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. completely unexpected.Copy !req
168. Almost...Copy !req
169. Pardon me.Copy !req
170. My apologies
for keeping you waiting so long.Copy !req
171. I must ask you to change again.Copy !req
172. Your robes.Copy !req
173. Is something wrong?Copy !req
174. What about my audience
with Master Bennosuke?Copy !req
175. I was told
I'd be granted an audience.Copy !req
176. I don't believe so.Copy !req
177. - You must have misunderstood.
- No, I'm quite certain.Copy !req
178. That was the word I received
from Kawabe of the mounted guard.Copy !req
179. Kawabe?Copy !req
180. Now that you mention it...Copy !req
181. That must be it.Copy !req
182. So I'm not mistaken?Copy !req
183. I believe I understand.Copy !req
184. When Counsellor Saito conveyed
your desire to Master Bennosuke,Copy !req
185. he noted how rare it was these days
to find men with such a sense of honour.Copy !req
186. "I would like to add this man
to the ranks of our retainers", he said.Copy !req
187. "But when a man declares that
he wishes to cut his belly open,Copy !req
188. "it can only come
from a most profound resolve.Copy !req
189. "I am sure it would be no use
trying to dissuade him.Copy !req
190. "Grant him his final wish.Copy !req
191. "I would like to meet this man
of uncommon valourCopy !req
192. "and tell him how much
I admire his purpose.Copy !req
193. "Unfortunately I am scheduled to go
to Lord doi's residence at this hour.Copy !req
194. "Extend to him every courtesy
of this house,Copy !req
195. "and have all our retainers
witness his final act,Copy !req
196. "that they may remember it
as a proud example."Copy !req
197. Such were Master Bennosuke's words,
I was told.Copy !req
198. Tell me, what do you think
of this story?Copy !req
199. A most interesting tale,Copy !req
200. worthy of the famous red armour
that symbolises the House of IyiCopy !req
201. and its reputation
for great martial valour.Copy !req
202. May I ask what your intentions are?Copy !req
203. You mean...Copy !req
204. about this?Copy !req
205. Exactly.Copy !req
206. You may set your mind at ease.Copy !req
207. I came here
with every intention of dying.Copy !req
208. Well, well.Copy !req
209. A most admirable resolve.Copy !req
210. In that case, Master Tsugumo...Copy !req
211. perhaps I should recount for youCopy !req
212. a little more of Chijiiwa Motome's story.Copy !req
213. By all means.Copy !req
214. Now then,
we must be aware of the time.Copy !req
215. Please change into those robes.Copy !req
216. All other arrangements
are already in placeCopy !req
217. for a harakiri ceremony
with all the proper formalities.Copy !req
218. I have a request.Copy !req
219. I must beg a brief respite.Copy !req
220. Respite?Copy !req
221. I will not run or hide.
I will return to this house.Copy !req
222. But I beg you
for a day or two respite.Copy !req
223. I'm afraid it's too late for that.Copy !req
224. - But this is absurd!
