Ghenko

Front matter

Original trom

Digitized ay Google UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

GHENKO

Introduction

HAVE been asked by my friend Mr. Yamada to write a few lines of introduction to his entrancing story of the defeat of the Mongol

Invasion of Japan in the thirteenth century, now for the first time presented to English readers in a concise and attractive form, and it is with great pleasure that I comply with his honourable request.

Mr. Yamada has modestly attributed the conception of his task to the stirring story of “ Westward Ho!” ; but throughout his work anes can see that in reality he is fired by the inbred | chivalry of the knightly family of which he is « the present representative, and he unconsciously ; pays a loving tribute to the brave deeds of his / ancestors. He tells us of his first intention to / write an historical romance ; but he fortunately! decided to confine himself to history, as the scenes he so picturesquely unfolds are worthy of comparison with those of Prescott’s romantic histories of the conquests of Mexico and Peru, with this advantage, that in the battles of the

adi

INTRODUCTION

Ghenko all was fairly done by the victors, and no stigma of dishonourable or treacherous conduct besmirched their laurels.

Throughout his book, while laying before his readers in a spirited and dramatic manner the condition of the Far East in the thirteenth century and the events that led up to the war of the Ghenko, he brings out in high relief the similarity of the chivalrous patriotism that marked the rise to greatnese of the ‘sland Powers of the East and of the West, and clearly shows that, notwithstanding the centuries that have since intervened, the same spirit and the same methods still mark the course of Powers secking aggrandisement and of free people striving to maintain their honour and freedom. Change the names and the seat of war, and much of Mr. Yamada’s story might well apply to the great struggle now taking place in Europe. I cannot help feeling that his presentment of the wisdom of the leaders of Japan and of the spirit of unity and national valour that animated her whole people at this momentous crisis is at the present time specially worthy of the careful study of people in this country.

Mr. Yamada has opened to us a sealed book,

xiv a

INTRODUCTION and has shown that in their chivalrous devotion to their native land his countrymen possessed the germ of national greatness long before even the name of Japan was known to the vast majority of Western people. Further he has clearly shown that, had it not been for this spirit of national patriotism, Japan would comparatively early in history have fallen a victim to Mongolian greed, while somewhat later England would have become the victim of the haughty ambition of Spain.

We may gather from the perusal of this book that by like minds and noble conceptions the English and Japanese nations have risen above the greed for material possessions and the vulgarity of aggressive ambition, and that the alliance between the “ Bulls” and the “ Dwarfs” is highly honourable and beneficial to both. The reader will be struck by the similarity of mind that actuated the Mikado and Shikken Tokimune on the one hand and Queen Elizabeth and Lord Howard of Effingham on the other in the hour of national crisis, and he will be tempted to bring down the comparison to nearer our own times and contrast Lord Nelson with the great Admiral Togo.

° xv s

0 Qn

INTRODUCTION

The book points many a moral suitable for us to lay to heart at the present time, and I trust that many may find the same pleasure and profit in reading the book that I have done.

In conclusion I feel that Mr. Yamada is to be congratulated on the way in which in some three short years he has mastered the difficulties of the English language and on the picturesqueness and attractiveness of his literary style, and I venture to think that, had many of us been placed in a similar position in Japan and been called upon to write a history of the Spanish Armada in Japanese, we should have fallen very far short of what Mr. Yamada has accomplished.

ARMSTRONG.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE Prerace a a a a ee | Inrropucrion : . , . . . xii

Toximwune preserven a Firm Front acawst

Kenta’s Demawo 2 |. e.g 8

Chapter I The Relations Between The Koreans And Japanese

INCE the history of Japan was first ' written in the reign of the Emperor Suiko

(a.v. 593), the records make our inter- « course with Korean countries clear since that time. In the light of these annals and taking in consideration many other legends and traditions, we know that the Japanese sprang up in the land which is known as Japan in consequence of a great fusion of various races of the northern continent and southern archipelagoes, and was, when our history begins, a perfectly independent nation which had remained comparatively unmolested by the continental troubles in which China, Korea and many other nations had been involved. Therefore, the task which the successive emperors of Japan had to undertake was mainly to subdue the fierce tribes and aborigines who here and there opposed the sovereign power, and next to check any foe from the continent who had easy access to the Western Islands of Japan, like Iki, Tsushima, and Kiushu.

