1. A Shochiku ProductionCopy !req
2. Japan Art Festival Entry
37th Year of Showa Era (1962)Copy !req
3. "In the year 1630,Copy !req
4. "13th day of May.Copy !req
5. "Fair skies.Copy !req
6. "Extremely hot
from early on in the day."Copy !req
7. Iyi Clan JournalCopy !req
8. "At 10 in the morning,
Master Bennosuke...Copy !req
9. "... pays a visit to the Kandabashi
mansion of the Honourable Lord doi,Copy !req
10. "to present fresh river trout
from the Shirakawa River,Copy !req
11. "which arrived from our domain.Copy !req
12. "No other official business to record.Copy !req
13. "However,
at about four in the afternoon,Copy !req
14. "a samurai claiming
to be a former retainerCopy !req
15. "of the Fukushima Clan
in HiroshimaCopy !req
16. "appeared at our gate."Copy !req
17. Produced by HOSOYA TatsuoCopy !req
18. Original Story by TAKIGUCHI YasuhikoCopy !req
19. Screenplay by HASHIMOTO ShinobuCopy !req
20. Cinematography by MIYAJIMA YoshioCopy !req
21. Music by TAKEMITSU ToruCopy !req
22. TatsuyaCopy !req
23. Akira, IWASHITA ShimaCopy !req
24. TetsuroCopy !req
25. Masao, NAKATANI IchiroCopy !req
26. Kei, INABA Yoshio, AOKI YoshiroCopy !req
27. RentaroCopy !req
28. directed by KOBAYASHI MasakiCopy !req
29. Soto Sakurada-machi, EdoCopy !req
30. Official Residence of the Iyi ClanCopy !req
31. You were a retainer of the former
Fukushima Clan in Hiroshima?Copy !req
32. Correct.Copy !req
33. My name is Tsugumo Hanshiro.Copy !req
34. Written with the character "Tsu"
for "harbour"Copy !req
35. and "Gumo" for "cloud".Copy !req
36. What is the nature of your visit?Copy !req
37. The house of my master fell in 1619.Copy !req
38. Subsequently, I left the domain
and moved here to Edo,Copy !req
39. where I found shelter
in a back-alley tenement.Copy !req
40. While eking out a meagre living,Copy !req
41. I sought connections
for employment with a new master.Copy !req
42. But try as I might,
we live now in times of peace,Copy !req
43. and my every effort
has been in vain.Copy !req
44. Failing to find employment
and with little to do,Copy !req
45. he finds himself in dire straitsCopy !req
46. and believes that
he can endure it no further.Copy !req
47. Rather than live on
in such poverty and disgrace,Copy !req
48. he wishes to die honourably
by committing harakiriCopy !req
49. and asks for permission
to use our forecourt.Copy !req
50. Such is his request, sire.Copy !req
51. Not again?Copy !req
52. Will it never stop?Copy !req
53. How shall I respond, sire?Copy !req
54. Fine. Show him in, then.Copy !req
55. This way.Copy !req
56. Please enter.Copy !req
57. Thank you.Copy !req
58. I am a former retainerCopy !req
59. of Lord Fukushima Masanori
of Hiroshima.Copy !req
60. Tsugumo Hanshiro by name.Copy !req
61. I respectfully beg your favour.Copy !req
62. I am senior counsellor
of the House of Iyi, Saito Kageyu.Copy !req
63. I am much obliged
for this immediate interview.Copy !req
64. The purpose of my visit...Copy !req
65. I've already been told
of your request.Copy !req
66. Rather than live on in endless poverty,
idly waiting for death,Copy !req
67. you wish to end your life
in a manner befitting a samurai.Copy !req
68. I believe that was the gist of it.Copy !req
69. Indeed.Copy !req
70. In these times,
your resolve is truly admirable.Copy !req
71. I can only express
the highest esteem.Copy !req
72. You mentioned that you served
the former Lord Fukushima.Copy !req
73. did you happen to know a man
named Chijiiwa Motome?Copy !req
74. Chijiiwa?Copy !req
75. Yes.Copy !req
76. Well...Copy !req
77. You don't recognise the name?Copy !req
78. I'm quite certain he said he'd served
the former Lord Fukushima.Copy !req
79. In its prosperous days,
the clan's retainersCopy !req
80. numbered some 12,000 men.Copy !req
81. One could hardly know them all.Copy !req
82. I see.Copy !req
83. But never mind that.Copy !req
84. Earlier this year,
perhaps around the end of January,Copy !req
85. this ronin named Chijiiwa Motome
came calling.Copy !req
86. The purpose of his visit
was the same as yours.Copy !req
87. He requested the use of our forecourt
to dispatch himself with honour.Copy !req
88. Is that so?Copy !req
89. Would you like me to tell you
what happened in that case?Copy !req
90. I would indeed.Copy !req
91. You say you were a retainerCopy !req
92. of the former Fukushima Clan
in Hiroshima?Copy !req
93. Correct.Copy !req
94. I served the former
Lord Fukushima Masanori of Hiroshima.Copy !req
95. My name is Chijiiwa Motome.Copy !req
96. And what is the nature
of your visit?Copy !req
97. After the fall of my master's house,Copy !req
98. I moved here to Edo and found
shelter in a back-alley tenement.Copy !req
99. While eking out a meagre living,Copy !req
100. I sought connections
for employment with a new master.Copy !req
101. But try as I might,
we live in times of peace,Copy !req
102. and my every effort
has been in vain.Copy !req
103. So now it seems it's our turn.Copy !req
104. How shall we respond?Copy !req
105. Let me think.Copy !req
106. It's amazing how such foolishness
can take hold.Copy !req
107. Blame it on what
the Sengoku Clan did.Copy !req
108. - Say what you will, that was a mistake.
- No, Yazaki.Copy !req
109. - That's not necessarily true.
- Why not?Copy !req
110. The fellow who went
to the Sengoku houseCopy !req
111. was serious about
committing harakiri.Copy !req
112. There was nothing dishonourable
about his intent.Copy !req
113. It was precisely because
they were touched by his sincerityCopy !req
114. that the Sengoku house decided
to take him in as a back-room retainer.Copy !req
115. That was good.
They made the right decision.Copy !req
116. The problem is the shameless
imitators who have followed.Copy !req
117. They have no intention whatsoever
of performing harakiri,Copy !req
118. and just because they're hurting
a little for food and clothing,Copy !req
119. they show up at our gate
to practise their pathetic extortion.Copy !req
120. We can't very well allow him
to disembowel himself in our gateway.Copy !req
121. Our only choice is to follow
the example of other clans,Copy !req
122. and give him a little something
and ask him to leave.Copy !req
123. No. That will not do.Copy !req
124. If we give him money
and send him away,Copy !req
125. he'll soon be followed by others.Copy !req
126. One after the other,Copy !req
127. like ants drawn to a mound of sugar.Copy !req
128. Ever since the Battle of Sekigahara,Copy !req
129. Edo has been teeming
with masterless samurai.Copy !req
130. They're like wild dogs
roving about in search of prey.Copy !req
131. Think what people will say...Copy !req
132. "Everybody thought that
the House of Iyi had backbone,Copy !req
133. "so up until now,
the ronin avoided their gate.Copy !req
134. "But look what they've done now.Copy !req
135. "They boast of their martial valour,Copy !req
136. "but this is a time of peace,Copy !req
137. "so they're just living
through yesterday's dreams."Copy !req
138. Would you have such derisive chatter
spreading all over Edo?Copy !req
139. Especially when our lord
is away in his domain.Copy !req
140. Under no circumstancesCopy !req
141. can we allow a stain
on our lord's name while he's away.Copy !req
142. Giving him money
and asking him to leave,Copy !req
143. such lily-livered nonsense
is out of the question.Copy !req
144. He hasn't the slightest intention
of killing himself,Copy !req
145. yet he speaks of honourable harakiri.Copy !req
146. Counsellor!Copy !req
147. If I may...Copy !req
148. My apologies for keeping you waiting.Copy !req
149. I am Kawabe Umenosuke,
a member of Lord Iyi's mounted guard.Copy !req
150. My name is Chijiiwa Motome,
a ronin from Hiroshima.Copy !req
151. Kindly come with me.Copy !req
152. - Excuse me?