- Absurd?Copy !req
225. We made the harakiri arrangements
at your own request.Copy !req
226. My most abject apologies!Copy !req
227. Just a day or two respite.
I will return without fail.Copy !req
228. A samurai's word is his bond.Copy !req
229. There can be no delay!Copy !req
230. Master swordsman Yazaki Hayato.Copy !req
231. Fit and eager,
his skills honed to perfection.Copy !req
232. One false step
and he'll cut you in two.Copy !req
233. The others will descend on you as well.Copy !req
234. Rather than being chopped up
like a dead fish,Copy !req
235. perform harakiri
and die like a samurai.Copy !req
236. Now, change into those robes.Copy !req
237. O, ancestors of the House of Iyi,Copy !req
238. I must beg your forgiveness
for defiling the mansion courtyardCopy !req
239. with unworthy ronin blood.Copy !req
240. I do this to preserve
the honour of this house,Copy !req
241. as well as that
of the Tokugawa familyCopy !req
242. and of the samurai code itself.Copy !req
243. I beg you to be witness
to my decision.Copy !req
244. His short blade is the same.Copy !req
245. Look at it.Copy !req
246. It wouldn't cut tofu.Copy !req
247. He sells off his soul as a samurai,
replacing his blades with bamboo,Copy !req
248. and then says he wants
to perform harakiri?Copy !req
249. The nerve of the man!Copy !req
250. Everything is in place
for the ceremony to begin.Copy !req
251. Master Chijiiwa Motome...Copy !req
252. Rather than wait for death
in dire poverty,Copy !req
253. you've declared your wish
to die honourably by harakiri.Copy !req
254. It is a commendable decision.Copy !req
255. You are an example for all samurai.Copy !req
256. I am ashamed to admit it,Copy !req
257. but even in this house
known for martial valourCopy !req
258. since our ancestor Naomasa's day,Copy !req
259. the resolve you've shown
is seen but rarely.Copy !req
260. So they may witness
the noble demise of a true warriorCopy !req
261. and engrave its lasting impression
upon their minds,Copy !req
262. I've ordered all retainers
of this household to attend.Copy !req
263. May your heart be at peace.Copy !req
264. I beg of you!Copy !req
265. What is it?Copy !req
266. I beg for a brief respite,
a day or two's grace!Copy !req
267. I swear I will not run or hide.
I'll return to this spot without fail!Copy !req
268. Please! I implore you!Copy !req
269. This is most unexpected.Copy !req
270. I've heard lately of incidents
all across EdoCopy !req
271. in which ronin, who don't deserve
to call themselves samurai,Copy !req
272. demand the use of a clan's forecourt
to commit harakiri,Copy !req
273. but are happy to walk away
in exchange for a few coins.Copy !req
274. Surely you're not...Copy !req
275. Absolutely not, sir.Copy !req
276. No, no.Copy !req
277. Of course not.Copy !req
278. I'd never believe that a man
of your noble character and mienCopy !req
279. could be such
a despicable extortionist.Copy !req
280. Now then.Copy !req
281. You may proceed.Copy !req
282. Unworthy as I am,
I shall be your second.Copy !req
283. I am an exponent
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
284. I imagine you are aware,
but let me note just to be sure.Copy !req
285. The rite of harakiri
has changed over time.Copy !req
286. In recent years,
it is often harakiri in name only.Copy !req
287. The subject reaches for the blade
on the wooden stand,Copy !req
288. and his second immediately
strikes off his head.Copy !req
289. In other words,
there is no disembowelment at all,Copy !req
290. and in fact sometimes
the stand holds not a short swordCopy !req
291. but only a folding fan.Copy !req
292. However,Copy !req
293. our proceedings today will not sink
to such debased and empty forms.Copy !req
294. We shall adhere strictly
to the traditional ways.Copy !req
295. Is that understood?Copy !req
296. You will rip your bowels open
crosswise, like this.Copy !req
297. Once I see you have done so,
I will strike off your head.Copy !req
298. Until I'm satisfied
you've fully torn open your bowels,Copy !req
299. I will not bring down my sword.Copy !req
300. Is that understood? Now then.Copy !req
301. It is your own sword.
That is the blade you will use.Copy !req
302. A samurai's sword is his soul.Copy !req
303. No blade could be more fitting
for this purpose than your own.Copy !req
304. Come. What keeps you?Copy !req
305. Proceed!Copy !req
306. Strike me!Copy !req
307. No, not yet!Copy !req
308. Pull your blade across!Copy !req
309. Why do you delay?Copy !req
310. draw your blade across!
Pull it to the right!Copy !req
311. I suppose he had no other recourse,Copy !req
312. but even so,
to bite off his tongue?Copy !req
313. Would you say he was being
resourceful or just unseemly?Copy !req
314. Then again,Copy !req
315. who in his right mind attempts
harakiri with just a bamboo sword?Copy !req
316. Now then...Copy !req
317. What are your intentions?Copy !req
318. You mean...Copy !req
319. about this?Copy !req
320. The account I've just given youCopy !req
321. of Chijiiwa Motome's fate
is true in every detail.Copy !req
322. Take my advice, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
323. Quietly take your leave.Copy !req
324. You need have
no such concerns with me.Copy !req
325. Unlike this Chijiiwa fellow...Copy !req
326. the sword in my belt
is not made of bamboo.Copy !req
327. I will not bite off my tongue,Copy !req
328. I will disembowel myself
in grand form.Copy !req
329. Very well.Copy !req
330. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
331. since you are unswerving in
your resolve, I shall grant your wish.Copy !req
332. - Attendant!
