<Koakai hokoku>
Issue 2 (1880, April 1):
- Kaneko Yahei
(1854-1924): “General Discourse on Asia” (p. 10-11):
from editor: ‘Our
member, Kaneko Yahei, is bound to leave for China, and wrote a piece, where he
discusses the general situation in Asia. The title is: <Records on Asia>.
The abbreviated variants of that piece are the articles, “General Discourse on
Asia”, and “Conditions of Our Country” that we publish in our Reports. [Kaneko]
deeply researched on the reasons for efflorescence and downfall in past and
present, as well as on the pressing needs of our days. His words are sufficient
for leading the hearers to explode in the [righteous] anger. Here we publish
his “General Discourse on Asia”, while going to publish his article on our
country’s problems in a following issue.’
Kaneko’s Text: ‘In the
times of the primordial chaos, Asia was the best among the five continents in
the development of human knowledge. Generally, already 4 thousand years ago the
human knowledge was born there, and the states were established: China in the
east, India in the middle, and Asian Turkey in the west. At that time, the
records were made by tying knots on the strings, as there were no books and
letters, and that did not change in generations. Although we know about the
“books” (fen) by the ancient [Chinese Emperors] or the Old Testament,
this kind of things should have disappeared with the time, and then was
probably falsified by the descendants, who wrote absurd and groundless stories
there. Therefore, those records can be used [only] if they are corroborated by
the historical relics and can be believed and discussed on.
In all the
above-mentioned countries, the mankind first began to grow and prosper 3
thousand years ago, when both knowledge and material life effloresced, castles
and palaces were built, and all rituals and customs concerning the cloth and
implements were established. The products of agriculture and sericulture were
profitably exchanged in the markets, and the teaching of the etiquette,
righteousness, and human morals flourished.
2 thousand years ago,
there were gradual increases in human wisdom, and the biggest number of
innovations appeared ranging from the systems and decrees to science and
industry. In can be called flourishing! At that time, in the continent of
Europe, with the exception of its South-East (Italy, Greece, and European
Turkey), the people still lived in the caves, did not know how to cook food with
fire, and were primitively ignorant. Wild beasts were roaring in the forests
and marshes where poisonous insects [also] nested themselves. That desolate
wilderness did not resemble human abode.
2600 years ago, the
Rome state was established in Italy, and its fortunes gradually improved
throughout the time. In the east, it destroyed Greece (Greek states were
established more than 2700 years ago, being the earliest in Europe, while Roma
was the nest. With the exception of those two, Europe has no ancient states)
and also various lands of Ancient Turkey, and in the west, it annexed the lands
of such barbarians as British and Germans – the whole of Europe’s hinterland.
It brought the intellectual and material life to the flourishing, but the
origins of Roman culture lay in Greece, while Greek culture enriched itself by
borrowings from the various lands of Asian Turkey. All these things are
included into histories, and can be corroborated, so [I] do not need to clarify
it further here. Then, beginning from the time when Rome destroyed Jewish
Kingdom (today a part of Asian Turkey), Christianity gradually began to spread
in Europe.
Then, afterwards,
millions [of Europeans] threw themselves into Crusades. As they personally
witnessed the efflorescence of the intellectual and material culture in Asia,
they began to admire it. On having returned from the war, they studied and
recorded it, and also emulated and re-created it, both in scholarship and
crafts. The more they studied it, the more exquisite their knowledge became.
Gradually, their superstitious and evil customs were overcome, and they began
to progress rapidly in culture. Thus, it is said that European culture is, in
fact, a gift from Asia. Asian culture, intellectual and material, predates that
of Europe by more than two thousand years. The [start] of the flowering of
European culture is separated from us only by 500-600 years. [I] lament also
that it is not discussed [wider in Japan]
today.