- I am to show you to the bath.Copy !req
153. Since Lord Iyi is at present
away in his domain,Copy !req
154. Counsellor Saito
conveyed your requestCopy !req
155. to His Lordship's son,
Bennosuke.Copy !req
156. He finds your resolve
most admirableCopy !req
157. and wishes to grant you
an immediate audience.Copy !req
158. So... I am to have an audience
with Master Bennosuke?Copy !req
159. Correct.Copy !req
160. I must beg your pardon,
but your present attire will not do.Copy !req
161. While you refresh yourself
in the bath,Copy !req
162. we'll arrange for some new robes
for you.Copy !req
163. I place myself in your hands.Copy !req
164. Your kindness overwhelms me.Copy !req
165. I must be dreaming.Copy !req
166. This is so...Copy !req
167. Almost...Copy !req
168. Pardon me.Copy !req
169. My apologies
for keeping you waiting so long.Copy !req
170. I must ask you to change again.Copy !req
171. Your robes.Copy !req
172. Is something wrong?Copy !req
173. What about my audience
with Master Bennosuke?Copy !req
174. I was told
I'd be granted an audience.Copy !req
175. I don't believe so.Copy !req
176. - You must have misunderstood.
- No, I'm quite certain.Copy !req
177. That was the word I received
from Kawabe of the mounted guard.Copy !req
178. Kawabe?Copy !req
179. Now that you mention it...Copy !req
180. That must be it.Copy !req
181. So I'm not mistaken?Copy !req
182. I believe I understand.Copy !req
183. When Counsellor Saito conveyed
your desire to Master Bennosuke,Copy !req
184. he noted how rare it was these days
to find men with such a sense of honour.Copy !req
185. "I would like to add this man
to the ranks of our retainers", he said.Copy !req
186. "But when a man declares that
he wishes to cut his belly open,Copy !req
187. "it can only come
from a most profound resolve.Copy !req
188. "I am sure it would be no use
trying to dissuade him.Copy !req
189. "Grant him his final wish.Copy !req
190. "I would like to meet this man
of uncommon valourCopy !req
191. "and tell him how much
I admire his purpose.Copy !req
192. "Unfortunately I am scheduled to go
to Lord doi's residence at this hour.Copy !req
193. "Extend to him every courtesy
of this house,Copy !req
194. "and have all our retainers
witness his final act,Copy !req
195. "that they may remember it
as a proud example."Copy !req
196. Such were Master Bennosuke's words,
I was told.Copy !req
197. Tell me, what do you think
of this story?Copy !req
198. A most interesting tale,Copy !req
199. worthy of the famous red armour
that symbolises the House of IyiCopy !req
200. and its reputation
for great martial valour.Copy !req
201. May I ask what your intentions are?Copy !req
202. You mean...Copy !req
203. about this?Copy !req
204. Exactly.Copy !req
205. You may set your mind at ease.Copy !req
206. I came here
with every intention of dying.Copy !req
207. Well, well.Copy !req
208. A most admirable resolve.Copy !req
209. In that case, Master Tsugumo...Copy !req
210. perhaps I should recount for youCopy !req
211. a little more of Chijiiwa Motome's story.Copy !req
212. By all means.Copy !req
213. Now then,
we must be aware of the time.Copy !req
214. Please change into those robes.Copy !req
215. All other arrangements
are already in placeCopy !req
216. for a harakiri ceremony
with all the proper formalities.Copy !req
217. I have a request.Copy !req
218. I must beg a brief respite.Copy !req
219. Respite?Copy !req
220. I will not run or hide.
I will return to this house.Copy !req
221. But I beg you
for a day or two respite.Copy !req
222. I'm afraid it's too late for that.Copy !req
223. - But this is absurd!
- Absurd?Copy !req
224. We made the harakiri arrangements
at your own request.Copy !req
225. My most abject apologies!Copy !req
226. Just a day or two respite.
I will return without fail.Copy !req
227. A samurai's word is his bond.Copy !req
228. There can be no delay!Copy !req
229. Master swordsman Yazaki Hayato.Copy !req
230. Fit and eager,
his skills honed to perfection.Copy !req
231. One false step
and he'll cut you in two.Copy !req
232. The others will descend on you as well.Copy !req
233. Rather than being chopped up
like a dead fish,Copy !req
234. perform harakiri
and die like a samurai.Copy !req
235. Now, change into those robes.Copy !req
236. O, ancestors of the House of Iyi,Copy !req
237. I must beg your forgiveness
for defiling the mansion courtyardCopy !req
238. with unworthy ronin blood.Copy !req
239. I do this to preserve
the honour of this house,Copy !req
240. as well as that
of the Tokugawa familyCopy !req
241. and of the samurai code itself.Copy !req
242. I beg you to be witness
to my decision.Copy !req
243. His short blade is the same.Copy !req
244. Look at it.Copy !req
245. It wouldn't cut tofu.Copy !req
246. He sells off his soul as a samurai,
replacing his blades with bamboo,Copy !req
247. and then says he wants
to perform harakiri?Copy !req
248. The nerve of the man!Copy !req
249. Everything is in place
for the ceremony to begin.Copy !req
250. Master Chijiiwa Motome...Copy !req
251. Rather than wait for death
in dire poverty,Copy !req
252. you've declared your wish
to die honourably by harakiri.Copy !req
253. It is a commendable decision.Copy !req
254. You are an example for all samurai.Copy !req
255. I am ashamed to admit it,Copy !req
256. but even in this house
known for martial valourCopy !req
257. since our ancestor Naomasa's day,Copy !req
258. the resolve you've shown
is seen but rarely.Copy !req
259. So they may witness
the noble demise of a true warriorCopy !req
260. and engrave its lasting impression
upon their minds,Copy !req
261. I've ordered all retainers
of this household to attend.Copy !req
262. May your heart be at peace.Copy !req
263. I beg of you!Copy !req
264. What is it?Copy !req
265. I beg for a brief respite,
a day or two's grace!Copy !req
266. I swear I will not run or hide.
I'll return to this spot without fail!Copy !req
267. Please! I implore you!Copy !req
268. This is most unexpected.Copy !req
269. I've heard lately of incidents
all across EdoCopy !req
270. in which ronin, who don't deserve
to call themselves samurai,Copy !req
271. demand the use of a clan's forecourt
to commit harakiri,Copy !req
272. but are happy to walk away
in exchange for a few coins.Copy !req
273. Surely you're not...Copy !req
274. Absolutely not, sir.Copy !req
275. No, no.Copy !req
276. Of course not.Copy !req
277. I'd never believe that a man
of your noble character and mienCopy !req
278. could be such
a despicable extortionist.Copy !req
279. Now then.Copy !req
280. You may proceed.Copy !req
281. Unworthy as I am,
I shall be your second.Copy !req
282. I am an exponent
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
283. I imagine you are aware,
but let me note just to be sure.Copy !req
284. The rite of harakiri
has changed over time.Copy !req
285. In recent years,
it is often harakiri in name only.Copy !req
286. The subject reaches for the blade
on the wooden stand,Copy !req
287. and his second immediately
strikes off his head.Copy !req
288. In other words,
there is no disembowelment at all,Copy !req
289. and in fact sometimes
the stand holds not a short swordCopy !req
290. but only a folding fan.Copy !req
291. However,Copy !req
292. our proceedings today will not sink
to such debased and empty forms.Copy !req
293. We shall adhere strictly
to the traditional ways.Copy !req
294. Is that understood?Copy !req
295. You will rip your bowels open
crosswise, like this.Copy !req
296. Once I see you have done so,
I will strike off your head.Copy !req
297. Until I'm satisfied
you've fully torn open your bowels,Copy !req
298. I will not bring down my sword.Copy !req
299. Is that understood? Now then.Copy !req
300. It is your own sword.
That is the blade you will use.Copy !req
301. A samurai's sword is his soul.Copy !req
302. No blade could be more fitting
for this purpose than your own.Copy !req
303. Come. What keeps you?Copy !req
304. Proceed!Copy !req
305. Strike me!Copy !req
306. No, not yet!Copy !req
307. Pull your blade across!Copy !req
308. Why do you delay?Copy !req
309. draw your blade across!
