1. 1630.Copy !req
2. 13th day of May. Fair skies.Copy !req
3. Extremely hot from early in the day.Copy !req
4. 10:00 a.m. - Master Bennosuke...Copy !req
5. pays a visit to the Kandabashi mansion
of the Honorable Lord DoiCopy !req
6. to present fresh river trout
from the Shirakawa River,Copy !req
7. which arrived from our domain.Copy !req
8. No other official business to record.Copy !req
9. However,Copy !req
10. at about 4:00 in the afternoon,Copy !req
11. a samurai claiming to be a former retainer
of the Fukushima Clan in HiroshimaCopy !req
12. appeared at our gate.Copy !req
13. Produced byCopy !req
14. Original Story byCopy !req
15. Screenplay byCopy !req
16. Cinematography byCopy !req
17. Music byCopy !req
18. StarringCopy !req
19. Directed byCopy !req
20. EDOCopy !req
21. You were a retainer of the former
Fukushima Clan in Hiroshima?Copy !req
22. That is correct.Copy !req
23. My name is Hanshiro Tsugumo.Copy !req
24. Written with the character
tsu as in "harbor"Copy !req
25. and gumo as in "cloud."Copy !req
26. What is the nature of your visit?Copy !req
27. My master's house fell in 1619.Copy !req
28. I subsequently left the domain
and moved here to Edo,Copy !req
29. where I found shelter
in a back-alley tenement.Copy !req
30. While eking out a meager living,Copy !req
31. I sought connections
for employment with a new master.Copy !req
32. But try as I might,
we live in times of peace,Copy !req
33. and my every effort has been in vain.Copy !req
34. Failing to find employment
and with little to do,Copy !req
35. he finds himself in dire straitsCopy !req
36. and believes
he can endure it no further.Copy !req
37. Rather than live on
in such poverty and disgrace,Copy !req
38. he wishes to die
honorably by harakiriCopy !req
39. and asks for permission
to use our forecourt.Copy !req
40. Such is his request.Copy !req
41. Not again.Copy !req
42. Will they never stop?Copy !req
43. How shall I respond?Copy !req
44. Fine. Show him in.Copy !req
45. This is the room, sir.Copy !req
46. Please go in.Copy !req
47. Thank you.Copy !req
48. I am a former retainerCopy !req
49. of Lord Masanori Fukushima
of Hiroshima,Copy !req
50. Hanshiro Tsugumo by name.Copy !req
51. I respectfully beg your favor.Copy !req
52. I am senior counselor
of the House of Iyi, Kageyu Saito.Copy !req
53. I am much obliged
for this immediate interview.Copy !req
54. The purpose of my visit -Copy !req
55. I've already been told
of your request.Copy !req
56. Rather than live on
in endless poverty,Copy !req
57. idly waiting for death,Copy !req
58. you wish to end your life in a manner
befitting a samurai, by harakiri.Copy !req
59. I believe that was the gist of it?Copy !req
60. That is correct.Copy !req
61. In these times,
it is a truly admirable resolve.Copy !req
62. I can only express the highest esteem.Copy !req
63. You mentionedCopy !req
64. that you served
the former Lord Fukushima.Copy !req
65. Did you happen to know
a man named Motome Chijiiwa?Copy !req
66. Chijiiwa?Copy !req
67. Yes.Copy !req
68. Hmm...Copy !req
69. You don't recognize the name?Copy !req
70. I'm quite certain he said
he'd served the former Lord Fukushima.Copy !req
71. In its prosperous days,
the clan's retainersCopy !req
72. numbered some 12, 000 men.Copy !req
73. One could hardly know them all.Copy !req
74. I see.Copy !req
75. But never mind that.Copy !req
76. Earlier this year,
perhaps around the end of January,Copy !req
77. this ronin named Motome Chijiiwa
came calling,Copy !req
78. and the purpose of his visit
was the same as yours.Copy !req
79. He requested the use of our forecourt
to dispatch himself with honor.Copy !req
80. Is that right?Copy !req
81. Would you like me to tell you
what happened in that case?Copy !req
82. I would indeed.Copy !req
83. You say you were a retainer
of the former Fukushima Clan in Hiroshima?Copy !req
84. That is correct.Copy !req
85. I served the former
Lord Masanori Fukushima of Hiroshima.Copy !req
86. My name is Motome Chijiiwa.Copy !req
87. What is the nature of your visit?Copy !req
88. After the fall of my master's house,Copy !req
89. I moved here to Edo
and found shelter in a back-alley tenement.Copy !req
90. While eking out a meager living,Copy !req
91. I sought connections
for employment with a new master.Copy !req
92. But try as I might,
we live in times of peace...Copy !req
93. and my every effort has been in vain.Copy !req
94. So now it seems it's our turn.Copy !req
95. How shall we respond?Copy !req
96. Let me think.Copy !req
97. It's amazing how such foolishness
can take hold.Copy !req
98. Blame it on what
the Sengoku Clan did.Copy !req
99. - Say what you will, that was a mistake.
- I disagree, Yazaki.Copy !req
100. - That's not necessarily true.
- Why not?Copy !req
101. The fellow who went to the Sengoku house
was serious about disemboweling himself.Copy !req
102. There was nothing dishonorable
about his intent.Copy !req
103. Precisely because
they were touched by his sincerity,Copy !req
104. the Sengoku house decided
to take him in as a back-room retainer.Copy !req
105. That was good.
They made the right decision in that case.Copy !req
106. The problemCopy !req
107. is the shameless imitators
who have followed.Copy !req
108. They have no intention whatsoever
of performing harakiri,Copy !req
109. and just because they're hurting a little
for food and clothing,Copy !req
110. they show up at our gate
to practice their thinly disguised extortion.Copy !req
111. We can't very well allow him
to disembowel himself in our gateway.Copy !req
112. Our only choice is to follow
the example of other clans:Copy !req
113. give him a little something
and ask him to leave.Copy !req
114. No.Copy !req
115. That will not do.Copy !req
116. If we give him money
and send him away,Copy !req
117. he'll soon be followed by others.Copy !req
118. One after the other,Copy !req
119. like ants drawn to a mound of sugar.Copy !req
120. Ever since the Battle of Sekigahara,Copy !req
121. Edo has been teeming with ronin -
masterless samurai.Copy !req
122. They're like wild dogs
roving about in search of prey.Copy !req
123. Think what people will say.Copy !req
124. "The House of Iyi has gone soft
like the others.Copy !req
125. Everybody thought they had backbone,
so until now, the ronin avoided their gate.Copy !req
126. But look what they've done now.Copy !req
127. They boast of their martial valor,Copy !req
128. but this is a time of peace,Copy !req
129. so they're just
living in yesterday's dreams."Copy !req
130. Would you have such laughable chatterCopy !req
131. spreading all over Edo?Copy !req
132. Especially when His Lordship
is away in his domain.Copy !req
133. Under no circumstances can we allowCopy !req
134. a stain to come upon our lord's name
while he's away.Copy !req
135. Giving him money
and asking him to leave -Copy !req
136. such lily-livered nonsense
is out of the question.Copy !req
137. He hasn't the slightest intention
of killing himself,Copy !req
138. yet he speaks of honorable harakiri.Copy !req
139. Counselor!Copy !req
140. If I may...Copy !req
141. My apologies for keeping you waiting.Copy !req
142. I am Umenosuke Kawabe,
a member of Lord Iyi's mounted guard.Copy !req
143. My name is Motome Chijiiwa,
a ronin from Hiroshima.Copy !req
144. Kindly come with me.Copy !req
145. Excuse me?Copy !req
146. I am to show you to the bath.Copy !req
147. Since Lord Iyi is at present
away in his domain,Copy !req
148. Senior Counselor Saito conveyed your
request to His Lordship's son, Bennosuke.Copy !req
149. He finds your resolve most admirableCopy !req
150. and wishes you to be brought forward
for an immediate audience.Copy !req
151. I am to have an audience
with Master Bennosuke?Copy !req
152. That is correct.Copy !req
153. I must beg your pardon,
but your present attire will not do.Copy !req
154. While you refresh yourself
in the bath,Copy !req
155. we'll see to some new robes for you.Copy !req
156. I place myself in your hands.Copy !req
157. Your kindness overwhelms me.Copy !req
158. I must be dreaming.Copy !req
159. This is so...Copy !req
160. completely unexpected.Copy !req
161. Almost -Copy !req
162. Pardon me.Copy !req
163. My apologies
for keeping you waiting so long.Copy !req
164. I must ask you to change again.Copy !req
165. Your robes.Copy !req
166. Is something wrong?Copy !req
167. What about my audience
with Master Bennosuke?Copy !req
168. I was told
I'd be granted an audience.Copy !req
169. I don't believe so.Copy !req
170. - You must have misunderstood.
