3. Shizoku.— This is the title legalized also in 1869, to be applied to the retainers of the Daimyos. At first the lowest class of retainers were called Sotsu, but this distinction was abolished in 1872. They had been a privileged class, with hereditary pensions. The leaders among them were the chief movers in the abolition of the Shogunate and the Restoration of the emperor to power. With the downfall of feudalism and the decree of universal mili tary service issued in 1873, they lost their hereditary military function, and in the same year another decree was promulgated announc ing that the government was ready to commute the pensions of the Shizoku at the rate of six years' purchase for hereditary pensions and four years' for life pensions— one-half of the commutations to be paid in cash and one-half in bonds bearing interest at the rate of 8 per cent. Many of them voluntarily gave up their pensions for this meagre commutation, deter mined to earn their living hereafter by indus try and trade. But there were also many who could not adapt themselves to this new con dition, and so they were for some years the constant source of local disturbances and in surrections against the new government. But the vast majority of them entered the civil and military service in the new government, and also engaged in the work of education. The universal military service and universal com mon education, based on the western system, led by these men as captains and teachers, was wonderfully successful, as is shown by recent results.
4. Heimin.— To this class belong mostly the common people engaged in trades and com merce, field tillage and all kinds of manual labor. The distinctions between the Shizoku and the Heimin are only nominal and fast dis appearing, for many of the former Samurai are now engaged in tilling the soil and in every kind of industry and trade, while those be longing to the former Hiyakusho and Chonin are legally equal to Shizoku in all respects. Universal military service and universal educa tion are making them all equal or nearly equal in spirit and character. The Heimin fought as common soldiers against the Samurai class when they rose against the new government; they finally put down the Satsuma Rebellion in 1876, and in the wars with China and Russia, their courage, valor and devotion were sig nally displayed.
Even before the Restoration, the Heimin class had imbibed the chivalric elements of the military class in their theatres and Yose (houses where public entertainments were given), and now that education is made universal and the constitution has secured to them equal rights and privileges, it is no wonder that they are fast rising into power.
According to recent statistics, the popula tion was divided among the various classes as follows: Imperial family, 69; Kwazoku, 5,937; Shizoku, 2,310,269; Heimin, 51,045,983. The rate of increase among Kwazoku is 10.47 per thousand; among Shizoku, 8.26; and among Heimin, 15.54. The nobility was strengthened by the creation of new members. The Shizoku, notwithstanding their disorganization and pov erty, were able to increase greatly in population, and their assimilation with the common class has been the most powerful means in raising the spirit and character of the whole nation.
Though the division into noble and servile classes has always existed in Japan, it was not a caste system in fact. Though a legal mar riage between them did not take place as a rule, concubinage constantly infused democratic blood into the families of the higher class.
When a wife was childless the sons of concu bines became heirs, and as the noble women were not so fertile as women of the lower class, the blood of aristocracy in Japan has become very democratic notwithstanding high pedigrees and pretensions. Moreover, as local and gen eral wars were so frequent until the beginning of the 17th century, the ruined aristocratic f am ilies and their retainers were constantly forced into the lower class, so that there was a perpet ual influx of aristocratic blood into the veins of the common people. This explains why, under certain circumstances, the Japanese aris tocrats are very progressive and even demo cratic, and why the common people themselves are so aristocratic and love aristocracy as the natural form of social institutions.
Two things distinguish society in Japan from that of Europe and America. In the first place, family, and not the individual, is still the living social unit. Ancestor worship is still a living religion in every family. The free dom of faith is recognized by the Constitution and there is no particular ecclesiastical organ ization sanctioned and favored by the state. So the people are Buddhists, Shintoists, Confu cianists and Christians, according to their in dividual tastes. But it may be said that an cestor worship is still common to all classes. In each family there is a legally recognized head, who has the reins of domestic govern ment. Moreover, a council held by relatives is authorized and recognized by the law. The continuity of the family name and its succes sion is regarded as so important, that the adop tion of sons and daughters is still practised by those who have no children.
In the second place, the state is all in all in Japan. The idea of the state is exactly that of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The state is a whole and the individual a part. The state has existed so long and developed so strong that no one thinks of rights not be stowed and recognized by the state. In Europe the Church existed before the state, and the strong and mighty influence it has still is known to all. In Japan there is no conflict between the state and the church. The state existed be fore the introduction of Confucianism, Bud dhism and Christianity, so that there has never been and can never be any religious association claiming rights above the state, as in medimval Europe. So the state and the church are com pletely separate. The state holds in its hand the entire control of education, marriage and the civil status of every individual. Japan is wholly free from religious embarrassments in these respects. After half a century of great political and social transformations, all classes are in unison and equally progressive and conserva tive. There are some radicalists in politics and thought, but no anarchist. There are many conservatives, but no reactionary. The organ izations and strikes of laborers have already begun, together with the introduction of the modern factory system and its defects. But the Socialists as a party have as yet no exist ence in Japan. Herein lies the strength and weakness of Japanese society. Though strong and united as no other nation is, individually and socially speaking, Japan is still a youth and mediocre.