The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan and the Japanese Sense of Unity - Essay Example

The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan And the Japanese Sense of Unity Family 21 October 2007 History The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan and the Japanese Sense of Unity The title of the book comes from Takedas battle flag, which says, in effect: Be as swift as the wind Be as silent as the wood Attack as fiercely as fire Be as composed as the mountain Furin Kazan means "Wind, Fire, Forest, Mountain," the symbols used on the war banners of the Takada clan (Amini 2002). This Yasushi Inoues novel follows Yamamoto Kansuke from his days as an ambitious, but lowly ronin in 1543 to his rise as chief strategist for the powerful Takeda clan as they subdue one rival clan after another The book deals with a chapter out of Japan’s own feudal history, when a number of different warlords were battling each other fiercely to control all of Japan (Yasushi: Riley 2006). Each of them reasoned out that by ruling Japan under one banner, they could have peace (Turnball 1989). This may explain the “banner” element in the title which points to a need to be unified under one roof. Warlord Takeda Shingen wanted to expand his territory and he employs the ambitious and mysterious Kansuke who becomes the brain behind the victories. The setting was feudal Japan, 1543 to 1562. Specifically, Kansuke as a samurai dreams of a country united, peaceful from sea to sea. He convinces Takeda, the lord of Kai domain, to kill the lord of neighboring Suwa and take his wife as a concubine. He then convinces the widow, Princess Yu, to accept this arrangement and to bear Takeda a son. Pledging them his life, he spends years using treachery, poetic sensibility, military and political strategy to expand Takedas realm, advance the claim of Yus son as the heir, and prepare for an ultimate battle with the forces of Echigo (Yasushi: Riley 2006). The samurai of traditional Japan were among the most important characters of Japan’s history. These honorable warriors fought almost all of the major battles and wars until the end of traditional Japan in the 1800’s. Without the samurai, the struggles for power, and the numerous unifications brought about by the most powerful of the daimyo, Japan could not be what it is today (Amini 2002). It is debatable however, if these samurai values form the national character of the Japanese now (Hayford 2007). This paper discusses The Samurai Banner in the context first of Bushido – The Way of the Samurai, and secondly of Samurai values and the Japanese sense of unity. Bushido – The Way of the Samurai The samurai became known as the "Knights of Medieval Japan.” They started as military elite and turned into social elite (Turnbull 1987) who were bound to a specific lord, or daimyo, and also bound to their communities by duty and honor (Grabianowski 2007). This code of honor is known as Bushido, and comes from the word bushi, which means "warrior." The Japanese word do means "the way," so Bushido means, "The way of the warrior." (Grabianowski 2007). The samurai had rules and styles. Having the proper hairstyle of the front half of the head being shaved off and the rest of the hair gathered in a ponytail and oiled became necessary for a samurai (Turnbull 1987). Another important practice was recognition by armor and the helmet unique to each samurai (Holmes, 1988. p. 67). All of these costumes and hairstyle were exemplified in the characters of this novel (Yasushi: Riley 2006). A way of thinking used by the samurai was that self-interest and reflection were both bad traits and could ruin a samurai (Tsunetomo and Wilson 1992). In the Samurai Banner, the ambitious Kansuke was found with guile and cunning as he assisted Takeda who did not agree with all of his ways. And sure, Kansuke had self-interest as that was how he had engineered his way into getting his position (Yasushi: Riley 2006). This runs counter to what a supposed samurai characteristic should be. The Bushido philosophy of loyalty to the leader is primarily exemplified in the book by Kansuke (Yasushi: Riley 2006). He had orchestrated his position in the Takada clan because he loved the clan symbols. In devoting himself wholeheartedly to Lord Takeda, he is really devoting himself to the ultimate dream of serving a lord so perfectly and well that his lord rises above all others. With that loyalty, Kansuke easily uses tricks, lies, and deceits to win battles that he could almost come off as a villain. But because his genius is aimed entirely at service to Lord Takeda and his dream of a