Tales of Old Japan

Tales of Old Japan is an anthology of short stories, compiled by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, Lord Redesdale, writing under the better known name of A.B. Mitford. These stories focus on the varying aspects of Japanese life in centuries past. The book, which was written in 1871, is still regarded as an excellent introduction to Japanese literature and culture, by virtue of its ease of access and supplemental notes by the writer. Also included are the author's eyewitness accounts of a selection of Japanese rituals, ranging from the harakiri and marriage to a selection of sermons. This book had a lasting influence on the Western perception of Japanese history, culture and society, particularly because of just one widely known tale about samurai revenge.

Mitford's version of the rōnin story

In 1701 (by the Western calendar), two "daimyo", Asano Takumi-no-Kami Naganori, the young daimyo of Akō (a small fiefdom or "han" in western Honshū), and Lord Kamei of the Tsuwano Domain, were ordered to arrange a fitting reception for the envoys of the Emperor in Edo, during their "sankin kōtai" service to the Shogun. [Mitford, Algernon. (1871). "Tales of Old Japan," p. 7.]

These "daimyo" names are not fiction, nor is there any question that something actually happened in "Genroku" 14, on the 14th day of the 3rd month (元禄十四年三月十四日) [Thursday, April 21, 1701. [ [http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm Tsuchihashi conversion] ] . What is commonly called "the Akō incident" was an actual event.Screech, T. (2006). "Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan," p. 91.]

For many years, the version of events retold by in "Tales of Old Japan" was considered authoritative. The sequence of events and the characters in this narrative were presented to a wide, popular readership in the West.

Mitford himself invited his readers to construe his story of the forty-seven ronin as historically accurate; and while Mitford's tale has long been considered a standard work, some of its precise details are now questioned. Nevertheless, even with plausible defects, Mitford's work remains a conventional starting point for further study.

Whether as a mere literary device or as a claim for ethnographic veracity, Mitford explains: :"In the midst of a nest of venerable trees in Takanawa, a suburb of Yedo, is hidden Sengakuji, or the Spring-hill Temple, renowned throughout the length and breadth of the land for its cemetery, which contains the graves of the Forty-seven Rônins, famous in Japanese history, heroes of Japanese drama, the tale of whose deed I am about to transcribe." [emphasis added] ":::::-— Mitford, A. L. in "Tales of Old Japan" [Mitford, pp. 5-6.]

Also appended to Mitford's account were translations of Sengakuji documents examined personally by the author. These were proffered as "proofs" which authenticated this story. [Mitford, pp. 28-34.] These documents were:
* (1) "the receipt given by the retainers of Kôtsuké no Suké's son in return for the head of their lord's father, which the priests restored to the family".Mitford, p. 30.]
* (2) "a document explanatory of their conduct, a copy of which was found on the person of each of the forty-seven men," dated in the 15th year of Genrolku, 12th month. [Mitford, 31.]
* (3) "a paper which the Forty-seven Rǒnins laid upon the tomb of their master, together with the head of Kira Kôtsuké no Suké". [Mitford, 32.]

::"See Forty-seven Ronin for discussion and analysis of more accurate historical narrative"

Genesis of a tragedy

Asano and Kamei were to be given instruction in the necessary court etiquette by Kira Kozuke-no-Suke Yoshinaka, a powerful Edo official in the hierarchy of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's shogunate. He became upset at them, allegedly because of either the small presents they offered him (in the time-honored compensation for such an instructor), or because they would not offer bribes as he wanted. Other sources say that he was a naturally rude and arrogant individual, or that he was corrupt, which offended Asano, a rigidly moral Confucian. Regardless of whether and how Kira treated them poorly, insulted them or failed to prepare them for fulfilling specific "bakufu" duties, [Mitford, p. 7.] offense was taken. [see above] ]

While Asano bore all this stoically, Kamei Sama became enraged, and prepared to kill Kira to avenge the insults. However, the quick thinking counsellors of Kamei Sama averted disaster for their lord and clan (for all would have been punished if Kamei Sama killed Kira) by quietly giving Kira a large bribe; Kira thereupon began to treat Kamei Sama very nicely, which calmed Kamei's anger. [Mitford, pp. 8-10.]