- No, I'm quite certain.Copy !req
171. That was the word I received from
Umenosuke Kawabe of the mounted guard.Copy !req
172. Kawabe?Copy !req
173. Now that you mention it...Copy !req
174. Yes, that must be it.Copy !req
175. So I'm not mistaken?Copy !req
176. I believe I understand.Copy !req
177. When Senior Counselor Saito
personally conveyed your desireCopy !req
178. to Master Bennosuke,Copy !req
179. he noted how rare it is these days to find
men with such a great sense of honor.Copy !req
180. "I would like to add this man
to the ranks of our retainers," he said.Copy !req
181. "but when a man declares
that he wishes to tear his belly open,Copy !req
182. it can only come
from a most profound resolve."Copy !req
183. "I am sure it would be no use
trying to dissuade him.Copy !req
184. Grant him his final wish.Copy !req
185. Although I would like to meet
this man of such uncommon valorCopy !req
186. and tell him how much
I admire his purpose,Copy !req
187. I am unfortunately scheduled to go
to Lord Doi's residence at this hour.Copy !req
188. Extend to him
every courtesy of this house,Copy !req
189. and have all our retainers
witness his final act,Copy !req
190. that they may remember it
as a proud example."Copy !req
191. Such were Master Bennosuke's words,
I was told.Copy !req
192. Tell me:
What do you think of this story?Copy !req
193. A most interesting tale,Copy !req
194. worthy of the famous red armor
that symbolizes the House of IyiCopy !req
195. and its reputation for great martial valor.Copy !req
196. May I ask what your intentions are?Copy !req
197. You mean...Copy !req
198. about this?Copy !req
199. Exactly.Copy !req
200. You may set your mind at ease.Copy !req
201. I came here
with every intention of dying.Copy !req
202. Well, well.Copy !req
203. A most admirable resolve.Copy !req
204. In that case, Master Tsugumo...Copy !req
205. perhaps I should recount for youCopy !req
206. a little more of Motome Chijiiwa's story.Copy !req
207. By all means.Copy !req
208. Now then,
we must be aware of the time.Copy !req
209. Please change into those robes.Copy !req
210. All other arrangements
are already in placeCopy !req
211. for a harakiri ceremony
with all the proper formalities.Copy !req
212. I have a request.Copy !req
213. I must beg a brief respite.Copy !req
214. Respite?Copy !req
215. I will not run or hide.
I will return to this house.Copy !req
216. But I beg you
for a day or two respite.Copy !req
217. I'm afraid it's too late for that.Copy !req
218. - But this is absurd!
