NEW RELIGION FOR JAPAN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1912, Page 12

NEW RELIGION FOR JAPAN

EX-MINISTKIVS PROPOSAL. Mr. Izawa, ex-Vlce-Miriißt&r of Eduea.* tio'n, and an Imperial nominee in the House of Peers, is tho originator of a pla.ii to provide Japan with an entirely new religion. He first put forward the idea in tho pngos of the Teikoku Kyoiku, the organ of the Imperial Education Association, of which, he is a distinguished member. Last year tho proposal was submitted to the Emperor through the Master of the Household, who subsequently informed him that tho proposal had met with the Imperial favour. It is also supported by a number* of the Prihces of the Blood, educationalists, r^ligioniste, scholars, and statesmen. t ' The new religious b6dy, according to the Japan Advertiser, is to bo called Dai Nippon Kokka Kyodan,, which, beint; interpreted, means <c Tho State Religious Community of Japan." Mr. ' Issawa explains his propoaitl as follows: — The Japanese Empire, having been governed by one Imperial family since the very beginning, has a polity, one in which the Emperor' posseeses divine right. „ Such k polity can hardly be found in any othor cbuntry, • JFor instance, in China, it has t happened that the Emperor abdicates his tjirone to be succeeded by ohe'of 'his 'former subjects. Then, too, when the German Emperor spoke once of his divine right, he was strongly criticised by his.", subjects, because such art idea is not 'in consonance with the polity of Germany. But in Japan the Emperor- is the .aescendant of Ameno-minakanuchi-no-Kami, the Creator of the world. Hence the Imperial t'amily being a divine race ift entirely different from the races of other Japanese. "'" ' This distinction between the Imperial family and otjier Japanese has been made clejir since ancient times. This Ameno-minakanuchi-no-Kaini is the only Creator of the world, and ho has existed sinco.the beginning of the world, and stiU'existe to govern the world. Ho is represented under different names in 'other countries. For instance, he ia called "Emperor of Heaven' ," in China, Buddha in India, and God in Western countries. ' ( \ • My plan is to gather a religious community around our Emperor, who is, as I have ehown, the direct descendant of this Creator of the world, f&r the purpose qf cultivating amongst 'its members loyalty towards the Emperor, and of elevating their moral ideas. The members of this community should be tho whole body of Japanese subjects. As ,to tho citizens of other counttitß, they are all living under tho gracious protection of the Creator 'of the world, Am«mo-•minakanuchi-no-Kami, so that they can. 'become members, of this religious community if they become subjects of the 'Japanese Eniperoi 1 . Tho natives of Korea, TTomiosa, and Karafuto can thus all be enlisted into tlu's community. It will have no .formal president, but all tho members "of the Imperial" family will bo honorary members, and other Japaneeo subject* ordinary members.