wherever feasible--for instance, by means of a new set of
festivals celebrating Imperial official events.

But the schools are the great strongholds of the new
propaganda. History is so taught to the young as to focus
everything upon Imperialism, and to diminish as far as
possible the contrast between ancient and modern conditions.
The same is true of the instruction given to army and navy
recruits. Thus, though Shinto is put in the forefront, little
stress is laid on its mythology, which would be apt to shock
even the Japanese mind at the present day. To this extent,
where a purpose useful to the ruling class is to be served,
criticism is practised, though not avowedly. Far different
is the case with so-called "historical facts," such as the
alleged foundation of the Monarchy in 660 B.C. and similar
statements paralleled only for absurdity by what passed for
history in mediaeval Europe, when King Lear, Brute, King of
Britain, etc., etc., were accepted as authentic personages.
For the truth, known to all critical investigators, is that,
instead of going back to a remote antiquity, the origins of
Japanese history are recent as compared with that of European
countries. The first glimmer of genuine Japanese history
dates from the fifth century AFTER Christ, and even the
accounts of what happened in the sixth century must be
received with caution. Japanese scholars know this as well as
we do; it is one of the certain results of investigation. But
the Japanese bureaucracy does not desire to have the light
let in on this inconvenient circumstance. While granting a
dispensation re the national mythology, properly so called, it
exacts belief in every iota of the national historic legends.