Throughout the history of nations, we know of two kinds of defensive method : one is to withstand the enemy on the frontier, and the other to defeat him at a far distance from the frontier by means of an expeditionary force. But, failing the cessation of domestic troubles, it was, in any case, difficult to take the latter means. Japan, in the beginning of her history, was of course the home of fierce tribes, who were mostly pacified, however, by a little less than one century 3.c. In the two great histories of Japan, it is told “In October, 3.c. 87, Emperor Suijin declared to his vassals ‘ Now the home affairs are settled ; but the barbarous tribes abroad (Korea) are not. Ye, four generals, go at once to subdue them’ ; and in April, B.c. 86, the four generals returned in triumph and reported to the Emperor on their warfare. It was in this year that most even of the foreign barbarians were quelled and the land became tranquil.”

Emperor Suijin hereupon appointed Shionori-tsuhiko-no-Mikoto as a Japanese magistrate of Southern Korea, and established there a Japanese regency. This part of the peninsula was called Imna (Mimana in Japanese), and this event was the first Japanese dealing with the Koreans so far as the history of Japan shows.

In 3.c. 32, an Imna envoy came to Japan for the first time. On his way home after his five years’ residence in Japan, he was intercepted by some people of Sinra, one of the three countries in the Korean peninsula (Koryu, Sinra and Pek-ché) and was robbed of all the precious presents due to the King of Imna from Japan. This gave rise to discord between Imna and Sinra. Suijin was succeeded by his younger son, who is known as the eleventh emperor under the name of Suinin. He is said to have reigned ninety-nine years. The Emperor Suinin was succeeded by his younger son, Keiko, who became the twelfth emperor. His son Prince O-usu, who | afterwards was known as Yamato-dake, is represented as having a most daring and romantic career. This prince was most successful in subduing the barbarous tribes who opposed

3 a the state. There is told of him an interesting and touching story.

The first adventure narrated of him was regarding his elder brother. His father asked him, “Why does not thy elder brother make his appearance at the imperial banquets? Do thou see after him and teach him his duty.”

A few days after his father said again to him, “* Why does not thy brother attend to his duty ? Hast thou not warned him as I bade thee ?”?

The young prince replied that he had taken that trouble. Then his father said, “‘ How didst thou take the trouble to warn him?” And the prince coolly told him that he had slain him and thrown his carcase away.

The emperor was alarmed at the coolness and ferocity of his son, and bethought how he might employ him advantageously.

In these times, Kiushu Island was the abode of fierce and rebellious bandits, called Kumaso, : who paid small respect to the imperial wishes.

The emperor conceived that it would be a fitting

achievement for his fearless son to put an end to

these reckless outlaws, and he ordered Yamato-dake to do this.

So Yamato-dake, the prince, borrowed from his aunt her female apparel, and, hiding a sword in the bosom of his dress, he sought out two leaders of the Kumaso, who were brothers. In their hiding place they were about to celebrate the occupation of a new cave which they had fitted up for themselves. They had invited a goodly number of their neighbours, especially of the female sex. Prince Yamato-dake, who was young and fresh looking, put on his female disguise and let down his hair which was still long. He sauntered about the cave and went in where the two outlaws were amusing themselves with their female visitors. They were surprised and delighted to see this new and beautiful face. They seated her between them and did their best to entertain her.

Suddenly, when the outlaws were off their guard, Yamato-dake drew his sword from his bosom and slew the elder brother. The younger rushed out of the cave, the prince close at his heels. With one hand he clutched him by the back and with the other ran him through with his sword. As he fell, he begged the prince to pause a moment and not to withdraw his sword from the fatal wound.

Then the outlaw said, “ Whoart thou?” And he told him and for what purpose he had come. The outlaw said, “ There were in the West none so brave as we two brothers. From this time forward it shall be right to praise thee as the August Child Yamato-dake (the bravest in Yamato).”

As soon as he had said this, the prince “ ripped him up like a ripe melon.”

