opinion ri 3 g K Ss CHIKAFUSA 167 which led to the restoration of the Mikado’s power in our own day. He is one of the few writers of this class who do not indulge in Tanka, The following extracts will give some idea of the quality of Chikafusa’s political reasonings :— “Great Yamato is a divine country. It is only our land whose foundations were first laid by the divine ancestor. It alone has been transmitted by the Sun Goddess to a long line of her descendants. There is nothing of this kind in foreign countries. ‘Therefore it is called the divine land.” “Tt is only our country which, from the time that heaven and earth were first unfolded until this very day, has preserved the succession to the throne intact in one single family. Even when, as sometimes naturally hap- pened, it descended to a lateral branch, it was held in accordance with just principles. This shows that the august oath of the gods [to preserve the succession] is ever renewed in a way which distinguishes Japan from all other countries,” “There are matters in the way of the gods [the Shinto religion] which it is difficult to expound. Nevertheless, if we do not know the origin of things, the result is necessarily confusion. To remedy this evil I have jotted down a few observations showing how the succession from the age of the gods has been governed by reason, and have taken no pains to produce an ordinary history. This work may therefore be entitled ‘ History of the True Succession of Divine Monarchs.’” “The man devotes himself to husbandry, providing 168 JAPANESE LITERATURE food for himself and others, and thus warding off hunger ; the woman attends to spinning, thereby clothing herself and also making others warm. These may seem mean offices, but it is on them that the structure of human society rests. They are in accordance with the seasons of heaven, and depend on the benefits drawn from earth. “Others are skilled in deriving gain from commerce ; while others, again, prefer the practice of the mechanic arts, or have the ambition to become officials. These are what are called the ‘four classes of the people.’ “Of officials there are two classes—the civil and the military. The method of the civil official is to remain at home and reason upon the right way, wherein, if he attains to lucidity, he may rise to be a Minister of State. It is the business of the soldier, on the other hand, to render service in warlike expeditions, wherein, if he gains fame, he may become a general. Therefore these two professions ought not to be neglected fora moment. It has been said, ‘In times of civil disorder, arms are placed to the right and letters to the left; in peace, letters are put to the right and arms to the left.’” “It is the duty of every man born on the Imperial soil to yield devoted loyalty to his sovereign, even to the sacri- fice of his own life. Let no one suppose for a moment that there is any credit due to him for so doing. Never- theless, in order to stimulate the zeal of those who come after, and in loving memory of the dead, it is the business of the ruler to grant rewards in such cases [to the chil- dren]. Those who are in an inferior position should not enter into rivalry with them. Still more should those who have done no specially meritorious service abstain CHIKAFUSA 169 from inordinate ambitions. It is a truly blessed principle to observe the rut of the chariot which has preceded, at whatever risk to our own safety [that is, a conservative policy should be maintained at all hazards].” “T have already touched in several places on the prin- ciples of statesmanship. They are based on justice and mercy, in the dispensing of which firm action is requisite. Such is the clear instruction vouchsafed to us by Ten- shddaijin [the Sun Goddess]. Firm action is displayed in various ways. Firstly, in the choice of men for official positions. Japan and China both agree that the basis of good government consists in the sovereign finding the right man and bestowing his favour on him. Secondly, in excluding private motives from the distribution of appointments to provinces and districts. This should be done on grounds of reason only. Thirdly, firm action is shown in the reward of merit and the punishment of crime. By this means encouragement is given to virtue, and wickedness is repressed. If any of these three things is neglected, we have what is called bad government.