Pull it to the right!Copy !req
310. I suppose he had no other recourse,Copy !req
311. but even so,
to bite off his tongue?Copy !req
312. Would you say he was being
resourceful or just unseemly?Copy !req
313. Then again,Copy !req
314. who in his right mind attempts
harakiri with just a bamboo sword?Copy !req
315. Now then...Copy !req
316. What are your intentions?Copy !req
317. You mean...Copy !req
318. about this?Copy !req
319. The account I've just given youCopy !req
320. of Chijiiwa Motome's fate
is true in every detail.Copy !req
321. Take my advice, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
322. Quietly take your leave.Copy !req
323. You need have
no such concerns with me.Copy !req
324. Unlike this Chijiiwa fellow...Copy !req
325. the sword in my belt
is not made of bamboo.Copy !req
326. I will not bite off my tongue,Copy !req
327. I will disembowel myself
in grand form.Copy !req
328. Very well.Copy !req
329. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
330. since you are unswerving in
your resolve, I shall grant your wish.Copy !req
331. - Attendant!
- Sire?Copy !req
332. This ronin from Hiroshima,
Master Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
333. is to be granted use of the courtyard
to perform harakiri.Copy !req
334. His present dress will not do.Copy !req
335. Give him fresh robes befitting one
who journeys to the next world...Copy !req
336. If I may.Copy !req
337. What is it?Copy !req
338. Please do not trouble yourselves
over such things.Copy !req
339. For the final moments
of a down-and-out ronin like myself...Copy !req
340. surely nothing is more fitting
than the clothes I now wear.Copy !req
341. I am deeply grateful for the courteous
and considerate treatmentCopy !req
342. that you have accorded me today.Copy !req
343. I can find no adequate words
to thank you.Copy !req
344. Thus, I shall begin.Copy !req
345. Might I ask, Counsellor,Copy !req
346. who will be serving as my second?Copy !req
347. I have assigned Shinmen Ichiro.Copy !req
348. Master Shinmen?Copy !req
349. did you wish for someone else?Copy !req
350. Yes, sir.Copy !req
351. I would like to request
Master Omodaka Hikokuro.Copy !req
352. You request Hikokuro?Copy !req
353. I believe he's a retainer in this house.Copy !req
354. I've heard he's trained
in the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
355. Indeed.Copy !req
356. Hikokuro is a fine choice.Copy !req
357. Hikokuro?Copy !req
358. I'm afraid he's not
in attendance today.Copy !req
359. He sent a note saying he's ill
and requesting a few days' rest.Copy !req
360. I see. That's too bad.Copy !req
361. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
362. as you heard,
Omodaka is not present today.Copy !req
363. You will need to make another choice.Copy !req
364. That is most disappointing.Copy !req
365. I had my heart set on Master Omodaka
performing the service.Copy !req
366. I wonder if I might not beg
his special consideration.Copy !req
367. Well, he says he's ill,
but he seemed fine yesterday.Copy !req
368. Surely it can't be anything serious.Copy !req
369. Messenger!Copy !req
370. Make all due haste
to Omodaka's residence.Copy !req
371. Tell him to come immediately,
if his illness permits. Now hurry.Copy !req
372. I'm putting you
to a great deal of trouble.Copy !req
373. Please accept my apologies.Copy !req
374. Now then,Copy !req
375. do you wish to wait here?Copy !req
376. Or would you like
to come inside and relax?Copy !req
377. No.Copy !req
378. The comfort of your residence
might cause my resolve to waver.Copy !req
379. My journey into eternity mustn't
grow distasteful. I shall remain here.Copy !req
380. You display remarkable discipline.Copy !req
381. I can but express my admiration.Copy !req
382. If I may, Counsellor,Copy !req
383. it could be quite tedious for us both
to sit here and wait in silence.Copy !req
384. To pass the time,Copy !req
385. perhaps you'll allow me
to tell you a little about myself.Copy !req
386. About yourself?Copy !req
387. Yes.Copy !req
388. The hardscrabble tales of a half-starved
ronin don't amount to much,Copy !req
389. but what befalls others todayCopy !req
390. may be your own fate tomorrow.Copy !req
391. Perhaps your retainersCopy !req
392. will find some small point or two
worth rememberingCopy !req
393. among my otherwise
useless ramblings.Copy !req
394. "What befalls others today
may be your own fate tomorrow"?Copy !req
395. Well, this could be amusing.Copy !req
396. I want everyone here
to listen carefully.Copy !req
397. The words of one
staring death in the face...Copy !req
398. are unlikely to be
useless ramblings.Copy !req
399. I'm sure we'll all learn something.Copy !req
400. Counsellor.Copy !req
401. That tale you related earlier...Copy !req
402. may I be assured
it was true in every detail?Copy !req
403. Indeed.Copy !req
404. The ronin from Hiroshima
named Chijiiwa MotomeCopy !req
405. was a man
of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
406. Chijiiwa Motome...Copy !req
407. was a man
of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
408. Motome was a lad of 15,Copy !req
409. and my daughter Miho
was an angelic child of 11.Copy !req
410. That was 11 years ago.Copy !req
411. But when I close my eyes,Copy !req
412. their images come back to me vividly,
as if it were only yesterday.Copy !req
413. - My turn again.
- Never mind.Copy !req
414. All we do is count stones all day
to repair the castle walls.Copy !req
415. We won't need bows and arrows
for a long while.Copy !req
416. "The world is at peace.
The four seas are calm."Copy !req
417. Incidentally, this coming 22ndCopy !req
418. is the seventh anniversary
of Nui's passing.Copy !req
419. I knew it was soon,
but is it seven years already?Copy !req
420. Yes, and I'm planning
a modest ceremony at my residence.Copy !req
421. - But don't bring any offerings.
- Very well.Copy !req
422. I can hardly believe it.Copy !req
423. Seven years already.Copy !req
424. What never ceases to amaze meCopy !req
425. is how a rough warrior like youCopy !req
426. has managed to raise Miho all these
years without taking a second wife.Copy !req
427. Jinnai... look who's talking!Copy !req
428. When your Yuki died, I wondered
how you would ever manage.Copy !req
429. But look at you.Copy !req
430. You're a perfect example
of the kite begetting a hawk.Copy !req
431. Kite begetting a hawk?Copy !req
432. You were the widower kite,Copy !req
433. doting on your child
in every aspect of his upbringing.Copy !req
434. And lo and behold,Copy !req
435. the child grew not into a kite
but a magnificent young hawk.Copy !req
436. Nonsense!Copy !req
437. He certainly keeps growing,
but he's got a long way to goCopy !req
438. before you can compare him
to a hawk soaring overhead.Copy !req
439. I never figured either of us would be
good for anything but battlefield laurels,Copy !req
440. but we haven't done too badly
at raising our children.Copy !req
441. Had life gone on like that,
all would have been well.Copy !req
442. But it was not to be.Copy !req
443. When all is said and done,Copy !req
444. our lives are like houses
built on foundations of sand.Copy !req
445. One strong wind and all is gone.Copy !req
446. How my master's house
with its 498,000-koku domainCopy !req
447. was brought to ruin...Copy !req
448. I'm sure you already know
even better than I do myself.Copy !req
449. due to an unreasonable judgement
by the Tokugawa shogunateCopy !req
450. regarding the repairs being performed
on Hiroshima Castle,Copy !req
451. in June 1619,Copy !req
452. my master, Fukushima Masanori,
was ordered into exile at Kawanakajima,Copy !req
453. leaving his 12,000 retainers
without any means of livelihood...Copy !req
454. through no fault of their own.Copy !req
455. Jinnai!Copy !req
456. To Tsugumo HanshiroCopy !req
457. "In view of our long-standing friendship,
I ask your indulgence in the following.Copy !req
458. "The castle repairs commissioner,Copy !req
459. "the Honourable
Fukushima Masakatsu,Copy !req
460. "will be electing death at any moment.Copy !req
461. "Therefore, I will precede him
on his journey.Copy !req
462. "My company alone will suffice,Copy !req
463. "I beg you not to follow.Copy !req
464. "Regarding my only child, Motome,Copy !req
465. "he has grown tall,
but he is still only 15.Copy !req
466. "Please look after him
as he finds his way in life."Copy !req
467. Why was he so hasty?Copy !req
468. Committing harakiri
even before I have done so.Copy !req
469. Hanshiro, I forbid you to follow.Copy !req
470. If the house could still be saved,
I would allow it.Copy !req
471. But with the house abolished,
it would be pointless.Copy !req
472. - Jinnai's company will suffice.