Then, after he had subdued and pacified the rebellious princes of the district about the Straits of Nagato, he returned to the emperor and made his report. Thus the Kumaso tribe was, for the time being, subdued by the unrivalled valour of Yamato-dake. But in the northern part of the main island there lived another powerful tribe called Ainu. The brave prince was despatched and, penetrating the region occupied by the fierce tribes, he settled the disturbances. But on his way to the emperor he was stricken with a fatal illness. On his death bed he ordered his faithful companion Prince Kibi-no-Takehiko to take to the emperor his last message. It was : io

“ According to your Majesty’s order, I have chastised the eastern barbarians with the help of the gods and with your imperial influence. I a hoped to return in triumph with my weapon wrapped in white. But I have been seized with a mortal disease, and I cannot recover. I am lying in the sweet open fields. I do not care for my life. I only regret that I cannot live to appear before you and make my report on my expedition.”

The successor to the Emperor Keiko was known by the canonical name of Seimu. He was the thirteenth emperor. Nothing noteworthy is narrated of his reign, and we may believe that the influence of the Yamato race gradually spread over the islands.

The fourteenth emperor was Chuai, the eldest ' son of Emperor Seimu. It was in his reign that the Kumaso tribe arose in swarms in the western districts. ‘In January, A.D. 199, he proceeded to Tsukushi, in Kiushu, and lived in the palace of Kashii, making preparations for the chastisement of the rebellious tribe,” says the Nihon-shoki.

He was accompanied by his empress, a lady of strong character, courage and energy, and of unbounded ambition; the greatest heroine in Japanese history.

It was on this occasion that Japan had a remarkable conflict with Korea. There was a Japanese invasion of the big peninsula, carried

7:

on by the empress known as Jingo-Kogo. It is not traceable whether the motive of the invasion was the need for checking the growing influence of Sinra which was supposed to have been assisting the Kumaso tribe in Kiushu, or merely to realise the empress’s ambition of raising the national prestige in the four seas.

The Kojiki says, “One day during the campaign the emperor was playing on his lute, when the empress became divinely inspired. She then charged the emperor: ‘ There is a land to the westward, and in that land is abundance of various treasures dazzling to the eye, from gold and silver downwards. I will now bestow the land upon thee.’ Then the emperor replied, saying, ‘Tf one ascend to a high place and look westward, nocountry is tobeseen. There is only the great sea’; and saying, ‘They are lying deities, he pushed away his august lute. Then the deities were very angry, and said, ‘ As for this empire, it is not a land over which thou oughtest to rule’: Hereupon the Prime Minister, the noble Takeno-uchi, said, ‘I am filled with awe, my heavenly sovereign, at this fearful message. I pray thee continue playing thy august lute.’ Then he played softly ; and gradually the sound died away and all was still; when a light was brought they found that the heavenly sovereign was dead.”

The description in the Nihon-shoki differs a little from the above. It is: “In the palace of Kashii, the emperor called the whole body of the officials of the Crown, and laid the matter of subjugating the Kumaso under debate, when suddenly the empress became divinely possessed. She spoke to the emperor in the name of the deity that possessed her, saying, ‘ Your Imperial Majesty, the matter of insubordination of the Kumaso is not worth grief. This country is worth nothing ; why do you raise an army for such a trifling land? Beyond the sea, there isa treasure land far superior to this, which is as bright as a fair maiden, with dazzling gold and silver limitless, the land is called Sinra. He who dedicates to me a shrine, will get the land subdued without bloodshed, and the Kumaso will be subjugated.’”

Korea was at this time divided into four’ kingdoms, and there was some official communication between Imna and Japan. It is not easy to understand Chuai’s incredulity ; but it may be sound to see in this the conservative: ..

character of the emperor in contrast with the empress's daring nature.