However, Kira continued to treat Asano harshly, because he was upset that the latter had not emulated his companion; Kira taunted and humiliated him in public. Finally, Kira insulted Asano as a country boor with no manners, and Asano could restrain himself no longer. He lost his temper, and attacked Kira with a dagger, but only wounded him in the face with his first strike; his second missed and hit a pillar. Guards then quickly separated them. [Mitford, pp. 10-11.]

Kira's wound was hardly serious, but the attack on a shogunate official within the boundaries of the Shogun's residence, was considered to be a grave offense. Any kind of violence, even drawing a sword, was completely forbidden in Edo castle. [Mitford, pp. 11-12.] (Some sources say that Asano's crime was that he damaged a celebrated golden sliding door when he threw his "wakizashi" at Kira.) Therefore Asano was ordered to commit "seppuku." Asano's goods and lands were to be confiscated after his death, his family was to be ruined, and his retainers were to be made "ronin". The "daimyo" of Akō had removed his sword from its scabbard within Edo Castle, and for that offense, the "daimyo" was ordered to kill himself. [see above] ]

This news was carried to Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio, Asano's principal counsellor, who took command and moved the Asano family away, before complying with "bakufu" orders to surrender the castle to the agents of the government.

The ronin plan together

Of Asano's over three hundred men, forty-seven (some sources say there were more than fifty, originally)—and especially their leader Ōishi—refused to allow their lord to go unavenged, even though revenge had been prohibited in the case. They banded together, swearing a secret oath to avenge their master by killing Kira, even though they knew they would be severely punished for doing so.

However, Kira was well guarded, and his residence had been fortified, to prevent just such an event. They saw that they would have to put him off his guard before they could succeed. To quell the suspicions of Kira and other shogunate authorities, they dispersed and became tradesmen or monks.

Ōishi himself took up residence in Kyoto, and begun to frequent brothels and taverns, as if nothing were further from his mind than revenge. Kira still feared a trap, and sent spies to watch the former retainers of Asano.

One day, as Ōishi returned drunk from some haunt, he fell down in the street and went to sleep, and all the passers-by laughed at him. A Satsuma man, passing by, was infuriated by this behaviour on the part of a samurai—both by his lack of courage to avenge his master, as well as his current debauched behaviour. The Satsuma man abused and insulted him, and kicked him in the face (to even touch the face of a samurai was a great insult, let alone strike it), and spat on him.

Not too long after, Ōishi's loyal wife of twenty years went to him and complained that he seemed to be taking his act too far. He divorced her on the spot, and sent her away with their two younger children; the oldest, a boy, Chikara, remained with his father. In his wife's place, the father bought a young pretty concubine.

Kira's agents reported all this to Kira, who became convinced that he was safe from the retainers of Asano, who must all be bad samurai indeed, without the courage to avenge their master, and were harmless; he then relaxed his guard.

The rest of the faithful retainers now gathered in Edo, and in their roles as workmen and merchants, gained access to Kira's house, becoming familiar with the layout of the house, and the character of all within. One of the retainers (Kinemon Kanehide Okano) went so far as to marry the daughter of the builder of the house, to obtain plans. All of this was reported to Ōishi. Others gathered arms and secretly transported them to Edo, another offense.

The attack

In 1702, when Ōishi was convinced that Kira was thoroughly off his guard, [Mitford, p. 16.] and everything was ready, he fled from Kyoto, avoiding the spies who were watching him, and the entire band gathered at a secret meeting-place in Edo, and renewed their oaths.