- But, sire...Copy !req
473. don't be foolish, Hanshiro.Copy !req
474. Jinnai died because he knew
you would if he didn't.Copy !req
475. He died to accompany me
on your behalf as well.Copy !req
476. Which means, Hanshiro,
that you must now live on.Copy !req
477. Both for you and for Jinnai.Copy !req
478. Also for his son, Motome.
Who will look after him if not you?Copy !req
479. I go now to meet Jinnai.Copy !req
480. Hanshiro, is there anything
you'd like me to tell Jinnai?Copy !req
481. do you have nothing for me
to say to him?Copy !req
482. Tell Jinnai...Copy !req
483. Tell Jinnai this.Copy !req
484. Have no fears about Motome.Copy !req
485. I will watch over his path
to manhood.Copy !req
486. I will not fail him.
I swear this on my life.Copy !req
487. Go on, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
488. What did you find out?Copy !req
489. It seems his illness
is indeed most serious.Copy !req
490. What is the nature of his ailment?Copy !req
491. According to his family,Copy !req
492. a high fever and excruciating pains
in all his joints.Copy !req
493. Go on.Copy !req
494. I asked if I might visit him
at his bedside,Copy !req
495. but he sent word back
that his pain was so greatCopy !req
496. that he did not wish to be seen
in his present state.Copy !req
497. All I could do was convey
the message you sent and return.Copy !req
498. It seems
there's nothing we can do.Copy !req
499. Perhaps he was overcome
by the relentless heat of recent days.Copy !req
500. Master Tsugumo,
you heard what he said.Copy !req
501. I must ask you to select
someone else as your second.Copy !req
502. I am sorely disappointed,
but it appears I have no choice.Copy !req
503. In that case...Copy !req
504. I would ask for Master Yazaki Hayato.Copy !req
505. Hayato?Copy !req
506. Inaba, am I to believe he too has
been absent these four or five days?Copy !req
507. Correct, sire.Copy !req
508. He requested leave
because he wasn't feeling well.Copy !req
509. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
510. I'm afraid Yazaki Hayato
is also absent due to illness.Copy !req
511. Master Yazaki is also ill?Copy !req
512. I'm sorry to hear that.Copy !req
513. Again, it seems I have no choice.Copy !req
514. Then I request
Master Kawabe Umenosuke.Copy !req
515. Counsellor,Copy !req
516. surely it's not possibleCopy !req
517. that Master Kawabe is also
under the weather?Copy !req
518. Well, well.Copy !req
519. It seems he is indeed indisposed.Copy !req
520. All three of them unavailable
on this particular day,Copy !req
521. what a very odd coincidence.Copy !req
522. Most curious.Copy !req
523. - He's up to something.
- Clearly so.Copy !req
524. Hikokuro was the one
who first insistedCopy !req
525. that Chijiiwa Motome be forced
to go through with harakiri.Copy !req
526. Yazaki was the oneCopy !req
527. who discovered his blades were
bamboo and insisted he use them,Copy !req
528. and Kawabe was quick to agree.Copy !req
529. That's why I urged that he at least
be spared the bamboo blade...Copy !req
530. - Of what good is that now?
- Indeed, sire.Copy !req
531. But how shall we deal with him?Copy !req
532. I doubt he intends
to meekly disembowel himself.Copy !req
533. He obviously has something
up his sleeve.Copy !req
534. Whatever it is...Copy !req
535. he won't get away with it.Copy !req
536. We'll force his hand
and make him commit harakiri.Copy !req
537. In fact, if he refuses,Copy !req
538. we'll fall upon him
and cut him down.Copy !req
539. What happens within the walls
of this compound...Copy !req
540. is as secret as what happens
behind the walls of our own castle.Copy !req
541. One signal from me
and everyone will know what to do.Copy !req
542. But I'm bothered about Hikokuro
and the other two.Copy !req
543. I need to send someone
to find out more.Copy !req
544. Under the circumstances,Copy !req
545. I'd like you personally
to find out the real story.Copy !req
546. Master Tsugumo...Copy !req
547. Summer days are long,
but the hour advances.Copy !req
548. I must ask you to proceed
without further delay.Copy !req
549. But, Counsellor,Copy !req
550. the ritual cannot take place
without a second.Copy !req
551. I understand your concern,Copy !req
552. but I've discussed the matter
with my senior colleagues.Copy !req
553. With all three men of your choice ailing,
we cannot accommodate your wishes.Copy !req
554. You will have to accept our selection.Copy !req
555. Shinmen Ichiro!Copy !req
556. I command you to serve
as second for Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
557. Perform your duty with care.Copy !req
558. I must protest!Copy !req
559. To act as my second,Copy !req
560. I have named three
specially selected men.Copy !req
561. I must have one of these three.Copy !req
562. Are you perhaps deaf?Copy !req
563. All three you name are ill
and are not present today.Copy !req
564. I explained this very clearly.
did you not hear?Copy !req
565. Then in that case,
I have no choice.Copy !req
566. I must call off my harakiri for now.Copy !req
567. Enough, Tsugumo Hanshiro!Copy !req
568. Your scheme for extortion
has gone too far.Copy !req
569. It's bad enough to march in here
demanding a place to perform harakiri.Copy !req
570. But then you quibble endlessly
over naming your second.Copy !req
571. You never intended to commit harakiri.Copy !req
572. All you really want is money...Copy !req
573. Counsellor!Copy !req
574. If I were the extortionist you say,Copy !req
575. would I be calmly sitting here
on this platform?Copy !req
576. - Then why do you not quietly proceed?