The empress had greater faith in the gods, greater ambition and greater statesmanship than her husband. A foreign conquest would ensure to her greater fame than the subdual of an ordinary local outbreak, and the union of the people against a foreign foe might also bring with it lasting domestic peace. With the aid of the Prime Minister Take-no-uchi, all knowledge of the emperor’s death was suppressed, his body was temporarily buried at night, and she herself proceeded to carry out the plan for the expedition to Korea. Further divine omens promised her success. Out of the threads of her garment she made a fishing line and from a needle a hook, and standing on a stone in the middle of the river, she said, “‘ If I am to succeed, let the fish of the river bite the hook.” She at once caught a trout. Afterwards women only used to fish in that river in the early part of the fourth month in each year. Ifmentried it, theyhad nosuccess. Then she bathed in the sea, and said, “If I am to succeed, let my hair be parted in two.” Her hair parted of its own accord, so she henceforth wore itand dressed asa man. Her flect and army Io were then ready, and she took the command, personally, and in the name of the late emperor. She was at this time pregnant, but she tied a stone in her girdle and wore it constantly, and thus delayed her delivery. The day of sailing into the unknown waters came and the gods again showed their favour. A great wave came which carried the whole fleet with it rapidly and safely, and even the fishes of the sea bore on their backs the vessel which carried the empress herself, and brought it at the head of the fleet to the shores of southern Korea.

The coming of the Japanese was a complete surprise to the people of Sinra. The fleet of Jingo-Kogo landed in the kingdom of Sinra. The king was so completely unprepared for this incursion that he at once offered his allegiance.

Sinra was now subdued, and the sovereign, power of Japan prevailed over the Korean penin-' sula; for Sintra was then the most powerful country in the peninsula. Each kingdom officially came to Japan, after that time, to do her homage and pay her tribute.

In the forty-seventh year of the reign of the brave empress, Sinra was again chastised by the empress’s army, on the ground that an envoy of

Il

Sinra had stolen Pek-che’s tributes due to Japan, and brought them, as his own, to the Japanese Court. In this expedition, a Japanese general Chikuma-no-Nagahiko, co-operating with the armies of Pek-ché, conquered seven states of Sinra.

It was on this occasion that the King of Pek-ché, being very grateful for the Japanese exploit, saw the commander of the Japanese force on the Kosa Hill, and swore solemnly that Pekché should thenceforth be a western province of Japan, and should pay an annual tribute for ever.

The son of whom the empress was pregnant became the Emperor Ojin. In the fifth year of his reign (270—310 a.p.) the north was subjugated, and the maritime arts were fostered by frequent interchange of officials and troops. A great increase of seamen and ships may be inferred from the establishment at this time of seamen’s departments and ship bureaus throughout the country. And this became the beginning of marine administration.

This remarkable expansion of the Japanese marine was indeed the requirement of that age, when they not only wanted the transports to carry the imperial army by way of water to the north or to the south, but also to hold in check the numerous marauders and pirates who endangered the peace of the Korean and Japanese coasts, there being an increasingly closer intercourse between the two countries. In the peninsula, Koryu’s power had been gradually increasing, and in the twenty-eighth year of the Emperor Ojin’s reign, Koryu sent an envoy tothe Japanese Court for the payment of atribute. Receiving the Koryu envoy, Uji-no- Wakiiratsuko, the crown prince, found the credentials of a very insolent nature, so that accepting it, he thought, would ruin the prestige of Japan. He blamed the Koryu ambassador, and broke the cover of the credentials into pieces, on finding within these words “ The King of Koryu gives instructions to Japan.” This example shows what pride Japan had been maintaining towards the countries of Korea. While Koryu sometimes behaved thus faithlessly, Sinra seemed for a long time faithful. It is described in the Nihon-shoki that when a Japanese emperor Inkyo, the fifth in descent from Emperor Ojin, died, Sinra expressed her deep sorrow and sympathy in this misfortune by sending eighty ships laden with offerings and eighty 13 musicians on board. They first anchored at Tsushima, and all the crews raised their first cry of sorrow. Then, advancing to the Tsukushi shores of Kiushu Island, the second cry was raised. Reaching Naniwa Bay (Osaka Bay), they changed their clothes to mourning dress, held up all their offerings, put all their musical instruments into order and came to the capital, Naniwa ; then, in a most sorrowful manner, they cried, and in an excess of grief they danced.

Emperor Anko succeeded to the throne ; but after only two years, he left the throne to his son, who became Emperor Yuryaku. In the eighth year of his reign, some troubles arose between Sinra and Koryu. The former asked the Japanese regency in Imna for a reinforcement. The Japanese generals went chivalrously in aid of Sinra with recruits and crushed the Koryu force.

