THE CRAFTIEST JAPANESE

Evening Star, Issue 23723, 2 November 1940, Page 3

THE CRAFTIEST JAPANESE

SHOGUN IEYASU The Japanese have a saying: “Don’t say fcekko [exquisite] until you haye seen Nikko,” writes Kimpei Sheba, m, the Chicago ‘ Tribune.’ It is not without reason that this axiom was coined. By many, Nikko is considered the most noteworthy sight of &li Japan, if not actually one of the wonders of the Kivers, cascades, waterfalls, lakes, ancient trees, and the brilliant chromatic display of leaves in autumn make this mountain retreat a beauty spot in any language. Added to this natural beauty is what is often claimed to be the finest handiwork of man, the gorgeous mausoleum over the tomb of leyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate [military dictatorship]. which governed Japan for 260 years. No limit seems to have been set upon the expenditure for the mausoleum, all the fine artistic talent of the country having been requisitioned. The craftsmen used 2,489,900 sheets of.gold leaf, sufficient to cover six acres, on the decorations. Fifteen thousand men were kept working 12 years to erect the various structures, from shrines and bridges to stables and cisterns. The mausoleum honours the craftiest Japanese in history, leyasu Tokugawa. This year, to commemorate the 224th anniversary of leyasu’s death, a grand festival, with all the pomp and ceremony of ancient times, was held in Nikko. . . „ • Japanese historians generally credit leyasu with the virtues of humanity, magnanimity, justice, and affability. On the other hand, his record shows that he was unscrupulous in utilising opportunities, whether created by himself or made accessible by fortune. He was also insincere, and among other qualities attributed to him were hypocrisy, greed, treachery, and stinginess. No dictator in ancient or modern times took greater precautions to safeguard his life than leyasu. He built an impregnable castle in Tokio —now the Imperial Palace—and to be on the safe side-constructed not one, but three, deep moats around it. He trusted no one and took no chances. All feudal chieftains wore constrained to spend alternate years in Tokio as hostages. In the years when they returned to their feudatories they had to leave their elder sons or, lacking heirs, their nearest of kin, in the dictator’s city. This proved so potent a check to disaffection that from 1615, when leyasu became supreme military dictator, until 1804, Japan remained entirely free from civil war.

The country, at the time of Teyasu’s rise, was still pretty evenly divided into two factions—one obedient to him, the other disposed to await the coming of age of Hineyori, son of the former Shogun, or military governor. Many expected that when Hideyori came of age the authority of his family would be restored by leyasu. who had served

faithfully under Hideyori’s fatherleyasu had other plans. , - Unfortunately for leyasu, Hideyori was a mere youth of 11, and the only fitting prospective bride for him among leyasu’s kin was his seven-year-old granddaughter, Tenjuin. Even in feudal Japan this was considered too early an age for marriage, but leyasu was not one to bicker about details. .He married them. Historians agree that leyasu meant noi so much to cepient an alliance between the two. families'as to utilise the marriage as a means of spying into tba affairs of Hideyori’s family. From the spies he placed among th* retinue of his granddaughter he soon< discovered that Hideyori was a ' son worthy of his courageous father.- Ha lived-in Osaka castle, an impregnable fortress. leyasu attacked o»ka and' took possession of the castle. ■ Hideyori committed suicide rather than be taken captive. , ■ Under leyasu. literature flourished. The Tokugawa. chieftain admired and respected Fujiwara Seigwa. one of th* most noted scholars. In 1616 leyasu fell sick and died. H* firmly • believed that to achieve success the first desideratum was to avoid mistakes._ He brought an almost infinit* capacity of. patient study*'and minute examination to everything he did.