But today, as I will
describe in this article, the overall strength of Asia does not reach the
European [level]. Let us try to discuss it. If we are to describe the progress
of European states in wealth and military strength, we may say that human
intelligence progresses there daily, and the culture advances monthly. [They]
explore the laws of the Heaven and Earth, while scrutinizing also the nature of
the myriads of things. The absurd and superfluous stories are discarded, while
the discussions on authentic and truthful [facts] are on the rise. Science
flourishes, and the enterprises also make successes. Inside [these countries]
the political rule and education are in order, while outside they profit from
trade. Both superiors and inferiors assumed their proper positions, and [mutual
treatment with] humanness follows.
Asia is the opposite.
The land is desolate, and the people are scattered. [They] blindly advocate the
old, being besotted with the antiquity. [They] ignominiously seek for immediate
peace, their vigour having declined and their minds being ignorant. Confusion
and heresies are widespread, the politics are not trusted, and education is
without substance. The superiors and inferiors resent each other, officials and
commoners disdain each other. Humaneness disappears, and treasonous thoughts
arise [instead]. If one day an incident breaks out, and [they] wish to guard
against internal problems and fend off external enemies, rare are those who do
not suffer defeat or do not have their hands tied. Why the past and present of the Asian intellectual and material
cultures are so unlike? And why the differences between the [periods] of its
efflorescence and decline are so sharp?
The knowledgeable
people, whom I once have heard, say that, by their nature, Asians like
stillness, while Europeans, by custom, prefer motion. Stillness means “stop”,
while motion means “continuous movement”. That is why, as they say, [the
development of] intellectual and material culture in Asia stopped in Middle
Ages and did not move continuously further. They add that Asians are credulous
and gullible, while Europeans are sceptical. Credulous means, “shallow”, while
scepticism means that deeper [reasons] are searched for. That is, they say, the
reason for the difference in the fortunes of Asian and European cultures today.
It is clear, but we are,
indeed, as manly as they are, and the rise and downfall of culture, as well as
the fortunes of state, depend only on human action or inaction.
Today, if [we] wish to
revive Asia from several millennia-long decline and compete with Europeans in
wealth and power, who will be the people [able to lead the revival]? Even if
there are such people, is it possible for human strength to achieve [the
revival] at once when the situation is so [bad] as it is now? [Many] say “No”,
but they are wrong. We need not to worry about the absence of such people
today, as the people already exist, and the situation is ripe. In the past
years, the culture of our country followed that of the whole [Asian] continent,
mutually acknowledging each other and influencing each other’s development. And
in the recent years [in Japan] lots of noble-minded patriots (shishi)
emerged, and the wisdom and broad-mindedness also rose concomitantly. The line
of national policy established, and indestructible fundament is laid. Human
knowledge advances daily, and the worldly fortunes [of the country] are
steadily progressing. In this time, rightly called that of manly action, the
rise of the whole Asian continent can be expected. If these of our countrymen
are really the people [to lead the Asian revival], the situation will also suit
them – so, what is difficult and impossible? As the nature and talents of the
peoples of whole Asia do not differ with our countrymen, and our countrymen are
able [to lead the Asia revival], what is impossible for the men of the whole
continent? All the things our countrymen are doing, will not be limited to our
country, but will further progress into similar action on the pan-continental
scale. Thus, we will revive Asia from the several millennia-long decline, and compete
with Europeans in wealth and power.
Today’s moment should not be lost, for success or failure of the affair depend on whether the moment is utilized. Before, the wealth, power and civilization of Britain were superior to that of other European countries. Although it lies on a remote sea islands, it became the hegemon of the great continent, and, throughout several centuries, all countries look up to it as to the Great Mountain and Big Dipper. Its might and authority did not decline up to today. How can we not to use the opportunity [now] in order to achieve [the same]? First, without doubts, the situation of our country in the great continent of Asia is just like this. People used to say [about us] that there was one Britain in the East, and that our country would in future heroically advance into the whole continent. Alas! Although our country has such a name, the actual achievement is lacking yet! How are we going to respond to the people of the world in future? Let us make efforts, for our responsibility is not light! And all countries of the whole continent also will take up our initiative, renew their spirit, wipe out the absurd customs, design new ways, and, in mutual cooperation, make great achievements! That is my cherished hope.