The lecture of Rabindranath delivered at the Tokyo University could not satisfy a section of intelligentsia of Japan. Andrews wrote;
" After the preliminary emotions, when he spoke out strongly against the militant imperialism which he saw on every side in Japan and set forward in contrast his own ideal picture of the true meeting of east and west, with its vista of old brotherhood, the hint went abroad that such "pacifist" teaching was a danger in war-time, and that the Indian poet represented a defeated nation. Therefore, almost as rapidly as the enthusiasm had arisen, it subsided. In the end, he was almost isolated, and the object for which he had come to the Far East remained unfulfilled."
Andrews wrote that Rabindranath wrote a poem, titled " the song of the defeated ", at the blow given to him by the attitude of the Japanese which was published in The modern Review in Oct. During his stay in Japan, he translated many poems of "Kanika" translated into English and compiled them in a book, "Stray Birds " [1916]. The poem, " The song of the Defeated", was written on the 30th page of the manuscript of "Stray Birds" . This poem "Song of the Defeated" written in English was one of his basic poetry. It was to be noted that on the 31st page of the manuscript he wrote the poem " Thanksgiving", published in "The Times" 18th Sept.
The Intelligentsia of Japan showed mixed reaction to Rabindranath's Message to Japan. Stephen Hey narrated a statistical information on this;
" One indication of the variety of view points from which Japan's intellectuals looked at Tagore is the fact that out of eighty-seven individuals whose opinions on him were published ( most of them in the three Tokyo monthlies which conducted opinion surveys after he had lectured at Tokyo University), thirty-five disapproved of his lectures and twenty six favored them for one reason or another, five found both good and bad in them, and twenty one passed no judgement."
He discussed the issue in his book "Japanese views of Tagore's Message"
It was painful that the litterateurs, philosophers, religious persons, and politicians could not follow the moral of the speech of Rabindranath owing to their pride and mentality of imperialist ideas. They had defeated Russia in 1905, Korea in 1910, and occupied a portion of China.
He wanted to give spirituality, not that spirituality which is alienated from human life, a higher position than the Nationalism. That is the self determination, morality, and lastly the humanity.
Stephen Hey mentioned a significant historical incidence ;
" In Hakone, a meeting was arranged between Tagore and the elderly Count Kabayama, a veteran of the Formosan expedition of 1874, the first governor-general of Formosa, and and several times a cabinet minister.When their conversation turned to the subject of Asia's political future, Tagore, according to the interpreter, said nothing. When the Satsuma Samuria talked of his sympathy with the Indian people, the poet merely thanked him.It may have been Count Kabayama who suggested to the poet that he might become the president of independent India, if it were freed with Japanese help. Tagore answered this offer with a stony silence.
