The religious and moral struggles which seemed to have subsided during the war be came again prominent soon after its close. Adoration of the way of the Samurai and plead ing for the ancient patriarchal system, ancestor worship, etc., followed the celebrations of the victories. Militarism is getting more hold in education. Side by side with the advocates of these reactionary ideas there appeared some who alleged that they had seen in vision, God or Buddha, and some prophets who pretended to be revealers of new truths.
In the religious movement of contemporary Japan three points are to be noticed: (1) The conservative reaction amounting to the advocacy of the national Shinto religion, in conjunction with the patriarchal system of the family; (2) the revolting spirit among the younger genera tion, their radical individualism and spiritual disquietude; and (3) the problems concerning the relationship between Buddhism and Chris tianity, including the question of adjustment of the latter to the genius and the needs of the nation. The first of these stands in a close connection with the political reaction against the constitutional or democratic regime; and the co-operation of the conservative politicians and the educational authorities is endeavoring to dictate to the nations conscience a moral. code, which is national and secular and there fore anti-religious in principle and applications. This has ever been a powerful factor in the religious and moral movement since the nineties of the last century, but its influence or coercion is now being sharpened in reaction against the rising radical tendency,•cynibined with spiritual aspiration and uneasiness of the individual.• The disquiet and yearning• spirit of the individ ual, especially among the rising generations, does not know wherein its course should con sist, and consequently runs easily to an extreme of revolting spirit against anything traditional or authoritative. This critical situation is ag
gravated by the social unrest caused by the rise of industrialism, the consequent uneven dis. tribution of wealth, the pressure of the rapidly increasing population, and more especially by the bewildering conflicts of religious• and ethical ideas.
This last aspect of the present situation is chiefly a consequence of the deficient vitality of Buddhism and of the retarded progress of Christian propaganda, in short of the weakness of religious influence at large. It is a question whether Buddhism could revive its edifying energy, but it is certain that the religious ques tion of Japan cannot be solved without taking into account the deep-seated heritage of Bud dhist influence. On the other hand, Christian ity is facing grave problems of how to adjust itself to the genius and needs of the Japanese, as well as of how to face the anti-Christian or non-religious ideas introduced from the West into Japan. The question of. Buddhism versus Christianity is being shifted to that of religion. versus non-religion, or in other words, of uni versal ideal versus national ethics, A light may, however, be discerned in the cordial relation ship and mutual understanding between some leaders of the two universal religions existing in Japan, and in their co-operative attitude toward various religious and moral problems of the day.
Bibliography.—Anesaki, and Moral Development of the Japanese Religion' (Harvard University Press, 1918); Ariesalci, (Nichiren, the Buddhist Prophet' (1916) : Aston, Shinto, Way of the Gods' (Lon don 1905); Cobbold, 'Religions in Japan: Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity' (London 1894) ; Griffis, 'The Religions of Japan' (New York 1895) ; Harada, (The Faith of Japan' (New York 1914) ; Hearn, an Attempt at Interpretation' (New York 1905); Knox, The Development of Religion in Japan' (New York 1907) ; Lloyd, 'The Creed of Half Japan' (London 1911).