Ebook Japan of the Japanese

Books on Japan are as plentiful as primroses in April, but the majority are equally evanescent, and however great their number, the ignorance of the subjects with which they deal that still prevails among even the well-informed section of the British public is greater. Korea has been a very important factor in the national life of Japan throughout the whole of the present generation, and during the last six months I have been twice asked by distinguished members of a learned profession, "Where is Korea?" A high official of a society, whose special province is to deal with Japan, thought that Sir Harry Parkes, Great Britain's former Minister, and Sir Henry Parkes, the Australian statesman, were one and the same person. A prominent English statesman was under the impression, not very long ago. that Manchus and Japanese are synonymous terms. "The Japanese got their language from China," "The Japanese are all dishonest," are remarks constantly made to me, while those with which I am sometimes favoured on Japanese women, either by travellers, who have spent a few weeks in the country, and whose experience of the women is limited to a special class, or by persons who have derived their information from these travellers, are such as demand considerable self-control on my own part not to outrage the elements of politeness in my replies.