In "Genroku" 15, on the 26th day of the 10th month (元禄十五年十月二十六日) [Thursday, December 14, 1702 ] , [ [http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm Tsuchihashi conversion] ] early in the morning in a driving wind during a heavy fall of snow, Ōishi and the ronin attacked Kira Yoshinaka's mansion in Edo. According to a carefully laid-out plan, they split up into two groups and attacked, armed with swords and bows. One group, led by Ōishi, was to attack the front gate; the other, led by his son, Ōishi Chikara, was to attack the house via the back gate. A drum would sound the simultaneous attack, and a whistle would signal that Kira was dead. [Mitford, pp.16-17.]

Once Kira was dead, they planned to cut off his head, and lay it as an offering on their master's tomb. They would then turn themselves in, and wait for their expected sentence of death. [Mitford, p. 17] . All this had been confirmed at a final dinner, where Ōishi had asked them to be careful, and spare women, children, and other helpless people. [Mitford, pp. 17-18.] The code of bushido does not require mercy to noncombatants, although it doesn't forbid it.

Ōishi had four men scale the fence and enter the porter's lodge, capturing and tying up the guard there. [Mitford, pp. 18-19.] He then sent messengers to all the neighbouring houses, to explain that they were not robbers, but retainers out to avenge the death of their master, and that no harm would come to anyone else: they were all perfectly safe. The neighbours, who all hated Kira, were relieved and did nothing to hinder the raiders. [Mitford, p. 19.]

After posting archers (some on the roof), to prevent those in the house (who had not yet woken up) from sending for help, Ōishi sounded the drum to start the attack. Ten of Kira's retainers held off the party attacking the house from the front, but Ōishi Chikara's party broke into the back of the house. [Mitford, pp. 19-20.]

Kira, in terror, took refuge in a closet in the veranda, along with his wife and female servants. The rest of his retainers, who slept in a barracks outside, attempted to come into the house to his rescue. After overcoming the defenders at the front of the house, the two parties of father and son joined up, and fought with the retainers who came in. The latter, perceiving that they were losing, tried to send for help, but their messengers were killed by the archers posted to prevent that. [Mitford, p.20.]

Eventually, after a fierce struggle, the last of Kira's retainers was subdued; in the process they killed sixteen of Kira's men and wounded twenty-two, including his grandson. Of Kira, however, there was no sign. They searched the house, but all they found were crying women and children. They began to despair, but Ōishi checked Kira's bed, and it was still warm, so he knew he could not be far. [Mitford, p. 22.]

The death of Kira

A renewed search disclosed an entrance to a secret courtyard hidden behind a large scroll; the courtyard held a small building for storing charcoal and firewood, where two more hidden armed retainers were overcome and killed. A search of the building disclosed a man hiding; he attacked the searcher with a dagger, but the man was easily disarmed. [Mitford, p. 23.]

He refused to say who he was, but the searchers felt sure it was Kira, and sounded the whistle. The ronin gathered, and Ōishi, with a lantern, saw that it was indeed Kira—as a final proof, his head bore the scar from Asano's attack. [Mitford, pp. 23-24.]

At that, Ōishi went on his knees, and in consideration of Kira's high rank, respectfully addressed him, telling him they were retainers of Asano, come to avenge him as true samurai should, and inviting Kira to die as a true samurai should, by killing himself. Ōishi indicated he personally would act as a second, and offered him the same dagger that Asano had used to kill himself. [Mitford, p. 24.]

However, no matter how much they entreated him, Kira crouched, speechless and trembling. At last, seeing it was useless to ask, Ōishi ordered the ronin to pin him down, and killed him by cutting off his head with the dagger. Kira was killed on the night of the 14th day of the 12th month of the 15th year of "Genroku."

They then extinguished all the lamps and fires in the house (lest any cause the house to catch fire, and start a general fire that would harm the neighbours), and left, taking the head. [Mitford, pp. 24-25.]