- I am fully prepared to die.Copy !req
577. But cutting my belly open
does not in itselfCopy !req
578. ensure a smooth passage
to the netherworld.Copy !req
579. I need someone to expeditiously
strike off my head,Copy !req
580. a swordsman of reliable skill.Copy !req
581. I do not commit harakiri
to atone for a crime.Copy !req
582. The least I can expect
is to choose my own second!Copy !req
583. Further debate on the matter...Copy !req
584. is clearly a waste of time.Copy !req
585. You are a fraud,
a disgrace to our class.Copy !req
586. You never intended
to commit harakiri!Copy !req
587. Insolent dog!Copy !req
588. Wait!Copy !req
589. Hold back!
Wait, I say!Copy !req
590. I beg of all those presentCopy !req
591. a moment, a brief moment.Copy !req
592. You can't possibly have
anything more to say.Copy !req
593. But I do.
I do have more to say.Copy !req
594. I haven't finished my story.Copy !req
595. I have no ears
for your endless ramblings.Copy !req
596. Counsellor!Copy !req
597. If you force me to,Copy !req
598. I will fight desperately to the death,
no matter the odds against me.Copy !req
599. Some of your men
will be wounded undeservedly.Copy !req
600. Some may even lose their lives!Copy !req
601. Would it not be better
to simply hear me out?Copy !req
602. Once I have finished my story,Copy !req
603. I will disembowel myself
without further ado.Copy !req
604. Or if you feel harakiri
is too good for me,Copy !req
605. you may turn your men on me
to do what they will.Copy !req
606. In any event,Copy !req
607. I would first like you to hear
what I have to say.Copy !req
608. As to these conditions you stipulate,
do I have your word?Copy !req
609. You have my word.Copy !req
610. And as a samurai,
you will hold true to it?Copy !req
611. Very well, but make it short.Copy !req
612. I will not listen
to your useless mutterings for long.Copy !req
613. Men, fall back.Copy !req
614. Now, where was I?Copy !req
615. Oh, yes...Copy !req
616. My master's house fell
and Chijiiwa Jinnai died.Copy !req
617. But before doing so,Copy !req
618. he asked me
to look after Motome.Copy !req
619. When my master's house fell,Copy !req
620. we immediately left the domain
and moved to Edo.Copy !req
621. The streets of Edo
were crowded with ronin,Copy !req
622. flotsam from the Battle of Sekigahara.Copy !req
623. In former times, other clans would
have gladly taken in any roninCopy !req
624. who'd earned a name for himself.Copy !req
625. But in an era no longer in need
of warriors or horses,Copy !req
626. so peaceful that no wind even
rustled the leaves on the trees,Copy !req
627. it was a constant struggle
simply to find a meal.Copy !req
628. Indeed, it shames me to recallCopy !req
629. our miserable lives
over these last eight or nine years.Copy !req
630. But amidst all our hardships,Copy !req
631. my daughter Miho was rapidly
becoming a woman,Copy !req
632. and soon it was the spring
of her 18th year.Copy !req
633. Father.Copy !req
634. I've set out your lunch
in case I'm not back in time.Copy !req
635. The greatest delicacies
taste of nothing when eaten alone.Copy !req
636. If you're not back, I'll wait.Copy !req
637. I'll collect the money for theseCopy !req
638. and then stop by Yoshizakicho
for some dried fish.Copy !req
639. Good day!Copy !req
640. Welcome, sir.Copy !req
641. Busy as usual, eh? On your way out?Copy !req
642. Yes, to the wholesaler
in Kyobashi.Copy !req
643. The Mikawaya, I suppose.
Take care.Copy !req
644. Practice makes perfect.Copy !req
645. You've become very deft at that.Copy !req
646. Forgive me.Copy !req
647. I hate asking you
for advances all the time,Copy !req
648. but my earnings
refuse to catch up.Copy !req
649. You disarm me by beating me to it.Copy !req
650. I came intending
to lodge a complaint or two,Copy !req
651. but now that you've made
the first move...Copy !req
652. what can I say?Copy !req
653. By the way,Copy !req
654. what are your thoughts on that matter
I raised the other day?Copy !req
655. Have you come to a decision?Copy !req
656. Yes, I have decided.Copy !req
657. Glad to hear it.Copy !req
658. That takes a load off my mind.Copy !req
659. No...Copy !req
660. I appreciate your proposal
regarding Miho,Copy !req
661. but I've decided to decline.Copy !req
662. In the end, her adoption
by the Joshuya familyCopy !req
663. would be a mere pretext
lasting perhaps six months.Copy !req
664. Once established
as a member of their family,Copy !req
665. she'd be sent to Lord Sakakibara
as his concubine.Copy !req
666. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
667. the Sakakibara are a noble family
with a domain of 110,000 koku.Copy !req
668. It may seem odd to seek benefit
from your daughter's connections,Copy !req
669. but you need do nothing
and doors will open to you.Copy !req
670. I understand that.Copy !req
671. But, Master Seibei, no matter
how much I've fallen on hard times,Copy !req
672. I cannot profit from making
my daughter a concubine.Copy !req
673. It's fine to uphold your pride.Copy !req
674. But as a parent, you must consider
your daughter's feelings too.Copy !req
675. What?Copy !req
676. She's young and beautiful,Copy !req
677. yet she doesn't have
a single fancy kimono to wear.Copy !req
678. She can only look forward to endless
days of slaving at her father's side.Copy !req
679. Master Tsugumo,
you can't fight the world you live inCopy !req
680. nor go against
the tide of the times.Copy !req
681. It's a good proposal
for both Miho and for you,Copy !req
682. no matter which way you look at it.Copy !req
683. In fact, to be honest,Copy !req
684. is it not precisely because Miho
was blessed with such beautyCopy !req
685. that an avenue like this
remains open to you?Copy !req
686. Confucius said:Copy !req
687. "He who knows not the will of heaven
is not a superior man."Copy !req
688. "He who knows not proper decorum
must not rise to his feet."Copy !req
689. "He who knows not the heart of words
cannot know the heart of man."Copy !req
690. That will be all for today.Copy !req
691. Thank you, sir. Goodbye.Copy !req
692. Hey, Katsuzo,
let's go sparrow-hunting today!Copy !req
693. Hello, Uncle Hanshiro.Copy !req
694. It's good to see you.Copy !req
695. Some tea?Copy !req
696. - Much obliged.