- Absurd?Copy !req
219. We made the harakiri arrangements
at your own request.Copy !req
220. My most abject apologies!Copy !req
221. Just a day or two respite.
I will return without fail.Copy !req
222. A samurai's word is his bond.Copy !req
223. There can be no delay!Copy !req
224. Master swordsman Hayato Yazaki.Copy !req
225. Fit and eager,
his skills honed to perfection.Copy !req
226. One false step
and he'll slice you in two.Copy !req
227. The others will descend on you as well.Copy !req
228. Rather than being chopped up
like a dead fish,Copy !req
229. perform harakiri
and die like a samurai.Copy !req
230. Now, change into those robes.Copy !req
231. O ancestors of the House of Iyi...Copy !req
232. I must beg your forgiveness
for defiling the mansion courtyardCopy !req
233. with unworthy ronin blood.Copy !req
234. I do this to preserve
the honor of this house,Copy !req
235. as well as that
of the Tokugawa family,Copy !req
236. and of the samurai code itself.Copy !req
237. I beg you to be witness
to my decision.Copy !req
238. His short blade is the same.Copy !req
239. Look at it.Copy !req
240. It wouldn't cut tofu.Copy !req
241. He sells off his soul as a samurai,
replacing his blades with bamboo,Copy !req
242. and then shows up
saying he wants to perform harakiri?Copy !req
243. The nerve of the man!Copy !req
244. Everything is in place
for the ceremony to begin.Copy !req
245. Master Motome Chijiiwa...Copy !req
246. rather than sit and wait
for death in dire poverty,Copy !req
247. you've declared your wish
to die honorably by harakiri.Copy !req
248. It is a commendable decision.Copy !req
249. You are an example for all samurai.Copy !req
250. I am ashamed to admitCopy !req
251. that even in this house known for martial
valor since our ancestor Naomasa's day,Copy !req
252. the resolve you've shown
is seen but rarely.Copy !req
253. So that they may witness
the noble demise of a true warrior,Copy !req
254. and engrave a lasting impression of it
upon their minds,Copy !req
255. I've ordered all retainers
of this household to attend.Copy !req
256. May your heart be at peace.Copy !req
257. I beg of you!Copy !req
258. What is it?Copy !req
259. I beg for a brief respite -
a day or two's grace!Copy !req
260. I swear I will not run or hide.
I'll return to this spot without fail!Copy !req
261. Please! I implore you!Copy !req
262. This is most unexpected.Copy !req
263. I've heard lately
of incidents all across EdoCopy !req
264. in which ronin who don't deserve
to call themselves samuraiCopy !req
265. demand the use of a clan's forecourt
to commit harakiriCopy !req
266. but are happy to walk away
in exchange for a few coins.Copy !req
267. Surely you are not -Copy !req
268. Absolutely not, sir.Copy !req
269. No, no.Copy !req
270. Of course not.Copy !req
271. I'd never believe that a man
of your noble character and mienCopy !req
272. could be such a despicable extortionist.Copy !req
273. Now then.Copy !req
274. You may proceed.Copy !req
275. Unworthy as I am,
I shall be your second.Copy !req
276. I am an exponent
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
277. I imagine you are aware,
but let me note just to be sure.Copy !req
278. The rite of harakiri
has changed over time.Copy !req
279. In recent years,
it is often harakiri in name only.Copy !req
280. The subject reaches for the blade
on the wooden stand,Copy !req
281. and his second immediately
strikes off his head.Copy !req
282. In other words,
there is no disembowelment at all,Copy !req
283. and in fact sometimes
the stand holds not a short swordCopy !req
284. but only a folding fan.Copy !req
285. However,Copy !req
286. our proceedings today will not sinkCopy !req
287. to such debased and empty forms.Copy !req
288. We shall adhere strictly
to the traditional ways.Copy !req
289. Is that understood?Copy !req
290. You will rip your bowels open
crosswise, like this.Copy !req
291. Once I see you have done so,
I will strike off your head.Copy !req
292. Until I am satisfied
you have fully torn open your bowels,Copy !req
293. I will not bring down my sword.Copy !req
294. Is that understood?
Now then.Copy !req
295. It is your own sword.Copy !req
296. That is the blade you will use.Copy !req
297. A samurai's sword is his soul.Copy !req
298. No blade could be more fitting
for this purpose than your own.Copy !req
299. Come. What keeps you?Copy !req
300. Proceed.Copy !req
301. Strike! Strike me!Copy !req
302. No, not yet!Copy !req
303. Pull your blade across!Copy !req
304. Why do you delay?Copy !req
305. Draw your blade across!
Pull it to the right!Copy !req
306. I suppose he had no other recourse,Copy !req
307. but even so,
to bite off his tongue?Copy !req
308. Would you say he was being resourceful,
or just unseemly?Copy !req
309. Then again,Copy !req
310. who in his right mind attempts harakiri
with just a bamboo sword?Copy !req
311. Now then...Copy !req
312. what are your intentions?Copy !req
313. You mean...Copy !req
314. about this?Copy !req
315. The account I've given youCopy !req
316. of Motome Chijiiwa's fate
is true in every detail.Copy !req
317. Take my advice, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
318. Quietly take your leave.Copy !req
319. You need have no such concerns with me.Copy !req
320. Unlike this Chijiiwa fellow...Copy !req
321. the sword in my belt
is not made of bamboo.Copy !req
322. Rest assured, I will not bite off my tongue.
I will disembowel myself in grand form.Copy !req
323. Very well.Copy !req
324. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
325. since you are unswerving in your resolve,
I shall grant your wish.Copy !req
326. Attendant!Copy !req
327. This ronin from Hiroshima,
Master Hanshiro Tsugumo,Copy !req
328. is to be granted use of the courtyard
to perform harakiri.Copy !req
329. His present dress will not do.Copy !req
330. Give him fresh robes befitting
one who journeys to the next world.Copy !req
331. If I may.Copy !req
332. What is it?Copy !req
333. Please do not trouble yourselves
over such things.Copy !req
334. For the final moments
of a down-and-out ronin like myself...Copy !req
335. surely nothing is more fitting
than the clothes I now wear.Copy !req
336. I am deeply grateful for the courteous
and considerate treatmentCopy !req
337. you have accorded me today.Copy !req
338. I can find no adequate words
to thank you.Copy !req
339. Now then, I shall begin.Copy !req
340. Might I ask, Counselor,Copy !req
341. who will be serving as my second?Copy !req
342. I have assigned Ichiro Shinmen.Copy !req
343. Master Shinmen?Copy !req
344. Did you wish for someone else?Copy !req
345. Yes, sir.Copy !req
346. I would like Master Hikokuro Omodaka.Copy !req
347. You request Hikokuro?Copy !req
348. I believe he's a retainer in this house.Copy !req
349. I've heard he's trained
in the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
350. Indeed.Copy !req
351. Hikokuro is a fine choice.Copy !req
352. Hikokuro.Copy !req
353. I'm afraid he's not
in attendance today.Copy !req
354. He sent a note saying he's ill
and requesting a few day's rest.Copy !req
355. I see. That's too bad.Copy !req
356. Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
357. As you heard,
Omodaka is not present today.Copy !req
358. You will need to make another choice.Copy !req
359. That is most disappointing.Copy !req
360. I had my heart set on Master Omodaka
performing the service.Copy !req
361. I wonder if I might not beg
his special consideration.Copy !req
362. Well,Copy !req
363. he says he's ill,
but he seemed fine yesterday.Copy !req
364. Surely it can't be anything serious.Copy !req
365. Messenger!Copy !req
366. Make all due haste
to Omodaka's residence.Copy !req
367. Tell him to come immediately,
if his illness permits. Now hurry.Copy !req
368. I'm putting you
to a great deal of trouble.Copy !req
369. Please accept my apologies.Copy !req
370. Now then,Copy !req
371. do you wish to wait hereCopy !req
372. or would you like
to come inside and relax?Copy !req
373. No.Copy !req
374. The comfort of your residence
might cause my resolve to waver.Copy !req
375. My journey into eternity mustn't grow
distasteful. I shall remain here.Copy !req
376. You display remarkable discipline.Copy !req
377. I can but express my admiration.Copy !req
378. If I may, Counselor,Copy !req
379. it could be quite tedious for us both
to sit here and wait in silence.Copy !req
380. To pass the time,Copy !req
381. perhaps you'll allow me to tell you
a little about myself.Copy !req
382. About yourself?Copy !req
383. Yes.Copy !req
384. The hardscrabble tales of a half-starved
ronin don't amount to much,Copy !req
385. but what befalls others todayCopy !req
386. may be your own fate tomorrow.Copy !req
387. Perhaps your retainersCopy !req
388. will find some small point or two
worth rememberingCopy !req
389. among my otherwise
useless ramblings.Copy !req
390. "What befalls others today
may be your own fate tomorrow"?Copy !req
391. This could be amusing.Copy !req
392. I want everyone here
to listen carefully to this man.Copy !req
393. The words of one
staring death in the face...Copy !req
394. are unlikely to be useless ramblings.Copy !req
395. I'm sure we'll all learn something.Copy !req
396. Counselor.Copy !req
397. That tale you related earlier -Copy !req
398. may I be assured
it was true in every detail?Copy !req
399. Indeed.Copy !req
400. The ronin from Hiroshima
named Motome ChijiiwaCopy !req
401. was a man of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
402. Motome Chijiiwa...Copy !req
403. was a man of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
404. Motome was a lad of 15,Copy !req
405. and my daughter Miho
was an angelic child of 11.Copy !req
406. That was 11 years ago.Copy !req
407. But when I close my eyes,Copy !req
408. their images come back to me vividly,
as if it were only yesterday.Copy !req
409. - My turn again.
- Never mind.Copy !req
410. All we do all day is count stones
to repair the castle walls.Copy !req
411. We won't be needing bows and arrows
for a good long while.Copy !req
412. "The world is at peace.
