p. 181 | Heathenism Recovering Its Own

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 8, 1876

Heathenism Recovering Its Own.

In Japan the legal holidays have heretofore been all days the numerical signs for which end with the figures 1 or 6; as, the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th, and 31st days of the month. Thus they have had from six to seven holidays a month, in which all public business is suspended.

This was found to interfere seriously with the customs of Christian (?) nations, who now have representatives in Japan through their intercourse with that people, and especially so when they were in government service. Hence those days have been abolished, and Sunday taken in their stead. The Japan Weekly Mail of March 18 announces “that a notification has been issued by the prime minister, abolishing the Ichi-roku holidays and proclaiming a forthcoming substitution of the first day of the week, or the day of the Christian Sabbath, instead.” The text of the “Notification” reads as follows:—

[NOTIFICATION 27.]

(To In, Sho, Shi, Cho, Fu, and Ken.)

It is hereby notified that up to the present time the 1st and 6th days have been observed in the government offices as the days of rest. But from the first of April next, all government offices will be closed on Sunday and will be open only until noon on Saturday.

SANJO SANETOMI, Prime Minister.

Of this the Christian Statesman says:—

“The rapidity with which the rooted traditions and social usages of Japan are giving way, after centuries of absolute seclusion, awakens a perpetual astonishment. Of course, the substitution of “Sunday” for their previous irregular holidays is not the acceptance of the Christian Sabbath, as a religious institution. But a moment’s reflection will reveal to any mind the immense value to the cause of Christianity, of the change which has been made. Converts to the true religion will not be placed in conflict with the customs of the people or the requirements of their employers by the observance of the Sabbath. Another link by which the people were fettered to the past with its superstitions has been broken, and another tie of sympathy established between Japan and Christian nations. The Christian Intelligencer, from which the facts above stated are taken, adds:—”

“‘It is a remarkable circumstance that at the very point of time when the friends of the Sabbath in this country have been literally passing through a fiery ordeal in defense of the Christian Sabbath—an ordeal, by the way, which is likely to be renewed by those who on various pretexts are eager to convert the Sabbath during the coming Centennial into a day of demoralizing traffic and unrestrained indulgence in pleasure-seeking—it is remarkable, we say, that at this very juncture the heathen empire of Japan should have determined to adopt the observance of the first day of the week as a day of rest. This notable and unexpected occurrence should supply an additional motive for the Christian people of America to stand by the Sabbath, and a new incentive to extraordinary efforts to defeat the exertions of those who are striving for selfish motives of mere gain to degrade that holy day from its supremacy.’”