The Ideals of the Shinran Followers - A Short Exposition of the Religion That Is Professed by Most of the Educated Japanese People #250481

People thus imagine Japan to be not only a: warlike nation but one that'likes to see others fight. Those intriguers who have been con stantly trying to alienate us from our friendly neighbors appear to have partly succeeded in, thus misrepresenting us. We do not deny that there has always been a group of such merchants unprincipled political merchants who avail themselves of every opportunity, just or unjust, to swell their private coffers. But these are a minority and are strongly denounced by their fellow-citizens who have sound judgment and high moral principles. They do not belong to the true Japanese aspiring after a spiritual civilisation. Again, there are some Japanese thoroughly intoxicated by the German craze for organisation, its military efficiency, and its philosophical ideal.