The four seas are calm."Copy !req
413. Incidentally, this coming 22ndCopy !req
414. is the seventh anniversary
of Nui's passing.Copy !req
415. I knew it was coming up,
but is it seven years already?Copy !req
416. Yes, and I'm planning
a modest ceremony at my residence.Copy !req
417. Don't bring any offerings.Copy !req
418. Very well.Copy !req
419. I can hardly believe it.Copy !req
420. Seven years already.Copy !req
421. What never ceases to amaze meCopy !req
422. is how a rough warrior like youCopy !req
423. has managed to raise Miho all these years
without taking a second wife.Copy !req
424. Come, Jinnai.Copy !req
425. Look who's talking.Copy !req
426. When your Yuki died,
I wondered how you would ever manage.Copy !req
427. But look at you.Copy !req
428. You're a perfect example
of the kite begetting a hawk.Copy !req
429. Kite begetting a hawk?Copy !req
430. You were the widower kite,Copy !req
431. doting so on your child
in every aspect of his upbringing,Copy !req
432. that lo and behold,Copy !req
433. the child grew not into a kite
but a magnificent young hawk.Copy !req
434. Nonsense.Copy !req
435. He certainly keeps growing,
but he's got a long way to goCopy !req
436. before you can compare him
to a young hawk soaring freely overhead.Copy !req
437. You know,Copy !req
438. I never figured either of us would be good
for anything but battlefield laurels,Copy !req
439. but we haven't done too bad
at raising children.Copy !req
440. Had life gone on like that,
all would have been well.Copy !req
441. But it was not to be.Copy !req
442. When all is said and done,Copy !req
443. our lives are like houses
built on foundations of sand.Copy !req
444. One strong wind and all is gone.Copy !req
445. How my master's house
with its 498,000-koku domainCopy !req
446. was brought to ruin...Copy !req
447. I'm sure you already know
even better than I do myself.Copy !req
448. Owing to an unreasonable and one-sided
judgment by the Tokugawa shogunateCopy !req
449. regarding the repairs
being performed on Hiroshima Castle,Copy !req
450. in June of 1619,Copy !req
451. my master, Masanori Fukushima,
was ordered into exile at Kawanakajima,Copy !req
452. leaving his 12,000 retainers
without any means of livelihood...Copy !req
453. through no fault of their own.Copy !req
454. Jinnai!Copy !req
455. In view of our long-standing friendship,
I ask your indulgence in the following:Copy !req
456. The castle repairs commissioner,Copy !req
457. the Honorable Masakatsu Fukushima,Copy !req
458. will be electing death at any moment.Copy !req
459. Therefore, I will precede him
on his journey.Copy !req
460. My company alone will suffice.Copy !req
461. I beg you not to follow.Copy !req
462. Regarding my only child, Motome,Copy !req
463. he has grown tall,
but he is still only 15.Copy !req
464. Please look after him
as he finds his way in life.Copy !req
465. Why did he have to be so hasty?Copy !req
466. Committing harakiri
even before I have done so.Copy !req
467. Hanshiro, I forbid you to follow.Copy !req
468. If the house could still be saved, I might
wish you to accompany me in death.Copy !req
469. But with the house abolished,
it would be pointless.Copy !req
470. - Jinnai's company will suffice.
- But, sire!Copy !req
471. Don't be foolish, Hanshiro.Copy !req
472. Jinnai died because he knew
you would if he didn't.Copy !req
473. He died to accompany me
on your behalf as well.Copy !req
474. Which means, Hanshiro,Copy !req
475. that you must now live on.Copy !req
476. Both for you and for him.Copy !req
477. And also for his son, Motome.
Who will look after him if not you?Copy !req
478. I go now to meet Jinnai.Copy !req
479. Hanshiro, is there anything
you'd like me to tell him?Copy !req
480. Do you have nothing for me to say?Copy !req
481. Tell Jinnai...Copy !req
482. Tell Jinnai this.Copy !req
483. Have no fears about Motome.Copy !req
484. I will watch over his every step
on the path to manhood.Copy !req
485. I will not fail him.
I swear this on my life.Copy !req
486. Go on, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
487. What did you find out?Copy !req
488. It seems his illness
is indeed most serious.Copy !req
489. What's the nature of the ailment?Copy !req
490. According to his family,
a high feverCopy !req
491. and excruciating pain
in all his joints.Copy !req
492. Go on.Copy !req
493. I asked if I might visit him
at his bedside,Copy !req
494. but he sent word back
that his pain was so greatCopy !req
495. that he did not wish to be seen
in his present state.Copy !req
496. All I could do was convey
the message you sent and return.Copy !req
497. It seems
there's nothing we can do.Copy !req
498. Perhaps he was overcome by
the relentless heat of recent days.Copy !req
499. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
500. 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 Hayato Yazaki.Copy !req
505. Hayato?Copy !req
506. Inaba, I believe he too
has been absent these four or five days?Copy !req
507. That is correct.Copy !req
508. He requested leave
because he wasn't feeling well.Copy !req
509. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
510. I'm afraid Hayato Yazaki
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. I request Master Umenosuke Kawabe.Copy !req
515. Counselor,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 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 Motome Chijiiwa
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 be forced to 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 descend upon him in force
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 castle back home.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. and under the circumstances,Copy !req
545. I'd like you to personally hurry
and 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, Counselor,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. Ichiro Shinmen!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 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, Hanshiro Tsugumo!Copy !req
568. Your extortion scheme
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. Counselor!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 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 perform harakiri