- Not at all.Copy !req
697. I know this house well enough
at least to put water on to boil.Copy !req
698. As it happens, Motome,Copy !req
699. I came today to discuss
a matter of some weight.Copy !req
700. You sound so formal, Uncle.
What could it be?Copy !req
701. How quickly the days
and months fly by.Copy !req
702. Miho is now 18.Copy !req
703. She looks more
like her mother every day.Copy !req
704. In fact, it's hard to see...
how she could possibly be of my blood.Copy !req
705. If she'd taken after me,
she'd never have grown so beautiful.Copy !req
706. Uncle... what are you trying to say?Copy !req
707. Well... Motome...Copy !req
708. I'd like you to take Miho
as your wife.Copy !req
709. I realise this is all very sudden,Copy !req
710. but what do you think?Copy !req
711. Motome?Copy !req
712. Uncle, you know as well as I
the state of my livelihood at present.Copy !req
713. I offer classes in the Chinese classics
to a handful of childrenCopy !req
714. and live from hand to mouth.Copy !req
715. How could I possibly take a wife?Copy !req
716. do you dislike Miho?Copy !req
717. All I'm asking is
how you feel about her.Copy !req
718. It's not only because of the promise
I made to your fatherCopy !req
719. that I hope you'll marry Miho.Copy !req
720. Boorish and dull as I am,Copy !req
721. I'm not entirely insensitive
to your feelings for each other.Copy !req
722. It was more difficult than I expected
to persuade Motome.Copy !req
723. I didn't realise he had such
a stubborn and wilful streak.Copy !req
724. But I knew he loved Miho,Copy !req
725. and I knew Miho would have
no objections to the match.Copy !req
726. The crane that lives
a thousand yearsCopy !req
727. A symbol of myriad joysCopy !req
728. The tortoise that lives 10,000 yearsCopy !req
729. Bears on its back the three worlds
of heaven, earth and manCopy !req
730. The sands upon the beachCopy !req
731. Numberless and smoothCopy !req
732. May they ever reflect
the morning sunCopy !req
733. After two years,
a child was born.Copy !req
734. It was a boy,
and they named him Kingo.Copy !req
735. Of course, I was the one
who chose the name.Copy !req
736. Good day.Copy !req
737. What's this? Asleep again?Copy !req
738. Father, you're too generous.Copy !req
739. Nonsense.Copy !req
740. Even after I married you off,
you still cook for me.Copy !req
741. And besides,
I now have only myself to support.Copy !req
742. I save more money
than I know what to do with,Copy !req
743. and I can't take it with me!Copy !req
744. Well, well.Copy !req
745. did you wake up?Copy !req
746. Now, none of that,
you little rascal.Copy !req
747. A warrior's son should not
be flashing his dimples.Copy !req
748. What did I tell you now?Copy !req
749. Really? Even the Matsudaira Clan
of dewa province?Copy !req
750. That's right.Copy !req
751. I can understand abolishing
the domains of newer vassals,Copy !req
752. but to treat vassals who've supported
the Tokugawa for years so harshly?Copy !req
753. The shogunate's policy towards
the daimyo is completely beyond me.Copy !req
754. We'll see an increase
in the number of ronin.Copy !req
755. did you hear?Copy !req
756. One of them tried to commit harakiri
at the Sengoku Clan's gate.Copy !req
757. A ronin named Oi Shume,
formerly of the Kurume Clan.Copy !req
758. I heard the Sengoku
were so impressedCopy !req
759. that they offered him employment.Copy !req
760. That much was fine.
It's what happened next.Copy !req
761. Yes, I heard.Copy !req
762. Other ronin who got wind of the storyCopy !req
763. began presenting themselves at the
gates of daimyo houses all over Edo,Copy !req
764. insisting on committing harakiri
and refusing to budge.Copy !req
765. In order to get rid of them,Copy !req
766. the houses offered them
money to leave.Copy !req
767. It's a shameful turn of events.Copy !req
768. It certainly is.Copy !req
769. No matter how hard-pressed
they may be,Copy !req
770. it's a despicable thing to do.Copy !req
771. In these difficult times,
it's no help growing desperate.Copy !req
772. Becoming too impatient
to seek employmentCopy !req
773. is a danger we must all
take care to avoid.Copy !req
774. You are absolutely right.Copy !req
775. If you stop worrying
about finding employment,Copy !req
776. you can sit here like this
without answering to a superior,Copy !req
777. at no one's beck and call.Copy !req
778. What's the matter, little one?Copy !req
779. It's time for his milk.
I'll nurse him.Copy !req
780. don't give him your breast
every time he cries,Copy !req
781. or he'll develop bad habits.Copy !req
782. Lookee here, Kingo. Ready?Copy !req
783. All right?Copy !req
784. Upsy-daisy. Here we go, Kingo.Copy !req
785. In KandaCopy !req
786. At the Myojin ShrineCopy !req
787. There's a festivalCopy !req
788. This very nightCopy !req
789. Kingo was the centre of our existence,
and the three of us lived happilyCopy !req
790. with the constant sound
of warm laughterCopy !req
791. raising peaceful ripples around us.Copy !req
792. It truly was a time
of greater happinessCopy !req
793. than I'd ever known in the domain.Copy !req
794. However, good things
never last for long.Copy !req
795. "We've been granted
to live thus far...Copy !req
796. "But it won't last forever...Copy !req
797. "We're destined to leave this world...Copy !req
798. "And there's nothing untoward
about it."Copy !req
799. One day, Miho suddenly coughed up
profuse quantities of blood.Copy !req
800. She had always been
of weak constitution,Copy !req
801. and with the endless burden
of our piecework labour...Copy !req
802. she'd driven her frail body
too hard for too long.Copy !req
803. Motome panicked.Copy !req
804. The poor fellow.Copy !req
805. date Clan construction site,
fifty labourers at 40 mon.Copy !req
806. Fifty labourers at 40 mon.Copy !req
807. Just a minute, samurai, sir!Copy !req
808. Are you trying to get me in trouble?Copy !req
809. There isn't enough work
even for the townsmen.Copy !req
810. If the authorities spotted
a two-sworded labourer,Copy !req
811. I'd be in for a real dressing-down.Copy !req
812. Hosokawa Clan construction site,
twenty labourers at 45 mon.Copy !req
813. Pawn ShopCopy !req
814. Poor Motome,Copy !req
815. he tried everything
but to no avail.Copy !req
816. Miho was gradually wasting away.Copy !req
817. And the worst was yet to come.
It's seared forever in my memory.Copy !req
818. We'd just barely made it
through the end of the year,Copy !req
819. and the plum blossoms
had begun to bloomCopy !req
820. shortly after the beginning
of the new year.Copy !req
821. What's wrong?Copy !req
822. Is it Miho?Copy !req
823. It's Kingo.Copy !req
824. What? Kingo?Copy !req
825. A fever.Copy !req
826. Like he's on fire.Copy !req
827. Why, Miho?Copy !req
828. Why did you just sit by
until it came to this?Copy !req
829. I thought it was an ordinary cold.Copy !req
830. What did the doctor say?Copy !req
831. You did have a doctor see him,
didn't you?Copy !req
832. You haven't had a doctor see him?Copy !req
833. Why haven't you had a doctor
look at him?Copy !req
834. Kingo, fight it off.Copy !req
835. Your grandpa,
like your mother and father,Copy !req
836. has already sold off
everything of value.Copy !req
837. There's not a thing,
not a thing we can do for you.Copy !req
838. There's nothing...Copy !req
839. nothing we can do, Kingo.Copy !req
840. But you're the son of a samurai.Copy !req
841. You can't let a little illness
get the better of you.Copy !req
842. don't let it beat you.Copy !req
843. don't let it... don't let it...Copy !req
844. Father.Copy !req
845. I have an idea.Copy !req
846. What?Copy !req
847. I need to go out.Copy !req
848. Please look after Kingo.Copy !req
849. What do you have in mind?Copy !req
850. A former retainer of the Kato Clan
now lives in NihonbashiCopy !req
851. and makes his living
as a moneylender.Copy !req
852. His rates are so high
I didn't dare go to him before,Copy !req
853. but I can't worry about that anymore.Copy !req
854. You're right. If you know such a man,
hurry and go!Copy !req
855. I'm on my way.Copy !req
856. I'll be back by evening at the latest.Copy !req
857. As you can see, Miho is too weak,Copy !req
858. so please take care of Kingo.Copy !req
859. Of course. I know what to do.Copy !req
860. But, Motome,Copy !req
861. you can see
he's barely hanging on.Copy !req
862. You must be quick,
and you mustn't fail.Copy !req
863. I'll return by evening without fail.Copy !req
864. Until then.Copy !req
865. We're depending on you, Motome!Copy !req
866. No, no, I'll do that.Copy !req
867. It won't be long now, Kingo.Copy !req
868. What's taking him so long?Copy !req
869. He's getting worse.Copy !req
870. What could Motome be doing?Copy !req
871. No, no. Your getting up
won't do Kingo's fever any good.Copy !req
872. Where can Motome be?Copy !req
873. He swore he'd be back by evening.Copy !req
874. What could he be doing?Copy !req
875. I waited.Copy !req
876. Every moment felt like an eternity.Copy !req
877. But Motome did not return.Copy !req
878. We never saw him again.Copy !req
879. "I'll be back by evening,
so please look after Kingo."Copy !req
880. Those were his final words
as he went out the door,Copy !req
881. and that was the last I saw
of Chijiiwa Motome.Copy !req
882. But then,Copy !req
883. around nine that night,
he did return home.Copy !req
884. Only not on his own.Copy !req
885. He was borne home by a party
of retainers from the House of Iyi...Copy !req
886. most courteously.Copy !req
887. This was the request with which
Chijiiwa Motome came to us.Copy !req
888. But our forecourt is a busy place
and would have been inconvenient,Copy !req
889. so we offered him our courtyard and
saw to his needs with all due propriety,Copy !req
890. thus allowing him to fulfil his wish
to commit harakiri.Copy !req
891. We understand there have been
incidents all across Edo latelyCopy !req
892. in which ronin present themselves
at the gates of daimyo housesCopy !req
893. and threaten to commit harakiri
unless given money.Copy !req
894. This disgraceful practice has put
many houses at a loss as to what to do.Copy !req
895. But now we have Chijiiwa Motome,
a samurai of true valour,Copy !req
896. who carried out his resolve
to die honourably.Copy !req
897. And we the members
of the Iyi ClanCopy !req
898. responded appropriately
to facilitate his wishes.Copy !req
899. In contrast to many disgraceful roninCopy !req
900. and the spineless timidity
of other daimyo households,Copy !req
901. both parties in this instance
acted in an exemplary mannerCopy !req
902. that will open eyes
and clear the air.Copy !req
903. It is truly an occasion
for mutual congratulations.Copy !req
904. - We bid you...