united Japan, there is always something selfless about his extravagant intentions (Yasushi: Riley 2006). In the novel, Kansuke was loyal even to a fault. Princess Yu perceives of him as her guide and protector, though he first comes to her as a foe; and he in turn would willingly die in her service. The two become much like a married couple without the benefit of consummating it by law or by physical intimacy (Yasushi: Riley 2006). That he would give up his feelings and support his master’s and Yu’s relationship even unto death shows much of his loyalty. Samurai values and the Japanese sense of unity In the novel, Kansuke finds Princess Yu and falls in love with her. However, before he can do anything, his master, Takeda, takes her as a concubine. Bound by his sense of duty and honor, Kansuke dedicates his life to watching her. When she has a son, the boy is not the oldest nor born of the first wife, so he is not Takedas heir. Kansuke regards the infant boy as being as much his child as Lord Takedas. This is true with the forcefully-united Japan that Kansuke regards with much watchfulness as envisions will be inherited by Princess Yus son (Yasushi: Riley 2006). This is how much Kansuke would go far in his goal of having Japan united. The samurai officially ended in 1876, when the government passed a law stating that only members of the national conscript army could wear swords (Turnbull 1987. p. 9). This forced the samurai to stop wearing the two swords which were at the heart of their philosophy. With the fierce loyalty and determination of the samurai, the Japanese have been given a good reputation for these fighters (Blomberg 1994). The samurai with many exceptional and unique qualities, used to become the honorable, dedicated fighters who became so necessary for Japan, and the world (Amini 2002). Although the samurai no longer exist, their spirit of honor and discipline has found a home in modern times. From the kamikaze pilots of Japan in World War II, to martial artists and even modern businessman who look to Bushido as a guide to living an honorable life, samurai continue to influence Japan today (Grabianowski 2007). Honor was so important to the samurai that they would frequently take their own lives in the face of failure, or if they had violated Bushido (Grabianowski 2007). This honor-bound suicide became much ritualized, taking the form of seppuku. Also known by the more vulgar phrase hara-kiri, seppuku was a way for a samurai to restore honor to his lord and family, and to fulfill his obligation of loyalty even if he had failed as a samurai. In the novel, Kansuke requests to wipe out a neighboring ruler with whom theyve made a pact. In the process, Kansuke kills him, and then stops the mans princess daughter from committing seppuku. This was Princess Yu wanting to commit suicide, a way of thinking of the bushido which claims death before dishonor (Yasushi: Riley 2006). In modern times, the ritual of seppuku has resurfaced in Japan, both as a traditional way to restore honor in the face of defeat, and as a means of protest (Grabianowski 2007). In WWII the Japanese began to attempt to move themselves into a more powerful position with the attempted capture of pearl harbour, and the subsequent war that followed (Blomberg 1994). During this time there was a squadron of pilots known as the Kamikaze (Divine Wind). These pilots were seen to be Japans sole hope at a time when it became obvious that they were fighting a loosing battle. The Japanese Kamikaze pilots showed loyalty to their country by willingly accepting death. It was all for upholding their oneness with their country. Loyalty, discipline, total dedication, honor and valor, and numerous examples of these elements upheld by the Code of Bushido can be witnessed in recent history (Lang 2003). Today, as Japanese people have great respect for their bosses, some businessmen commit suicide when fired, in an attempt to spare their bosses and family the burden of shame or dishonor. Just as the samurai were fearsome once, the Japanese people of today continue the tradition of high integrity and "death before dishonor” (Lang 2003). Bushidos ethical foundations still play a major part of Japanese culture and society. Bushidos stress on loyalty to the leader is still evident in the strong sense of loyalty that workers have to their employers, students to their teachers, apprentices to their masters and to their country. These bushido values of the samurai once again are familiar to these workers who are loyal, honourable and are willing to sacrifice everything for the company. The Japanese also have a term "Business