. 3. THE DEVELOPMENT AND CON STITUTION OF SOCIETY IN JAPAN. Except England, there is perhaps no other coun try so aristocratic as Japan. From the begin ning of its history, there have always been some aristocrats in the land. In the first period after the era of Jimmu Tenno, we find distinction of noble and ignoble classes among the people. Those who had clan names and belonged to some clan were noble, and those who had no clan name and belonged to no clan were ig noble. Before the Reform of Taikwa period A.D. 645-46, society was entirely constituted on clanship and family associations.
Among the nobles, two clans, respectively called Omi and Muraji, stood in the highest rank. Omi was a clan name, mostly conferred on the branches of the imperial line since Jimmu, and Muraji on the clans descended from the branches of the ancestors of Jimmu. Oomi and Omuraji were the names given to the respective chiefs of these noble clans, who were the prime ministers of the emperor or Mikado (Tenno in Japanized Chinese language). Below these clans there were others which per formed certain hereditary functions for the emperor. They were called collectively Tomo no-miyatsuko. Some performed religious func tion, some military, some judiciary and others weaving, sewing, cooking, forestry, fishery, etc. In fact for every social function a clanship was constituted. They all had their own chiefs. Be sides these there were also hereditary clans who had the power of the local administration in the country. They were called Kuni-no Miyatsuko and Agatanushi. At first the local tribal chiefs, who were subjugated by Jimmu and became loyal to him, were appointed to these local functions, and later the sons of the emperors were also appointed.
The foreign immigrants who were natural ized and distinguished in learning and art were also given a clan name, and left some hereditary function to their descendants.
The smaller family associations were also to be distinguished within these clanships. They had their particular names and organizations and headships. The family names were derived sometimes from their occupation, sometimes from the name of the localities where they dwelt and sometimes from the name of their ancestors. Besides the members proper there were clients or servants who had no clan name and so were servile to the noble class. They were perhaps the aboriginal tribes who inhabited the country before the coming of the superior race, to whom they became serfs and domestic servants.
The early society of Japan was constituted in this way, and it may be called clannish feudalism. For the clan and family chiefs owned the land and governed the people di rectly. The Mikado had complete power only in his private domains and in those belonging to his family. He had his jurisdiction only in those cases relating to sacrilege, treason and the controversies between several clans and families. In such cases the ordeal of hot water
was administered as in mediaeval Europe. Otherwise the dal:. and family chiefs had com plete power of life and death over the mem bers belonging to their clans and associations. Hence the clans and families appropriated the land and the people, and had monopoly of offices and hereditary occupations in their re spective groups. And by their aggrandisements and encroachments the feuds among them be came in time interminable. So came the Re form of Taikwa era, A.D. 645-46.
This reform was the first attempt to put an end to clannish feudalism and to introduce the form of centralized government. In many respects it resembled the Restoration of 1868, only it was 'based partly on the ideas and insti tutions introduced from China. By this reform the land and the people were made immediate subjects of the emperor and the state. Before this time they were subject in the first place to their clan and family chiefs, without whose mediation the emperor and the state could do nothing. The reform put an end to the hered ity of public functions in certain clans and families. The clan and family organizations were left as before, but the political offices were opened to all without reference to clan or family. The clannish ownership of land was abolished. To indemnify the owners the whole or a part of the taxes paid by a certain num ber of households was given them. Every male and female above six years old was to be provided with a certain proportion of land. A boy was to receive two tan (4.90 acres) and a girl two-thirds of what a boy received. Not even the servile class was excluded. Those who belonged to the government and were public servants received the same proportion of land as the noble class. But those who were private servants received a third. For this purpose a census was to be taken every sixth year. More over, the association of five households living in a neighborhood was organized and put under a headman. A household in those days con sisted of several families and several genera tions, as brothers, uncles and their children lived together with their clients and servants. A household in some cases consisted of more than 100 persons. Women were allowed to be come the head of a household. But the dis tinction between the noble and servile classes was left untouched, although the social inter mingling of the two classes was unavoidable. Some poor noblemen sold their clan names and became servile, while natural children were constantly born to the two classes. So it was ordered by the Reform Act that among the noble class the children 'should be long to the father and among the servile class they should belong to the mother, while natural children of the two should belong to the servile class.