children of concubines who live with their own parents are, I am told, usually registered as the children of the mother’s father; otherwise they are registered as illegitimate; statistics, therefore, furnish no clew as to the increase or decrease or amount of concubinage and illegitimacy, most important questions in Japanese sociology.  But my informants are unanimous in the assertion that there has been a marked increase of concubinage during recent years.  The simple and uniform explanation given is that multitudes of merchants and officials, and even of farmers, can afford to maintain them to-day who formerly were unable to do so.  The older ideals on this subject were such as to allow of concubinage to the extent of one’s financial ability.

During the year 1898 the newspapers and leading writers of Japan carried on a vigorous discussion concerning concubinage.  The Yorozu Choho published an inventory of 493 men maintaining separate establishments for their concubines, giving not only the names and the business of the men, but also the character of the women chosen to be concubines.  Of these 493 men, 9 are ministers of state and ex-ministers; 15 are peers or members of House of Peers; 7 are barristers; 3 are learned doctors; the rest are nearly all business men.  The women were, previous to concubinage, Dancing girls, 183; Servants, 69; Prostitutes, 17; “Ordinary young girls,” 91; Adopted daughters, 15; Widows, 7; Performers, 7; Miscellaneous, 104.  In this discussion it has been generally admitted that concubinage has increased in modern times, and the cause attributed is “general looseness of morals.”  Some of the leading writers maintain that the concubinage of former times was largely confined to those who took concubines to insure the maintenance of the family line; and also that the taking of dancing girls was unknown in olden times.

It is interesting to note in this connection that some of those who defend the practice of concubinage appeal to the example of the Old Testament, saying that what was good enough for the race that gave to Christians the greater part of their Bible is good enough for the Japanese.  Another point in the discussion interesting to the Occidental is the repeated assertion that there is no real difference between the East and the West in point of practice; the only difference is that whereas in the East all is open and above board, in the West extra-marital relations are condemned by popular opinion, and are therefore concealed.[BT] A few writers publicly defend concubinage; most, however, condemn it vigorously, even though making no profession of Christian faith.  Of the latter class is Mr. Fukuzawa, one of Japan’s leaders of public opinion.  In his most trenchant attack, he asserts that if Japan is to progress in civilization she must abandon her system of concubinage.  That new standards in regard to marital relations are arising in Japan is clear; but they have as yet little force; there is no consensus of opinion to give them force.  He who transgresses them is still recognized as in good standing in the community.