is war" which relates to bushido (Lang 2003). Even in sports, the Japanese view of life, stressing group identity, cooperation, hard work, respect for age, seniority and “face” has sank in, in almost every aspect of it (Hayford 2007). Americans who come to play in Japan quickly realize that Baseball Samurai Style is different. Many Japanese – ball players, executives, the Japanese Army in World War II, and even “kamikaze” pilots – also point to samurai ethics as an all purpose explanation for Japanese behavior and call themselves followers of bushido (Hayford 2007). In the Samurai Code of Conduct for Baseball Players, for example, the rules show how it is more important to finally strive for wa – “team harmony and unity” (Hayford 2007), the very theme of Samurai Banner. Myths. Differing opinions about samurai values being part of Japanese national character, however, exist. Hayford (2007) for example described Ruth Benedicts wartime classic, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Houghton Mifflin 1945), and implies in derision that there is no such thing as bushido values in the Japanese character. Said Hayford (2007) of Ruth Benedict - Although she looks to Japanese history herself for explanations, she remarks somewhat tartly that “bushido” is a “publicist’s inspiration” which “became a slogan of the nationalists and militarists” in the 1930s (p. 175). Hayford (2007) went on to say that anthropologists and historians do not deny that some Japanese sincerely embrace these myths. For example, Yale anthropologist William Kelly (2000) criticized writers who go back to unexamined ancient traditions rather than look at specific responses in particular historical circumstances. Kelly charged that “national character” is misleading because it is like explaining actions in terms of fixed codes which govern everyone rather than history or political choices (Kelly 2007). Conclusion The banner symbol in the novel appears logical as responsive to Japan’s geographical smallness. The size of the country necessitates cooperation or oneness, otherwise it may fall. This mindset appears to have pervaded the citizens’ thinking, knowing fully well that they cannot afford to go in split groups, hence the fighting to win the seat of power as exemplified in Samurai Banner. The strategist in Takeda clearly showed the extreme need for unity in Japan. Rules, therefore, were needed to instill discipline in the fighters, hence the rise of bushido. In Japan today, the influence of bushido values may be very great, but clearly cannot be generalized to every Japanese. To say that bushido values refer to Japanese national character therefore is debateable. For one, society changes as impacted upon by technology, time, and culture. Suicide, for example, that puts emphasis on honor-before-defeat may not be accepted readily by the Japanese today. While to older Japanese, it is self-denial, today’s Japanese may view it as an act that is one of self-affirmation, even self-preservation, but not self-denial. The need for unity in Japan as emphasized by Samurai Banner is however evident in most Japanese thinking. Works Cited Amini, Cyrus. “The Samurai of Traditional Japan.” 2002. 14 Oct. 2007 . Blomberg, Catherina. The Heart of the Warrior: Origins and Religious Background of the Samurai system in Feudal Japan. Japan: Japan Library, 1994. Grabianowski, Ed. “What is a Samurai?” How Samurai work. 15 Oct 2007. . Hayford, Charles W. Samurai Baseball vs. Baseball in Japan. Japan Focus. An Asia-Pacific e-Journal. 4 Apr. 2007. 17 Oct 2007 . Holmes, Richard, The World Atlas of Warfare, England: The Penguin Group, 1988. Inoue, Yasushi. Yoko Riley (Translator). The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan. 2006, USA, 1st Edition. ISBN:  0804837015. Kelly, William. "Caught in the Spin Cycle: An Anthropological Observer at the Sites of Japanese Professional Baseball," in Susan O. Long, ed., Moving Targets: Ethnographies of Self and Community in Japan. Ithaca. 2000. Kelly, William. "Is Baseball a Global Sport? Americas National Pastime as a Global Sport," Global Networks 7.2 (2007): 15 pp. Lang, Kimberly. “Values of Samurai.” The Japan Project. The American Forum for Global Education. 2003. 15 Oct 2007 . McGee, Mark. "Brief History of the Samurai." 25 Dec. 1998. 15 Oct. 2007 . Tsunetomo, Kansuke and William S. Wilson. Hagakure - Book of the Samurai. ISBN-10: 4770011067. ISBN-13: 978-4770011060. Kodansha Europe; Reissue edition. Mar. 1992. Turnbull, Stephen, Samurai Warlords: Book of the Daimyo, UK: Blandford Press, 1989. Turnbull, Stephen. Samurai Warriors, UK: Blandford Press, 1987. Read More