PREFACE.
To those readers who may be unaware of the existence of the peculiar class known in Japan as “Soshi,” a few explanatory words may be necessary in introducing to their notice the “Soshi-bushi” (or Soshi's Song.)
During the last twenty years, many young men of the student class left their country homes and came to the great cities for the “higher education” as it was called, thinking thereby to attain positions in the political arena, which they conceived would be opened to them by the adoption of constitutional and representative government.
But in consequence of a total want of knowledge of the world, combined with general looseness of principle and instability of character, and the absence of any check upon their actions by family control, they soon sunk into the position of mere impecunious adventurers, ready to sell their services for any secret or under-hand work in connection with parliamentary elections etc: and in some cases, it was found, even as hired assassins. |
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The strong arm of the law having however promptly and sternly repressed their lawless tendencies, they have within the last few years, in many cases taken up more honest means of livelihood, even to descending from their high aspirations to become milk carriers, deliverers of newspapers, and street minstrels.
Some of the more ambitious and Intellecutual have adopted the stage as a profession, and now a “Soshis' Theatre” is to be found in many of the great cities of Japan.
This “Song of the Soshi” is therefore offered to the public as being descriptive of the life, past and present, of a section of the community whose existence cannot be ignored, although it does not stand very high in public estimation, in the hope that the tune, which is essentially Japanese, and the accompanying illustrations,may serve to amuse an idle hour. |