One of the ronin, the ashigaru Terasaka Kichiemon, was ordered to travel to Akō and inform them that their revenge had been completed. (Though Kichiemon's role as a messenger is the most widely-accepted version of the story, other accounts have him running away before or after the battle, or being ordered to leave before the ronin turn themselves in. [Smith, Henry D. II: " [http://202.231.40.34/jpub/pdf/jr/IJ1601.pdf The Trouble with Terasaka: The Forty-Seventh Ronin and the Chushingura Imagination] ," "Japan Review", 2004, 16:3-65] )

The aftermath

As day was now breaking, they quickly carried Kira's head to their lord's grave in Sengaku-ji, causing a great stir on the way. The story quickly went around as to what had happened, and everyone on their path praised them, and offered them refreshment. [Mitford, pp. 25-26.]

On arriving at the temple, the remaining forty-six ronin washed and cleaned Kira's head in a well, and laid it, and the fateful dagger, before Asano's tomb. They then offered prayers at the temple, and gave the abbot of the temple all the money they had left, asking him to bury them decently, and offer prayers for them. They then turned themselves in; the group was broken into four parts and put under guard of four different daimyos. [Mitford, pp. 26-27.]

During this time, two friends of Kira came to collect his head for burial; the temple still has the original receipt for the head, which the friends and the priests who dealt with them all signed. [see above] ]

The shogunate officials were in a quandary. The samurai had followed the precepts of "bushido" by avenging the death of their lord; but they also defied shogunate authority by exacting revenge, which had been prohibited. In addition, the Shogun received a number of petitions from the admiring populace on behalf of the "ronin". As expected, the "ronin" were sentenced to death; but the Shogun had finally resolved the quandary by ordering them to honorably commit "seppuku", instead of having them executed as criminals.Mitford, p. 28.] It is known that each of the assailants ended his own life in a ritualistic fashion. [see above] ]

Each of the forty-six ronin did kill himself in "Genroku" 15, on the 19th day of the 12th month (元禄十五年十二月十九日) [Sunday, February 4, 1703 ] . [ [http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm Tsuchihashi conversion] ] This has caused a considerable amount of confusion ever since, with some people referring to the "forty-six ronin"; this refers to the group put to death by the Shogun, the actual attack party numbered forty-seven.) They were also buried in Sengaku-ji, as they had requested, in front of the tomb of their master. [see above] ] The forty-seventh ronin eventually returned from his mission, and was pardoned by the Shogun (some say on account of his youth). He lived until the age of seventy-eight, and was then buried with his comrades. The assailants who died by "seppuku" were subsequently interred on the grounds of Sengaku-ji. [see above] ]

The clothes and arms they wore are still preserved in the temple to this day, along with the drum and whistle; the armor was all home-made, as they had not wanted to possibly arouse suspicion by purchasing any.

The tombs became a place of great veneration, and people flocked there to pray. The graves at this temple have been visited by a great many people throughout the years since the "Genroku" era. [see above] ] One of those who came was a Satsuma man, the same one who had mocked and spat on Ōishi as he lay drunk in the street. Addressing the grave, he begged for forgiveness for his actions, and for thinking that Ōishi was not a true samurai. He then committed suicide, and is buried next to the graves of the ronin. [see above] ]

Table of Contents

Although the first of Mitford's stories has far outshown the others in terms of broad public recognition or popularity, the other tales have literary and cultural merit as well. The contents of Mitford's book included:
* The Forty-seven rônins
* The loves of Gompachi and Komuraski
* Kazuma's revenge
* A story of the Otokodaté of Yedo
* The wonderful adventures of Funakoshi Jiuyémon
* The eta maiden and the hatamoto
* Fairy tales
** The tongue-cut Sparrow
** The accomplished and lucky tea-kettle
** The crackling mountain
** The story of the old man who made withered trees to blossom
** The battle of the ape and the crab
** The adventures of little peachling
** The foxes' wedding
** The elves and the envious neighbour

References

* [Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale|Mitford] , A.B. (Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, Lord Redesdale) (1871). "Tales of Old Japan." London. [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13015 ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book]
* Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1812." London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-7007-1720-X

ee also

* Project Gutenberg