- Sire?Copy !req
333. This ronin from Hiroshima,
Master Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
334. is to be granted use of the courtyard
to perform harakiri.Copy !req
335. His present dress will not do.Copy !req
336. Give him fresh robes befitting one
who journeys to the next world...Copy !req
337. If I may.Copy !req
338. What is it?Copy !req
339. Please do not trouble yourselves
over such things.Copy !req
340. For the final moments
of a down-and-out ronin like myself...Copy !req
341. surely nothing is more fitting
than the clothes I now wear.Copy !req
342. I am deeply grateful for the courteous
and considerate treatmentCopy !req
343. that you have accorded me today.Copy !req
344. I can find no adequate words
to thank you.Copy !req
345. Thus, I shall begin.Copy !req
346. Might I ask, Counsellor,Copy !req
347. who will be serving as my second?Copy !req
348. I have assigned Shinmen Ichiro.Copy !req
349. Master Shinmen?Copy !req
350. did you wish for someone else?Copy !req
351. Yes, sir.Copy !req
352. I would like to request
Master Omodaka Hikokuro.Copy !req
353. You request Hikokuro?Copy !req
354. I believe he's a retainer in this house.Copy !req
355. I've heard he's trained
in the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school.Copy !req
356. Indeed.Copy !req
357. Hikokuro is a fine choice.Copy !req
358. Hikokuro?Copy !req
359. I'm afraid he's not
in attendance today.Copy !req
360. He sent a note saying he's ill
and requesting a few days' rest.Copy !req
361. I see. That's too bad.Copy !req
362. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
363. as you heard,
Omodaka is not present today.Copy !req
364. You will need to make another choice.Copy !req
365. That is most disappointing.Copy !req
366. I had my heart set on Master Omodaka
performing the service.Copy !req
367. I wonder if I might not beg
his special consideration.Copy !req
368. Well, he says he's ill,
but he seemed fine yesterday.Copy !req
369. Surely it can't be anything serious.Copy !req
370. Messenger!Copy !req
371. Make all due haste
to Omodaka's residence.Copy !req
372. Tell him to come immediately,
if his illness permits. Now hurry.Copy !req
373. I'm putting you
to a great deal of trouble.Copy !req
374. Please accept my apologies.Copy !req
375. Now then,Copy !req
376. do you wish to wait here?Copy !req
377. Or would you like
to come inside and relax?Copy !req
378. No.Copy !req
379. The comfort of your residence
might cause my resolve to waver.Copy !req
380. My journey into eternity mustn't
grow distasteful. I shall remain here.Copy !req
381. You display remarkable discipline.Copy !req
382. I can but express my admiration.Copy !req
383. If I may, Counsellor,Copy !req
384. it could be quite tedious for us both
to sit here and wait in silence.Copy !req
385. To pass the time,Copy !req
386. perhaps you'll allow me
to tell you a little about myself.Copy !req
387. About yourself?Copy !req
388. Yes.Copy !req
389. The hardscrabble tales of a half-starved
ronin don't amount to much,Copy !req
390. but what befalls others todayCopy !req
391. may be your own fate tomorrow.Copy !req
392. Perhaps your retainersCopy !req
393. will find some small point or two
worth rememberingCopy !req
394. among my otherwise
useless ramblings.Copy !req
395. "What befalls others today
may be your own fate tomorrow"?Copy !req
396. Well, this could be amusing.Copy !req
397. I want everyone here
to listen carefully.Copy !req
398. The words of one
staring death in the face...Copy !req
399. are unlikely to be
useless ramblings.Copy !req
400. I'm sure we'll all learn something.Copy !req
401. Counsellor.Copy !req
402. That tale you related earlier...Copy !req
403. may I be assured
it was true in every detail?Copy !req
404. Indeed.Copy !req
405. The ronin from Hiroshima
named Chijiiwa MotomeCopy !req
406. was a man
of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
407. Chijiiwa Motome...Copy !req
408. was a man
of some acquaintance to me.Copy !req
409. Motome was a lad of 15,Copy !req
410. and my daughter Miho
was an angelic child of 11.Copy !req
411. That was 11 years ago.Copy !req
412. But when I close my eyes,Copy !req
413. their images come back to me vividly,
as if it were only yesterday.Copy !req
414. - My turn again.