But bad faith had been a habitual policy of the Koryu Government, and sometimes Sinra’s attitude toward Japan had been fickle. After only one year had passed, the latter joined Koryu, intending to repeat her old tricks. .

Hereupon Emperor Yuryaku’s wrath was aroused by this: he proclaimed to his generals

“14

“* Age after age, Sinra has done us homage: he* did not neglect visits of ceremony ; his payment of tribute was duly discharged. But since we have come to rule the empire, he has betaken himself beyond Tsushima, and concealed his traces outside of Chaumra, He prevents Koryu from sending tribute, he devours the walled cities of Pek-ché. Nay, more—his missions of ceremony to this court have been neglected and his tribute remains unpaid. With the savage heart of the wolf he flies away when satiated, and holds fast when starving. I appoint you, the four ministers, to be generals. Take a royal army and chastise him. Let the punishment of heaven be reverently executed.” Sinra was again chastised; but this time the royal army of Emperor Yuryaku was unable to do such remarkable exploits as before. For Koryu, joined forces with Sinra, and this power in the peninsula was rapidly rising. The northern half of the peninsula was dominated by the influence of the two countries, and the allied force came sweeping southward.

In the twenty-first year of the emperor’s reign, a Koryu force completely destroyed Pek-ché, one of the three kingdoms. Hereupon, the Japanese emperor conferred a new territory on the King of Pek-ché and re-established the ruined country.

This means that the Japanese influence over Korean kingdoms was decreasing owing to the rise of Koryu’s power; and this process was gradually strengthened by an event which took place in the reign of Emperor Keitai, who was the fifth in succession to Yuryaku.

Pek-ché, which was then being pressed down by Koryu force like a light before the wind, came to ask Japan for amalgamation with the four provinces of Imna which had long been a Japanese protectorate in Korea.

Japan had then to choose between a progressive and conservative policy in her foreign affairs. The amalgamation of the four provinces with Pek-ché might mean, on one hand, a certain consolidation of her decaying influence in the peninsula, provided Pek-ché would keep her fealty; but, on the other hand, Japanese withdrawal from their progressive policy expressly originated by Empress Jingo, provided Pek-ché would be overpowered by Koryu.

To advance with war or to retire with peace were the only alternatives before Japan.

Conservative pol'cy prevailed in the Japanese Court, and the Government agreed with Pek-ché’s proposal after all.

This was a main source of the later separation of Korea and Japan.

As a matter of fact, the development of Sinra force at last overpowered the resisting countries, and it became almost impossible for Japan to keep control over her most faithful dependencies in the peninsula. At last Emperor Senkwa removed his protectorate government in Imna to this side of the Korean straits in a.p. 536, and for the purpose of overseeing the continental affairs, and for the maintenance of peace of the western districts, he established a special government at Nanotsu, of Tsukushiin Kiushu. This foundation of a new government in Kiushu became the origin of Dazai-fu, the most important and celebrated government known in the later stage of Japanese history.

In the second year of his reign, Imna was attacked by Sinra forces; and, after a score of years, the independence of Imna fell at length before the sweeping power of Sinra. Thus the great aspiration of Empress Jingo and her unrivalled work founded in the continent, became

THE MONGOL INVASION OF JAPAN entirely nullified after the lapse of three centuries and thirteen years.

For fifty years Japan frequently tried in vain to re-establish her protectorate in the peninsula.

In the reign of Empress Suiko (593—628) expeditionary forces often went out to attack Sinra, But no remarkable restoration of Japanese prestige was seen. However, it was in her reign that intercourse with China was newly opened.

Although Japan had lost her ruling sphere in Korea, her independence wasnotencroached upon. Her strong sea defences made her neighbours thoroughly respect her, and their habit of doing homage and paying tribute had been continued. Itis related that in the reign of Emperor Kotoku (645—654) a Pek-ché envoy was rejected by the Japanese authority on the ground that the tribute was insufficient.

The Korean peninsula was the Balkans of the Far East. Kingdoms competed with each other for the headship over the peninsular countries. Though Japan had withdrawn her hand, China came in contact with them at the time of her Tang dynasty (618—907).