- Wait.Copy !req
905. To avoid any misunderstanding,
show the blades.Copy !req
906. That's right.Copy !req
907. For the record, we wish you to examine
the swords Chijiiwa was carrying.Copy !req
908. You will note that
both blades are of bamboo.Copy !req
909. Bamboo?Copy !req
910. As you can see,
both are made of bamboo.Copy !req
911. No one must accuse us later
of having switched blades.Copy !req
912. So take a good look.Copy !req
913. Is it clear?Copy !req
914. In that case,Copy !req
915. Motome must have borrowed
a blade from your household?Copy !req
916. No, he did not.Copy !req
917. He died magnificently
using his own blade.Copy !req
918. Motome... killed himself
with that bamboo blade?Copy !req
919. Exactly.Copy !req
920. The entire household
witnessed the spectacleCopy !req
921. of harakiri performed
with a bamboo blade.Copy !req
922. As you may imagine,
an unsightly affair.Copy !req
923. It would have been more fitting
for a samuraiCopy !req
924. to end his life with a true blade,
which is a warrior's soul.Copy !req
925. - So long.
- We bid you good night.Copy !req
926. Miho wept.Copy !req
927. She wept...Copy !req
928. and wept.Copy !req
929. Motome!Copy !req
930. Forgive me!Copy !req
931. I had...Copy !req
932. I had no idea.Copy !req
933. You had even sold your blades.Copy !req
934. For Miho's sake,
you even sold your blades.Copy !req
935. But I...Copy !req
936. I would never let this go.Copy !req
937. It never entered my mind.Copy !req
938. The stupid thing
was too dear to me...Copy !req
939. and I clung to it.Copy !req
940. To this stupid...Copy !req
941. With his fever still raging
and in a coma,Copy !req
942. Kingo died two days later.Copy !req
943. Three days after that,Copy !req
944. as if chasing after him,Copy !req
945. Miho died as well.Copy !req
946. Thus did Tsugumo Hanshiro find
himself utterly alone in the world,Copy !req
947. having lost every last person
he had ever cared about.Copy !req
948. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
949. does that conclude your story?Copy !req
950. I suppose it does.Copy !req
951. No...Copy !req
952. there's one more thing.Copy !req
953. May all those here listen carefully
to what I'm about to say.Copy !req
954. No matter how grinding
his poverty and hunger,Copy !req
955. for a samurai to present himself
in someone else's entrywayCopy !req
956. and declare that he wishes
to commit harakiri thereCopy !req
957. is an unspeakable act that
can in no way be excused.Copy !req
958. Having said that...Copy !req
959. the manner in which
the House of Iyi handled the matter...Copy !req
960. surely left a great deal to be desired.Copy !req
961. If a samurai risks shame and ridiculeCopy !req
962. to beg for a day or two's grace,
he must surely have good reason.Copy !req
963. A simple inquiry
as to the reason for the requestCopy !req
964. would have told so much.Copy !req
965. Yet with this many witnesses present...Copy !req
966. not a single one among you
had the consideration to ask.Copy !req
967. His wife lay on the very verge of death,Copy !req
968. while his beloved son burned with fever,
in dire need of a doctor.Copy !req
969. Motome no doubt wished
to explain the situation to me,Copy !req
970. make whatever last effort
he could for his son,Copy !req
971. before turning all further care
over to me,Copy !req
972. and then return here
to the House of Iyi.Copy !req
973. Tsugumo Hanshiro!Copy !req
974. Enough of your self-serving excuses!Copy !req
975. What?Copy !req
976. As to Chijiiwa Motome,Copy !req
977. the circumstances that drove him here
were no doubt complex.Copy !req
978. But it was he who declared
his wish to commit harakiri.Copy !req
979. What followed upon that request
may not have been what he intended,Copy !req
980. but he reaped
what he himself sowed.Copy !req
981. He was in no position to complain,
or to blame or condemn anyone.Copy !req
982. At that point,Copy !req
983. all he had to do was cast all else
aside and die a magnificent death.Copy !req
984. To face death without wavering,Copy !req
985. that is the true way of the samurai.Copy !req
986. But what did this man do?Copy !req
987. He cravenly asked
for a day or two's grace.Copy !req
988. One might well accuse him
of having gone mad!Copy !req
989. True enough.Copy !req
990. Motome had indeed gone mad.Copy !req
991. But I say good for him!Copy !req
992. I praise him for it.Copy !req
993. He may have been a samurai,Copy !req
994. but he was also
a man of flesh and blood.Copy !req
995. He could not live on air alone.Copy !req
996. When a man has reached
the point of no return,Copy !req
997. even one as strong as Motome will
go mad trying to protect his family,Copy !req
998. and I would praise him for it!Copy !req
999. They'll call him the "Bamboo Ronin".Copy !req
1000. Not only samurai, but townspeople, too,
will scoff at his wavering.Copy !req
1001. But let them laugh all they want.Copy !req
1002. Who can fathom the depths
of another man's heart?Copy !req
1003. Thanks to the shogunate's ruthless
policy of wiping out the provincial lords,Copy !req
1004. countless samurai lost their mastersCopy !req
1005. and were cast out
to wander the depths of hell.Copy !req
1006. How can those who never want for food
or clothing understand their misery?Copy !req
1007. To those who find Motome loathsome
for his pleading, I ask you,Copy !req
1008. what if you found yourself
in the same position?Copy !req
1009. Would you do any differently?Copy !req
1010. After all,
this thing we call samurai honourCopy !req
1011. is ultimately nothing but a façade.Copy !req
1012. Is that your grievance?Copy !req
1013. - Grievance?