- Never mind.Copy !req
415. All we do is count stones all day
to repair the castle walls.Copy !req
416. We won't need bows and arrows
for a long while.Copy !req
417. "The world is at peace.
The four seas are calm."Copy !req
418. Incidentally, this coming 22ndCopy !req
419. is the seventh anniversary
of Nui's passing.Copy !req
420. I knew it was soon,
but is it seven years already?Copy !req
421. Yes, and I'm planning
a modest ceremony at my residence.Copy !req
422. - But don't bring any offerings.
- Very well.Copy !req
423. I can hardly believe it.Copy !req
424. Seven years already.Copy !req
425. What never ceases to amaze meCopy !req
426. is how a rough warrior like youCopy !req
427. has managed to raise Miho all these
years without taking a second wife.Copy !req
428. Jinnai... look who's talking!Copy !req
429. When your Yuki died, I wondered
how you would ever manage.Copy !req
430. But look at you.Copy !req
431. You're a perfect example
of the kite begetting a hawk.Copy !req
432. Kite begetting a hawk?Copy !req
433. You were the widower kite,Copy !req
434. doting on your child
in every aspect of his upbringing.Copy !req
435. And lo and behold,Copy !req
436. the child grew not into a kite
but a magnificent young hawk.Copy !req
437. Nonsense!Copy !req
438. He certainly keeps growing,
but he's got a long way to goCopy !req
439. before you can compare him
to a hawk soaring overhead.Copy !req
440. I never figured either of us would be
good for anything but battlefield laurels,Copy !req
441. but we haven't done too badly
at raising our children.Copy !req
442. Had life gone on like that,
all would have been well.Copy !req
443. But it was not to be.Copy !req
444. When all is said and done,Copy !req
445. our lives are like houses
built on foundations of sand.Copy !req
446. One strong wind and all is gone.Copy !req
447. How my master's house
with its 498,000-koku domainCopy !req
448. was brought to ruin...Copy !req
449. I'm sure you already know
even better than I do myself.Copy !req
450. due to an unreasonable judgement
by the Tokugawa shogunateCopy !req
451. regarding the repairs being performed
on Hiroshima Castle,Copy !req
452. in June 1619,Copy !req
453. my master, Fukushima Masanori,
was ordered into exile at Kawanakajima,Copy !req
454. leaving his 12,000 retainers
without any means of livelihood...Copy !req
455. through no fault of their own.Copy !req
456. Jinnai!Copy !req
457. To Tsugumo HanshiroCopy !req
458. "In view of our long-standing friendship,
I ask your indulgence in the following.Copy !req
459. "The castle repairs commissioner,Copy !req
460. "the Honourable
Fukushima Masakatsu,Copy !req
461. "will be electing death at any moment.Copy !req
462. "Therefore, I will precede him
on his journey.Copy !req
463. "My company alone will suffice,Copy !req
464. "I beg you not to follow.Copy !req
465. "Regarding my only child, Motome,Copy !req
466. "he has grown tall,
but he is still only 15.Copy !req
467. "Please look after him
as he finds his way in life."Copy !req
468. Why was he so hasty?Copy !req
469. Committing harakiri
even before I have done so.Copy !req
470. Hanshiro, I forbid you to follow.Copy !req
471. If the house could still be saved,
I would allow it.Copy !req
472. But with the house abolished,
it would be pointless.Copy !req
473. - Jinnai's company will suffice.
