Japan as it is To-Day

In the Japan of to-day the world has before it a unique example of an Eastern people displaying the power to assimilate and to adopt the civilisation of the West, while preserving its own national dignity unimpaired, aptly remarks a modern writer. It is, indeed, in its powers of assimilation and adaptation that Japan, stands unique among not only the nations of the world at the present time, but amongst the nations of whom we have any historical record. Japan as it is to-day gives the lie to nearly all the prophets, and demonstrates that the psychologist is merely a charlatan. Sir Rutherford Alcock was not a psychologist, but quite evidently he too misread the Japanese mind and its workings. When, many centuries ago, the Koreans brought to Japan the religion, laws, literature, and art of China, these were adopted and assimilated. Both Buddhism and Confucianism existed side by side in the country with the old Shinto religion.