- Is that what you're trying to tell us?Copy !req
1014. That samurai honour
is nothing but a façade?Copy !req
1015. Exactly.Copy !req
1016. "Even if I say I want
to commit harakiri,Copy !req
1017. "they surely won't make me do it."Copy !req
1018. Such wishful thinking
is where these ronin go wrong.Copy !req
1019. If a man says he wants
to commit harakiri, we will let him.Copy !req
1020. In fact, since he has proposed it
himself, we'll make sure he does.Copy !req
1021. That is the policy of the House of Iyi.Copy !req
1022. For us, samurai honour
is no mere façade!Copy !req
1023. And so Tsugumo Hanshiro tooCopy !req
1024. has come here with no intention
of committing harakiri,Copy !req
1025. but rather out of deep bitternessCopy !req
1026. over the manner in which the Iyi Clan
treated his son-in-law Chijiiwa Motome,Copy !req
1027. and the desire to vent
his many grudges.Copy !req
1028. Is that what you think?Copy !req
1029. That's not for me to say.Copy !req
1030. You can only look into your own heart.Copy !req
1031. But all the same,Copy !req
1032. you have no intention
of letting me leave here alive?Copy !req
1033. That is my decision to make.Copy !req
1034. I need make no excuses to you.Copy !req
1035. Counsellor,Copy !req
1036. there is a proverb, "The suspicious
mind conjures its own demons."Copy !req
1037. do you know it?Copy !req
1038. When I say I will disembowel myself,
I truly mean it.Copy !req
1039. Yet, even after all I have said,
you still refuse to...Copy !req
1040. Suppose I were to go on living,Copy !req
1041. what could I possibly have
to look forward to?Copy !req
1042. The fact is, I can hardly wait
to join Motome and Miho and KingoCopy !req
1043. in that world to which
they have preceded me.Copy !req
1044. But I would never be able
to look them in the faceCopy !req
1045. were I to go empty-handed.Copy !req
1046. I think you can understand that.Copy !req
1047. I thought perhaps
once I had explained,Copy !req
1048. even members of the Iyi Clan would
surely say, "So that's how it was?Copy !req
1049. "Perhaps we were overzealous that day
in pressing towards that end.Copy !req
1050. "Anyone can see that our handling
of the situation was less than ideal.Copy !req
1051. "In some ways,
perhaps we carried things too far.Copy !req
1052. "No doubt both parties could have
conducted themselves to better effect."Copy !req
1053. If I could take with me
even a single word in this vein,Copy !req
1054. it would be a comfort to Motome.Copy !req
1055. Was this not the most fitting gift
I could hope to offer him?Copy !req
1056. Such were my thoughts!Copy !req
1057. But I see now it was nothing
but wishful thinking.Copy !req
1058. If you can see that,
then it makes the rest easy.Copy !req
1059. This world does not bend
to sentimental tales.Copy !req
1060. If you really think
that samurai honourCopy !req
1061. is ultimately nothing more
than a façade,Copy !req
1062. then you never had a chance
of swaying us.Copy !req
1063. So in the end,Copy !req
1064. these have been nothing but
the useless grumblings of an old man.Copy !req
1065. But it does no good
to lament that now.Copy !req
1066. Well, then, forgive me
for my long-winded recitation.Copy !req
1067. I will now proceed with the ritual.Copy !req
1068. Tarry a moment.Copy !req
1069. Before that,Copy !req
1070. I must return some items
that belong to this house.Copy !req
1071. For identification,
I have placed name tags on each.Copy !req
1072. Please examine them carefully.Copy !req
1073. Master Yazaki HayatoCopy !req
1074. and Master Kawabe Umenosuke...Copy !req
1075. I understand they're both among
the best swordsmen of the Iyi Clan,Copy !req
1076. held in high esteem
for their courage and honour.Copy !req
1077. But, Counsellor,Copy !req
1078. gentlemen,
let me set your minds at ease.Copy !req
1079. I took only their topknots.Copy !req
1080. Not their lives.Copy !req
1081. In the case of Yazaki Hayato,Copy !req
1082. it was six days ago.Copy !req
1083. Hold it!Copy !req
1084. In the case of Kawabe Umenosuke,Copy !req
1085. it was five days ago, on May 8th.Copy !req
1086. However,Copy !req
1087. when it came to that master swordsman
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school,Copy !req
1088. Master Omodaka Hikokuro,
I had a little more difficulty.Copy !req
1089. Perhaps aware of what had befallen
Yazaki and Kawabe,Copy !req
1090. I could not catch him off guard.Copy !req
1091. In fact, to be honest,
I found myself at quite a lossCopy !req
1092. as to how to deal
with Master Omodaka.Copy !req
1093. May I enter?Copy !req
1094. If you reach for your sword,Copy !req
1095. I'll slice you in one motion
from shoulder to waist.Copy !req
1096. However...Copy !req
1097. I fear the lintel will catch
the tip of my blade.Copy !req
1098. If you lunge to the side,Copy !req
1099. then this pillar will get in the way.Copy !req
1100. It took a few days to locate your home.
My apologies for the delay.Copy !req
1101. I ask you to make ready.Copy !req
1102. This is obviously no place
for a sword duel.Copy !req
1103. It's a bit far, but I must ask you
to accompany me to Gojiin-gawara.Copy !req
1104. As miserable a hovel as this is,Copy !req
1105. your landlord will be inconvenienced
if you do not return.Copy !req
1106. And without someone to retrieve your
remains, your soul will wander aimlessly.Copy !req
1107. I suggest you leave a note.Copy !req
1108. It should indicate
you're going to Gojiin-gawaraCopy !req
1109. for a duel with Omodaka Hikokuro
of the Iyi Clan.Copy !req
1110. Taking advantage of the wind
was brilliant,Copy !req
1111. but a blade can do more than cut.Copy !req
1112. It can also stab,
or even snap another blade in two.Copy !req
1113. Swordsmanship untested in battleCopy !req
1114. is like the art of swimming
on tatami mats.Copy !req
1115. On the other hand,Copy !req
1116. I had not seen battle eitherCopy !req
1117. since the siege of Osaka Castle
16 years ago.Copy !req
1118. Taking his head
would have been difficult enough,Copy !req
1119. but taking only his topknot
proved more difficult still.Copy !req
1120. Whatever the differences
in our skill,Copy !req
1121. for a samurai to have
his topknot takenCopy !req
1122. is the same as having
his head stricken off.Copy !req
1123. It is an ineptitude, a disgrace,Copy !req
1124. that can scarcely be atoned for
even by death.Copy !req
1125. Yet these men claim illness
and shirk their dutiesCopy !req
1126. while waiting for their topknots
to grow back. Counsellor!Copy !req
1127. This house boasts of its red armour
and its martial valour,Copy !req
1128. but it seems that even
in the great House of Iyi,Copy !req
1129. samurai honour is nothing more
than a façade.Copy !req
1130. Madman!Copy !req
1131. Cut him down!Copy !req
1132. Fall back!Copy !req
1133. Tsugumo Hanshiro
has been killed, sire.Copy !req
1134. And our casualties?Copy !req
1135. What were the casualties
among our men?Copy !req
1136. Sugita Masakatsu, Uemura Sobei.Copy !req
1137. Shinmen Ichiro, Yoshioka Uemon.Copy !req
1138. Four dead.Copy !req
1139. Eight more seriously wounded.Copy !req
1140. The ronin from Hiroshima,Copy !req
1141. Tsugumo Hanshiro,
committed harakiri.Copy !req
1142. All our own men died of illness.Copy !req
1143. The House of Iyi has no retainersCopy !req
1144. who could be felled or wounded
by some half-starved ronin.Copy !req
1145. Former retainer of the Fukushima Clan,
Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
1146. committed harakiri honourably,
according to his wish.Copy !req
1147. All our men died of illness.Copy !req
1148. Their deaths have nothing to do
with Tsugumo's.Copy !req
1149. Furthermore, we cannot allow
any more to die of illness.Copy !req
1150. See that the wounded
are treated immediately.Copy !req
1151. I have just returned, Counsellor.Copy !req
1152. Omodaka Hikokuro...Copy !req
1153. last night at his home...Copy !req
1154. Kawabe and Yazaki both claim illness.Copy !req
1155. - But in fact...
- Fool!Copy !req
1156. Why did you not order them
to commit harakiri on the spot?Copy !req
1157. Go back at once
and order them to do so!Copy !req
1158. And take some skilled swordsmen
with you.Copy !req
1159. If they fail to willingly disembowel
themselves, make them do it by force.Copy !req
1160. Of course, these two men
and Omodaka too,Copy !req
1161. did not officially commit harakiri.Copy !req
1162. They died of illness.Copy !req
1163. Imbecile!Copy !req
1164. You weren't born yesterday,
you know the ways of the world!Copy !req
1165. do you not realise the implications?
Idiot!Copy !req
1166. I am on my way, sire.Copy !req
1167. The former retainer of the Fukushima
Clan, Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
1168. died by harakiri
at six in the evening.Copy !req
1169. His speech and behaviour
had been erratic.Copy !req
1170. Many of those present felt
he showed signs of derangement.Copy !req
1171. Furthermore, it has become clearCopy !req
1172. when another former retainer
of the Fukushima Clan,Copy !req
1173. one Chijiiwa Motome, asked to commit
harakiri in January of this year,Copy !req
1174. we did not err
in our chosen response.Copy !req
1175. Word of the martial rigour
of this house echoed throughout Edo.Copy !req
1176. In the present case too,
word of our resolute handlingCopy !req
1177. spread across the city
before two days were out.Copy !req
1178. As a result,Copy !req
1179. on the third day,
in a formal session at Edo Castle,Copy !req
1180. Lord Doi took the occasion
to confer words of praiseCopy !req
1181. upon our young master Bennosuke
as follows...Copy !req
1182. "At peace, yet ever vigilant.Copy !req
1183. "Let the House of Iyi continue
to embrace this principle,Copy !req
1184. "and your fortunes are sure
to prosper for ages to come."Copy !req
1185. The 16th day of May,Copy !req
1186. 1630.Copy !req