to atone for a crime or offense.Copy !req
582. The least I can expect
is to choose my own second.Copy !req
583. Further debate on the matterCopy !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. Stop!Copy !req
589. Wait!Copy !req
590. Wait, I say!Copy !req
591. I beg of all those presentCopy !req
592. a moment - a brief moment.Copy !req
593. You can't possibly have more to say.Copy !req
594. But I do.
I do have more to say.Copy !req
595. I haven't finished my story.Copy !req
596. I have no ears
for your endless ramblings.Copy !req
597. Counselor!Copy !req
598. If you force me to,Copy !req
599. I will fight desperately to the death,
no matter the odds against me.Copy !req
600. Some of your men
will be wounded undeservedly.Copy !req
601. Some may even lose their lives.Copy !req
602. Would it not be betterCopy !req
603. to simply hear me out?Copy !req
604. Once I have finished my story,Copy !req
605. I will disembowel myself
with no further ado.Copy !req
606. Or if you feel harakiri
is too good for me,Copy !req
607. you may turn your men on me
to do what they will.Copy !req
608. In any event,Copy !req
609. I would first like you to hear
what I have to say.Copy !req
610. As to these conditions you state,Copy !req
611. do I have your word?Copy !req
612. You have my word.Copy !req
613. And as a samurai,
you will hold true to it?Copy !req
614. Very well,Copy !req
615. but make it short.Copy !req
616. I will not listen
to your useless mutterings for long.Copy !req
617. Men, fall back.Copy !req
618. Now, where was I?Copy !req
619. Oh, yes.Copy !req
620. My master's house fellCopy !req
621. and Jinnai Chijiiwa died,Copy !req
622. but before doing so,Copy !req
623. he asked me to look after Motome.Copy !req
624. When my master's house fell...Copy !req
625. we immediately left the domain
and moved to Edo.Copy !req
626. The streets of Edo
were crowded with ronin,Copy !req
627. flotsam from the Battle of Sekigahara.Copy !req
628. In former times,Copy !req
629. other clans would have gladly taken in
any ronin who'd earned a name for himself.Copy !req
630. But in an era no longer in need
of warriors or horses,Copy !req
631. so peaceful that no wind
even rustled the leaves on the trees,Copy !req
632. it was a constant struggle
simply to find a meal.Copy !req
633. Indeed, it shames me to recallCopy !req
634. our miserable lives
of these last eight or nine years.Copy !req
635. But amidst all our hardships...Copy !req
636. my daughter Miho
was rapidly becoming a woman,Copy !req
637. and soon it was
the spring of her 18th year.Copy !req
638. Father.Copy !req
639. I've set your lunch out
in case I'm not back in time.Copy !req
640. The greatest delicacies
taste of nothing when eaten alone.Copy !req
641. If you're not back, I'll wait.Copy !req
642. I'll collect for these and then stop
by Yoshizakicho for dried fish.Copy !req
643. Hello.Copy !req
644. Welcome, sir.Copy !req
645. Busy as usual?
Looks like you're on your way out.Copy !req
646. Yes, to the wholesaler
in Kyobashi.Copy !req
647. The Mikawaya, I suppose.
Take care.Copy !req
648. Experience is the best teacher.Copy !req
649. You've become very deft at that.Copy !req
650. Forgive me.Copy !req
651. I hate asking you
for advances all the time,Copy !req
652. but my earnings
simply refuse to catch up.Copy !req
653. You disarm me
by beating me to the punch.Copy !req
654. I came intending
to lodge a complaint or two,Copy !req
655. but when you make the first move,Copy !req
656. what can I say?Copy !req
657. By the way,Copy !req
658. what are your thoughts
on that matter I raised the other day?Copy !req
659. Have you come to a decision?Copy !req
660. Yes, I have.Copy !req
661. Glad to hear it.Copy !req
662. It takes a load off my mind.Copy !req
663. No.Copy !req
664. I appreciate your proposal
regarding Miho,Copy !req
665. but I've decided to decline.Copy !req
666. In the end, her adoption
by the Joshuya familyCopy !req
667. would be a mere pretext
lasting perhaps six months.Copy !req
668. Once established
as a member of their family,Copy !req
669. she'd be sent to Lord Sakakibara
as his concubine.Copy !req
670. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
671. the Sakakibara are a family
with a domain of 110,000 koku.Copy !req
672. It may sound odd to seek benefit
from your daughter's connections,Copy !req
673. but you need do nothing,
and doors will open to you.Copy !req
674. I understand that.Copy !req
675. But, Master Seibei,Copy !req
676. no matter how far I've fallen,Copy !req
677. I cannot make my daughter a concubine
to profit from her connections.Copy !req
678. It's fine to uphold your pride.Copy !req
679. But as a parent, you must consider
your daughter's feelings too.Copy !req
680. What?Copy !req
681. She's young and beautiful,Copy !req
682. yet she doesn't have
a single fancy kimono to wear.Copy !req
683. She can only look forward to endless days
of slaving at her father's side.Copy !req
684. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
685. you can't fight the world you live inCopy !req
686. nor go against
the tide of the times.Copy !req
687. It's a good proposal for Miss Miho,
and for you,Copy !req
688. no matter how you look at it.Copy !req
689. In fact, to be honest,Copy !req
690. is it not precisely because Miss Miho
was blessed with such beautyCopy !req
691. that an avenue like this
remains open to you?Copy !req
692. Confucius said:Copy !req
693. "He who knows not the will of heaven
is not a superior man."Copy !req
694. "He who knows not proper decorum
must not rise to his feet."Copy !req
695. "He who knows not the heart of words
cannot know the heart of man."Copy !req
696. That will be all for today.Copy !req
697. Thank you, sir. Good-bye.Copy !req
698. Hey, Katsuzo,
let's go sparrow hunting today.Copy !req
699. Hello, Uncle Hanshiro.Copy !req
700. It's good to see you.Copy !req
701. Have some tea.Copy !req
702. Much obliged.Copy !req
703. I know this house well enough
to at least boil water.Copy !req
704. As it happens, Motome,Copy !req
705. I came today to discuss
a matter of some weight.Copy !req
706. You sound so formal.
What could it be?Copy !req
707. How quickly the days
and months fly by.Copy !req
708. Miho is now 18.Copy !req
709. She looks more
like her mother every day.Copy !req
710. In fact, it's hard to see
how she could possibly be of my blood.Copy !req
711. If she'd taken after me,
she'd never have grown so beautiful.Copy !req
712. What are you trying to say, sir?Copy !req
713. Well, Motome...Copy !req
714. I'd like you to take Miho as your wife.Copy !req
715. I realize this is all very sudden,Copy !req
716. but what do you think?Copy !req
717. Will you do it, Motome?Copy !req
718. You know as well as ICopy !req
719. the state of my livelihood at present.Copy !req
720. I offer classes in the Chinese classics
to a handful of childrenCopy !req
721. and live from hand to mouth.Copy !req
722. How could I possibly take a wife?Copy !req
723. Do you dislike Miho?Copy !req
724. All I'm asking
is how you feel about her.Copy !req
725. It's not only because
of the promise I made to your fatherCopy !req
726. that I hope you'll marry Miho.Copy !req
727. Boorish and dull as I am,Copy !req
728. I'm not entirely insensitive
to your feelings for each other.Copy !req
729. It was more difficult than I expectedCopy !req
730. to persuade Motome.Copy !req
731. I didn't realizeCopy !req
732. he had such a stubborn
and willful streak.Copy !req
733. But I knew he loved Miho,Copy !req
734. and I knew Miho
would have no objections to the match.Copy !req
735. The crane that lives a thousand yearsCopy !req
736. A symbol of myriad joysCopy !req
737. The tortoise that lives 10,000 yearsCopy !req
738. Bears on its back the three worlds
of heaven, earth and manCopy !req
739. The sands upon the beachCopy !req
740. Numberless and smoothCopy !req
741. May they ever reflect the morning sunCopy !req
742. After two yearsCopy !req
743. a child was born.Copy !req
744. It was a boy,
and they named him Kingo.Copy !req