Tn the reign of Emperor Tenchi (661—671)

Sinra joined forces with China, and a dangerous cloud of war hung over the peninsula. Koryu and Pek-ché asked help from Japan. Emperor Tenchi raised an expeditionary force and did his duty toward his dependent countries, but the time was not favourable to the Japanese army. The expedition failed, and China completely absorbed Koryu into her dominion. The continental outlook became very unfavourable to Japan. For China had stepped in. China had long been the centre of Eastern civilisation, and naturally her foundations were very strong ; and she was quite independent until her Sung dynasty was destroyed (1280) by the Mongols, who had been threatening her existence from the north/ While the kingdoms of Korea had been more or less dependent on the sovereign power of Japan, China was a country of equal status with Japan. Not only had her civilisation influenced Japan, but it was through China that the old and high civilisation of India had flowed into Japan.

Therefore it was never good policy for Japan to enter into conflict with such a big country as China, unless and until the existence of Japan was threatened by her. Having done her

19 os best to help her friends in the peninsula, all that she could now do was to keep her own gate safe from the invaders, and with regard to continental affairs, to pursue a policy of Jaissezfaire.

So Emperor Tenchi built one castle in Nagato, and two in Tsukushi, key-positions in the defences against invasion. And the defence of these regions continued to be of great importance right up to the time of the Mongol invasion in 1275. Tsukushi is a large province on the northern coast of Kiushu. Facing the Sea of Ghenkai stands the castle above the beach, and, from the castle tower, the horizon could be scanned for enemy ships. Below the horizon lie the two big islands of Iki and Teushima, between the Korean peninsula and Kiushu. To the west of Kiushu there is open sea, beyond which lies China. Thus Kiushu was very accessible to invaders coming by ship from the various shores of the continent, and making these islands their headquarters.

Naturally, therefore, Kiushu has been the most important doorway of the Japanese Empire from the time of the gods. Closer intercourse with Korea and China made Japan more cautious and self-defensive than before. For the development of communication made, on the one hand, thecontinental enemies cast greedy eyes on the beautiful land in the Far East, and, on the other, made Japan much more aware of the existence of a powerful country like China, and of the rise of many other Powers.

Generation after generation, the successive emperors of Japan consolidated the defence of her western provinces. Emperor Temmu (673— 686) encouraged military training, under strict discipline, allover the country. Emperor Mommu (697—707) repaired five castles in Tsukushi for the coastal defence, and appointed a general governor in Tsukushi province. Emperor Genmyo (708—721) bestowed on the Dazai-fu government of Tsukushi 5,450 pounds of cotton, warships, and 5,374 bows. He moreover provided for a large manufacture of armour throughout his empire.

On the other hand, Japan did not shut her door against thousands of Koryu and Pck-ché people who escaped from Chinese persecution in the peninsula. Those who became naturalised were all allotted dwelling-places in the various parts of the empire.

In the reign of Emperor Shoum (724—756)

ar

| Japan received the light of Buddhism from China; "yet the dread of invasion still overshadowed the western frontier. Japan at this time rejected Sinra’s envoy because of his using insolent language. The emperor strengthened the defence of Iki and Tsushima, and despatched thereto the garrisons of Tsukushi districts.

Meanwhile an official of the Dazai-fu Government, Fujiwara-no Hirotsugu, committed treason, probably taking advantage of his official power, and attempted to join with a Koryu force. This was a serious event. But, before the traitor joined with the continental force, the imperial army subdued the bandits and put the leader to death.

After this deplorable event it was necessary to chastise Sinra. In the reign of Emperor Junnin (759—765), the proposal for an expedition to Sinra was reported to the temple of Kashii, and the emperor ordered warships to be built by the provinces of Hokuroku, San-in, San-yo and Nankai, Judged by the size of the building programme, this expedition was designed on a grand scale. In the fifth year, youths of the provinces Mino and Musashi were particularly chosen for the study of the Sinra language, a and the ships’ and soldiers levied in the south, east and western provinces were closely ine spected. In the sixth year an archery band was organised in Dazai-fu by imperial order.