745. Of course,Copy !req
746. I was the one who chose the name.Copy !req
747. Hello, Father.Copy !req
748. What's this? Asleep again?Copy !req
749. Father, you're too generous.Copy !req
750. Nonsense.Copy !req
751. Even after I married you off,
you still cook for me.Copy !req
752. And besides,
I now have only myself to support.Copy !req
753. I save more money
than I know what to do with,Copy !req
754. and I can't take it with me.Copy !req
755. Well, well.Copy !req
756. Did you wake up?Copy !req
757. Now, none of that, you little rascal.Copy !req
758. A warrior's son
should not be flashing dimples.Copy !req
759. What did I tell you now?Copy !req
760. Really? Even the Matsudaira Clan
of Dewa province?Copy !req
761. That's right.Copy !req
762. I can understand abolishing
the domains of newer vassals,Copy !req
763. but to treat vassals who've supported
the Tokugawa for generations so harshly?Copy !req
764. The shogunate's policy toward
the warlords is completely beyond me.Copy !req
765. We'll see another jump
in the number of ronin.Copy !req
766. Did you hear?Copy !req
767. One of them tried to commit harakiri
at the Sengoku Clan's gate.Copy !req
768. A ronin named Shume Ooi,
formerly of the Kurume Clan.Copy !req
769. I heard the Sengoku
were so impressedCopy !req
770. that they offered him employment.Copy !req
771. That much was fine.
It's what happened next.Copy !req
772. Yes, I heard.Copy !req
773. Other ronin who got wind of the storyCopy !req
774. began presenting themselves at the gates
of daimyo houses all over Edo,Copy !req
775. insisting on committing harakiri
and refusing to budge.Copy !req
776. In order to get rid of them,Copy !req
777. the houses offered them money
to leave.Copy !req
778. It's a shameful turn of events.Copy !req
779. It certainly is.Copy !req
780. No matter how hard-pressed
they may be,Copy !req
781. it's a despicable thing to do.Copy !req
782. In these difficult times,
it's no help growing desperate.Copy !req
783. Becoming too impatient
in seeking employmentCopy !req
784. is a danger we must all
take care to avoid.Copy !req
785. You are absolutely right.Copy !req
786. If you stop worrying so much
about finding employment,Copy !req
787. you can sit here like this
without answering to a superior,Copy !req
788. at no one's beck and call.Copy !req
789. What's the matter there, little one?Copy !req
790. It's time for his milk.
I'll nurse him.Copy !req
791. You mustn't give him
your breast every time he cries.Copy !req
792. He'll develop bad habits.Copy !req
793. Lookee here, Kingo.Copy !req
794. Ready?
See my funny face?Copy !req
795. All right?Copy !req
796. Upsy-daisy. Here goes, Kingo.Copy !req
797. In KandaCopy !req
798. At the Myojin ShrineCopy !req
799. There's a festivalCopy !req
800. TonightCopy !req
801. Kingo was the center of our existence,Copy !req
802. and the three of us lived happilyCopy !req
803. with the constant sound
of warm laughterCopy !req
804. raising peaceful ripples around us.Copy !req
805. It truly was
a time of greater happinessCopy !req
806. than I'd ever known in the domain.Copy !req
807. However,Copy !req
808. good things never last for long.Copy !req
809. One day, Miho suddenly coughed up
profuse quantities of blood.Copy !req
810. She had always been
of weak constitution,Copy !req
811. and with the endless burden
of our piecework labor...Copy !req
812. she'd driven her frail body
too hard for too long.Copy !req
813. Motome panicked.Copy !req
814. The poor fellow.Copy !req
815. Date Clan construction site.Copy !req
816. Fifty laborers at 40 mon.Copy !req
817. Just a minute, samurai, sir!Copy !req
818. Are you trying to get me in trouble?Copy !req
819. There isn't enough work
even for the townsmen.Copy !req
820. If the authorities spotted
a two-sworded laborer,Copy !req
821. I'd be in for a real dressing-down.Copy !req
822. Hosokawa Clan construction site.Copy !req
823. Twenty laborers, 45 mon.Copy !req
824. Poor Motome.Copy !req
825. He tried everything, but to no avail.Copy !req
826. Miho was gradually wasting away,Copy !req
827. and the worst was yet to come.Copy !req
828. It's seared forever in my memory.Copy !req
829. We'd just barely made it
through the end of the year,Copy !req
830. and the plum blossoms
had begun to bloomCopy !req
831. shortly after the beginning
of the new year.Copy !req
832. What's wrong?Copy !req
833. Is it Miho?Copy !req
834. It's Kingo.Copy !req
835. What? Kingo?Copy !req
836. A fever.Copy !req
837. Like he's on fire.Copy !req
838. Why, Miho?Copy !req
839. Why did you just sit by
until it came to this?Copy !req
840. I thought it was an ordinary cold.Copy !req
841. What did the doctor say?Copy !req
842. You did have a doctor see him,
didn't you?Copy !req
843. You haven't had a doctor see him?Copy !req
844. Why haven't you had
a doctor look at him?Copy !req
845. Kingo, fight it off.Copy !req
846. Your grandpa,
like your mom and dad,Copy !req
847. has already sold off
everything of value.Copy !req
848. There's not a thing,Copy !req
849. not a thing we can do for you.Copy !req
850. There's nothing...Copy !req
851. nothing we can do, Kingo.Copy !req
852. But you're the son of a samurai.Copy !req
853. You can't let a little illness
get the better of you.Copy !req
854. Don't let it beat you.Copy !req
855. Don't let it... Don't let it...Copy !req
856. Father.Copy !req
857. I have an idea.Copy !req
858. What?Copy !req
859. I need to go out.Copy !req
860. Please look after Kingo.Copy !req
861. What do you have in mind?Copy !req
862. A former retainer of the Kato Clan
now lives in NihonbashiCopy !req
863. and makes his living
as a moneylender.Copy !req
864. His rates are so high
that I didn't dare go to him before,Copy !req
865. but I can't worry about that anymore.Copy !req
866. You're right. If you know such a man,
hurry and go!Copy !req
867. I'm on my way.Copy !req
868. I'll be back by evening at the latest.Copy !req
869. As you can see, Miho is too weak,Copy !req
870. so please take care of Kingo.Copy !req
871. Of course.
I know what to do.Copy !req
872. But, Motome,Copy !req
873. you can see
he's barely hanging on.Copy !req
874. You must be quick,
and you mustn't fail.Copy !req
875. I'll return by evening without fail.Copy !req
876. I'll be off, then.Copy !req
877. We're depending on you, Motome!Copy !req
878. No, no, I'll do that.Copy !req
879. It won't be long now, Kingo.Copy !req
880. What's taking him so long?Copy !req
881. He's getting worse.Copy !req
882. What could Motome be doing?Copy !req
883. No, no. Your getting up won't do
Kingo's fever any good.Copy !req
884. Where can Motome be?Copy !req
885. He swore he'd be back by evening.Copy !req
886. What could he be doing?Copy !req
887. I waited.Copy !req
888. Every moment felt like an eternity.Copy !req
889. But Motome did not return.Copy !req
890. We never saw him again.Copy !req
891. "I'll be back by evening,
so please look after Kingo."Copy !req
892. Those were his final words
as he went out the door,Copy !req
893. and that was the last I saw
of Motome Chijiiwa.Copy !req
894. But then...Copy !req
895. around 9:00 that night,
he did return home.Copy !req
896. Only not on his own.Copy !req
897. He was borne home by a party
of retainers from the House of Iyi.Copy !req
898. Most courteously.Copy !req
899. This was the requestCopy !req
900. with which Motome Chijiiwa
came to us.Copy !req
901. But our forecourt is a busy place
and would have been most inconvenient,Copy !req
902. so we offered him our courtyard and saw
to his needs with all due propriety,Copy !req
903. thus allowing him to fulfill his wish
and perform harakiri.Copy !req
904. We understand there have lately been
incidents all across EdoCopy !req
905. in which ronin present themselves
at the gates of daimyo housesCopy !req
906. and threaten to commit harakiri
unless given money.Copy !req
907. This disgraceful practice has put
many houses at a loss as to what to do.Copy !req
908. But now we have Motome Chijiiwa,
a samurai of true valor,Copy !req
909. who carried out his resolve
to die honorably.Copy !req
910. And we have
the members of the Iyi Clan,Copy !req
911. who responded appropriately
to facilitate his wishes.Copy !req
912. In contrast to many disgraceful ronin,Copy !req
913. and the spineless timidity
of other daimyo households,Copy !req
914. both parties in this instanceCopy !req
915. acted in an exemplary manner
that will open eyes and clear the air.Copy !req
916. It is truly an occasion
for mutual congratulations.Copy !req
917. We bid you -
- Wait.Copy !req
918. To avoid any misunderstanding,
we must show the blades.Copy !req
919. Oh, yes.Copy !req
920. For the record, we wish you to examine
the swords Chijiiwa was carrying.Copy !req
921. You will noteCopy !req
922. that both blades are of bamboo.Copy !req
923. Bamboo?Copy !req
924. As you can see,
both are made of bamboo.Copy !req
925. No one must accuse us later
of having switched blades.Copy !req
926. So take a good look.Copy !req
927. Is it clear?Copy !req
928. In that case,Copy !req
929. Motome must have borrowed
a blade from your household?Copy !req
930. No, he did not.Copy !req
931. He died magnificently
using his own blade.Copy !req
932. Motome killed himselfCopy !req
933. with that bamboo blade?Copy !req
934. Exactly.Copy !req
935. The entire household
witnessed the spectacleCopy !req
936. of harakiri performed
with a bamboo blade.Copy !req
937. As you may imagine,
it was an unsightly affair.Copy !req
938. It would have been more fitting
for a samuraiCopy !req
939. to end his life with a true blade,
which is a warrior's soul.Copy !req
940. Now then.Copy !req
941. We bid you good night.Copy !req
942. Miho wept.Copy !req
943. She wept...Copy !req
944. and wept.Copy !req
945. Motome!Copy !req
946. Forgive me!Copy !req
947. I...Copy !req
948. I had no idea.Copy !req
949. You had even sold your blades.Copy !req
950. For Miho's sake
you even sold your blades.Copy !req
951. But I... but I...Copy !req
952. I would never let this go.Copy !req
953. It never entered my mind.Copy !req
954. The stupid thing
was too dear to me...Copy !req
955. and I clung to it.Copy !req
956. To this stupid -Copy !req
957. With his fever still raging
and in a coma,Copy !req
958. Kingo died two days later.Copy !req
959. Three days after that,Copy !req
960. as if chasing after him,Copy !req
961. Miho died as well.Copy !req
962. Thus did Hanshiro TsugumoCopy !req
963. find himself utterly alone in the world,Copy !req
964. having lost every last person
he had ever cared about.Copy !req
965. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
966. does that conclude your story?Copy !req
967. Yes, I suppose so.Copy !req
968. There's just one more thing.Copy !req
969. May all those here listen carefully
to what I'm about to say.Copy !req
970. No matter how grinding
his poverty and hunger,Copy !req
971. for a samurai to present himself
in someone else's entrywayCopy !req
972. and declare that he wishes
to commit harakiri thereCopy !req
973. is an unspeakable act
that can in no way be excused.Copy !req
974. However...Copy !req
975. the manner in which
the House of Iyi handled the matter...Copy !req
976. surely left a great deal to be desired.Copy !req
977. If a samurai risks shame and ridiculeCopy !req
978. to beg for a day or two's grace,
he must surely have good reason.Copy !req
979. A simple inquiryCopy !req
980. as to the reason for the requestCopy !req
981. would have told so much...Copy !req
982. yet with this many
witnesses present...Copy !req
983. not a single one among you
had the consideration to ask.Copy !req
984. His wife lay gasping for breath,
on the very verge of death,Copy !req
985. while his beloved son burned with fever,
in dire need of a doctor.Copy !req
986. Motome no doubt wished
to explain the situation to me,Copy !req
987. make whatever last effort
he could for his sonCopy !req
988. before turning all further care
over to me,Copy !req
989. and then return here
to the House of Iyi.Copy !req
990. Hanshiro Tsugumo!Copy !req
991. Enough of your self-serving excuses!Copy !req
992. What?Copy !req
993. As to Motome Chijiiwa -Copy !req
994. the circumstances that drove him here
were no doubt complex.Copy !req
995. But it was he who declared
his wish to commit harakiri.Copy !req
996. What followed upon that request
may not have been what he intended,Copy !req
997. but he reaped
what he himself sowed.Copy !req
998. He was in no position to complain,
or to blame or condemn anyone.Copy !req
999. At that point,Copy !req
1000. his was but to cast all else aside
and die a magnificent death.Copy !req
1001. To face death without wavering -Copy !req
1002. that is truly the way of the samurai.Copy !req
1003. But what did this man do?Copy !req
1004. He cravenly asked
for a day or two's grace.Copy !req
1005. One might well accuse him
of having gone mad!Copy !req
1006. True enough.Copy !req
1007. Motome had indeed gone mad.Copy !req
1008. But I say good for him!Copy !req
1009. I praise him for it.Copy !req
1010. He may have been a samurai,Copy !req
1011. but he was also
a man of flesh and blood.Copy !req
1012. He could not live on air alone.Copy !req
1013. When he has reached
the point of no return,Copy !req
1014. even a man as strong as Motome
will go mad trying to protect his family,Copy !req
1015. and I would praise him for it.Copy !req
1016. They'll call him "the bamboo ronin."Copy !req
1017. Not only samurai, but townspeople, too,
will scoff at his wavering.Copy !req
1018. But let them laugh all they want.Copy !req
1019. Who can fathom the depths
of another man's heart?Copy !req
1020. Thanks to the shogunate's ruthless policy
of wiping out the provincial lords,Copy !req
1021. countless samurai lost their mastersCopy !req
1022. and were cast out
to wander the depths of hell.Copy !req
1023. How can those who never wanted for food
or clothing understand their misery?Copy !req
1024. To those who find Motome
loathsome for his pleading, I ask:Copy !req
1025. What if you found yourself
in the same position?Copy !req
1026. Would you do any differently?Copy !req
1027. After all,
this thing we call samurai honorCopy !req
1028. is ultimately nothing but a facade.Copy !req
1029. Is that your grievance?Copy !req
1030. Grievance?Copy !req
1031. Is that what you're trying to tell us?Copy !req
1032. That samurai honor
is nothing but a facade?Copy !req
1033. Yes.Copy !req
1034. "Even if I say I want
to commit harakiri,Copy !req
1035. they surely won't actually
make me do it."Copy !req
1036. Such wishful thinking
is where these ronin go wrong.Copy !req
1037. If a man says he wants
to commit harakiri, we will let him.Copy !req
1038. In fact, since he has proposed it himself,
we'll make sure he does.Copy !req
1039. That is the policy of the House of Iyi.Copy !req
1040. For us, samurai honor
is no mere facade!Copy !req
1041. And so Hanshiro Tsugumo tooCopy !req
1042. has come here
with no intention of committing harakiri,Copy !req
1043. but rather out of deep bitternessCopy !req
1044. over the manner in which the Iyi Clan
treated his son-in-law Motome Chijiiwa,Copy !req
1045. and the desire to vent
his many grudges.Copy !req
1046. Is that what you think?Copy !req
1047. That's not for me to say.Copy !req
1048. You can only look into your own heart.Copy !req
1049. But all the same,Copy !req
1050. you have no intention
of letting me leave here alive?Copy !req
1051. That is my decision to make.Copy !req
1052. I need make no excuses to you.Copy !req
1053. Counselor,Copy !req
1054. there is a proverb, "The suspicious mind
conjures its own demons."Copy !req
1055. Do you know it?Copy !req
1056. When I say I will disembowel myself,
I truly mean it.Copy !req
1057. Yet, even after all I have said,
you still refuse to -Copy !req
1058. Suppose I were to go on living.Copy !req
1059. What could I possibly have
to look forward to?Copy !req
1060. The fact is, I can hardly waitCopy !req
1061. to join Motome and Miho and KingoCopy !req
1062. in that world to which
they have gone ahead.Copy !req
1063. But I would never be able
to face them.Copy !req
1064. Were I to go empty-handed?Copy !req
1065. I think you can understand that.Copy !req
1066. I thought perhaps once I had explained,
then even members of the Iyi ClanCopy !req
1067. would surely say,
"Oh, so that's how it was.Copy !req
1068. Perhaps we were overzealous that day
in rushing to that end.Copy !req
1069. Anyone can see that our handling
of the situation was less than ideal.Copy !req
1070. Perhaps there were ways
in which we carried things too far.Copy !req
1071. No doubt both parties could have
conducted themselves to better effect."Copy !req
1072. If I could take with me
even a single word in this vein,Copy !req
1073. it would be a comfort to Motome.Copy !req
1074. Was this not the most fitting gift
I could hope to take him?Copy !req
1075. Such were my thoughts,Copy !req
1076. but I see now it was nothing
but wishful thinking.Copy !req
1077. If you can see that,
then it makes the rest easy.Copy !req
1078. This world does not bend
to sentimental tales.Copy !req
1079. If you really think
that samurai honorCopy !req
1080. is ultimately nothing more
than a facade...Copy !req
1081. then you never had a chance
of swaying us.Copy !req
1082. So in the end,Copy !req
1083. these have been nothing but the
useless grumblings of a cranky old man.Copy !req
1084. But it does no good
to lament that now.Copy !req
1085. Well, then,Copy !req
1086. forgive me
for my long-winded recitation.Copy !req
1087. I will now proceed with the ritual.Copy !req
1088. Wait.Copy !req
1089. Before that,Copy !req
1090. I must return some items
that belong to this house.Copy !req
1091. For easier identification,
I have placed name tags on each.Copy !req
1092. Please examine them carefully.Copy !req
1093. Master Hayato Yazaki,Copy !req
1094. and Master Umenosuke Kawabe -Copy !req
1095. I understand they're both among
the best swordsmen of the Iyi Clan,Copy !req
1096. held in high esteem
for their bravery and honor.Copy !req
1097. But, Counselor,Copy !req
1098. gentlemen,
let me set your minds at ease.Copy !req
1099. I took only their topknots,Copy !req
1100. not their lives.Copy !req
1101. In the case of Hayato Yazaki...Copy !req
1102. it was six days ago.Copy !req
1103. Hold it!Copy !req
1104. In the case of Umenosuke Kawabe,Copy !req
1105. it was five days ago, on May 8th.Copy !req
1106. However,Copy !req
1107. when it came to that master swordsman
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school,Copy !req
1108. Master Hikokuro Omodaka,
I had a little more difficulty.Copy !req
1109. Perhaps aware of what had happened
to Yazaki and Kawabe,Copy !req
1110. I could not catch him off guard.Copy !req
1111. In fact, to be honest,
I found myself at quite a lossCopy !req
1112. as to how to deal
with Master Omodaka.Copy !req
1113. May I enter?Copy !req
1114. If you reach for your sword,Copy !req
1115. I'll slice you in one motion
from shoulder to waist.Copy !req
1116. But I fear...Copy !req
1117. the lintel will catch
the tip of my blade.Copy !req
1118. If you lunge to the side,Copy !req
1119. then this pillar will get in the way.Copy !req
1120. It took a few days to locate your home.
My apologies for the delay.Copy !req
1121. I ask you to make ready.Copy !req
1122. This is obviously no place
for a sword duel.Copy !req
1123. It's a bit far, but I must ask you
to accompany me to Gojiin-gawara.Copy !req
1124. As miserable a hovel as this is,Copy !req
1125. your landlord will be inconvenienced
if you do not return.Copy !req
1126. And without someone to retrieve your
remains, your soul will wander aimlessly.Copy !req
1127. I suggest you leave a note.Copy !req
1128. It should indicate you're going
to Gojiin-gawaraCopy !req
1129. for a duel with Hikokuro Omodaka
of the Iyi Clan.Copy !req
1130. Taking advantage of the wind
was brilliant,Copy !req
1131. but a blade can do more than cut.Copy !req
1132. It can also stab,
or even snap another blade in two.Copy !req
1133. Swordsmanship untested in battleCopy !req
1134. is like the art of swimming
mastered on dry land.Copy !req
1135. On the other hand,Copy !req
1136. I had not seen battle eitherCopy !req
1137. since the siege of Osaka Castle
16 years ago.Copy !req
1138. Taking his head
would have been difficult enough,Copy !req
1139. but taking only his topknot
proved more difficult still.Copy !req
1140. Whatever the differences in skill,Copy !req
1141. for a samurai to have
his topknot takenCopy !req
1142. is the same
as having his head stricken off.Copy !req
1143. It is an ineptitude, a disgrace,Copy !req
1144. that can scarcely be atoned for
even by death.Copy !req
1145. Yet these men claim illness
and shirk their dutiesCopy !req
1146. while waiting for their topknots
to grow back. Counselor!Copy !req
1147. This house boasts of its red armor
and martial valor,Copy !req
1148. but it seems that even
in the great House of Iyi,Copy !req
1149. samurai honor is nothing more
than a facade.Copy !req
1150. Maniac!Copy !req
1151. Cut him down!Copy !req
1152. Fall back!Copy !req
1153. Hanshiro Tsugumo
has been killed, Counselor.Copy !req
1154. And our casualties?Copy !req
1155. What were the casualties
among our men?Copy !req
1156. Masakatsu Sugita, Sobei Uemura,Copy !req
1157. Ichiro Shinmen, Uemon Yoshioka -Copy !req
1158. four dead.Copy !req
1159. Eight more seriously wounded.Copy !req
1160. The ronin from Hiroshima...Copy !req
1161. Hanshiro Tsugumo,
committed harakiri.Copy !req
1162. All our own men died of illness.Copy !req
1163. The House of Iyi has no retainersCopy !req
1164. who could be felled or wounded
by some half-starved ronin.Copy !req
1165. Former retainer of the Fukushima Clan,
Hanshiro Tsugumo,Copy !req
1166. committed harakiri honorably,
according to his wish.Copy !req
1167. All our men died of illness.Copy !req
1168. Their deaths have nothing to do
with Tsugumo's.Copy !req
1169. Furthermore, we cannot allow
any more to die of illness.Copy !req
1170. See that the wounded
are treated immediately.Copy !req
1171. I have just returned, Counselor.Copy !req
1172. Hikokuro Omodaka,Copy !req
1173. last night at his home -Copy !req
1174. Kawabe and Yazaki both claim illness,Copy !req
1175. but in fact -
- Fool!Copy !req
1176. Why did you not order them
to commit harakiri on the spot?Copy !req
1177. Go back immediately
and order them to do so.Copy !req
1178. And take some skilled swordsmen
with you.Copy !req
1179. If they fail to willingly disembowel
themselves, make them do it by force.Copy !req
1180. Of course, these two men, and Omodaka
too, did not officially commit harakiri.Copy !req
1181. They died of illness.Copy !req
1182. - Sire?
- Imbecile!Copy !req
1183. You weren't born yesterday.
You know the ways of the world.Copy !req
1184. How can you not realize
the implications? Idiot!Copy !req
1185. I am on my way, sire.Copy !req
1186. The former retainer of the Fukushima Clan,
Hanshiro Tsugumo,Copy !req
1187. died by harakiri
at 6:00 in the evening.Copy !req
1188. His speech and behavior
had been somewhat erratic.Copy !req
1189. Many of those present felt
he showed signs of derangement.Copy !req
1190. Furthermore, it has become clearCopy !req
1191. that when another former retainer
of the Fukushima Clan,Copy !req
1192. one Motome Chijiiwa, asked to commit
harakiri in January of this year,Copy !req
1193. we did not err in our chosen response.Copy !req
1194. Word of the martial rigor of this house
echoed throughout Edo.Copy !req
1195. In the present case too,
word of our resolute handlingCopy !req
1196. spread across the city
before two days were out.Copy !req
1197. As a result, on the third day,
in a formal session at Edo Castle,Copy !req
1198. Lord Doi took the occasion
to confer words of praiseCopy !req
1199. upon our young master Bennosuke
as follows:Copy !req
1200. "At peace, yet ever vigilant.Copy !req
1201. Let the House of Iyi
continue to embrace this principle,Copy !req
1202. and your fortunes are sure to prosper
for ages to come."Copy !req
1203. The 16th day of May,Copy !req
1204. 1630.Copy !req