- But, sire...Copy !req
474. don't be foolish, Hanshiro.Copy !req
475. Jinnai died because he knew
you would if he didn't.Copy !req
476. He died to accompany me
on your behalf as well.Copy !req
477. Which means, Hanshiro,
that you must now live on.Copy !req
478. Both for you and for Jinnai.Copy !req
479. Also for his son, Motome.
Who will look after him if not you?Copy !req
480. I go now to meet Jinnai.Copy !req
481. Hanshiro, is there anything
you'd like me to tell Jinnai?Copy !req
482. do you have nothing for me
to say to him?Copy !req
483. Tell Jinnai...Copy !req
484. Tell Jinnai this.Copy !req
485. Have no fears about Motome.Copy !req
486. I will watch over his path
to manhood.Copy !req
487. I will not fail him.
I swear this on my life.Copy !req
488. Go on, Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
489. What did you find out?Copy !req
490. It seems his illness
is indeed most serious.Copy !req
491. What is the nature of his ailment?Copy !req
492. According to his family,Copy !req
493. a high fever and excruciating pains
in all his joints.Copy !req
494. Go on.Copy !req
495. I asked if I might visit him
at his bedside,Copy !req
496. but he sent word back
that his pain was so greatCopy !req
497. that he did not wish to be seen
in his present state.Copy !req
498. All I could do was convey
the message you sent and return.Copy !req
499. It seems
there's nothing we can do.Copy !req
500. Perhaps he was overcome
by the relentless heat of recent days.Copy !req
501. Master Tsugumo,
you heard what he said.Copy !req
502. I must ask you to select
someone else as your second.Copy !req
503. I am sorely disappointed,
but it appears I have no choice.Copy !req
504. In that case...Copy !req
505. I would ask for Master Yazaki Hayato.Copy !req
506. Hayato?Copy !req
507. Inaba, am I to believe he too has
been absent these four or five days?Copy !req
508. Correct, sire.Copy !req
509. He requested leave
because he wasn't feeling well.Copy !req
510. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
511. I'm afraid Yazaki Hayato
is also absent due to illness.Copy !req
512. Master Yazaki is also ill?Copy !req
513. I'm sorry to hear that.Copy !req
514. Again, it seems I have no choice.Copy !req
515. Then I request
Master Kawabe Umenosuke.Copy !req
516. Counsellor,Copy !req
517. surely it's not possibleCopy !req
518. that Master Kawabe is also
under the weather?Copy !req
519. Well, well.Copy !req
520. It seems he is indeed indisposed.Copy !req
521. All three of them unavailable
on this particular day,Copy !req
522. what a very odd coincidence.Copy !req
523. Most curious.Copy !req
524. - He's up to something.
- Clearly so.Copy !req
525. Hikokuro was the one
who first insistedCopy !req
526. that Chijiiwa Motome be forced
to go through with harakiri.Copy !req
527. Yazaki was the oneCopy !req
528. who discovered his blades were
bamboo and insisted he use them,Copy !req
529. and Kawabe was quick to agree.Copy !req
530. That's why I urged that he at least
be spared the bamboo blade...Copy !req
531. - Of what good is that now?
- Indeed, sire.Copy !req
532. But how shall we deal with him?Copy !req
533. I doubt he intends
to meekly disembowel himself.Copy !req
534. He obviously has something
up his sleeve.Copy !req
535. Whatever it is...Copy !req
536. he won't get away with it.Copy !req
537. We'll force his hand
and make him commit harakiri.Copy !req
538. In fact, if he refuses,Copy !req
539. we'll fall upon him
and cut him down.Copy !req
540. What happens within the walls
of this compound...Copy !req
541. is as secret as what happens
behind the walls of our own castle.Copy !req
542. One signal from me
and everyone will know what to do.Copy !req
543. But I'm bothered about Hikokuro
and the other two.Copy !req
544. I need to send someone
to find out more.Copy !req
545. Under the circumstances,Copy !req
546. I'd like you personally
to find out the real story.Copy !req
547. Master Tsugumo...Copy !req
548. Summer days are long,
but the hour advances.Copy !req
549. I must ask you to proceed
without further delay.Copy !req
550. But, Counsellor,Copy !req
551. the ritual cannot take place
without a second.Copy !req
552. I understand your concern,Copy !req
553. but I've discussed the matter
with my senior colleagues.Copy !req
554. With all three men of your choice ailing,
we cannot accommodate your wishes.Copy !req
555. You will have to accept our selection.Copy !req
556. Shinmen Ichiro!Copy !req
557. I command you to serve
as second for Master Tsugumo.Copy !req
558. Perform your duty with care.Copy !req
559. I must protest!Copy !req
560. To act as my second,Copy !req
561. I have named three
specially selected men.Copy !req
562. I must have one of these three.Copy !req
563. Are you perhaps deaf?Copy !req
564. All three you name are ill
and are not present today.Copy !req
565. I explained this very clearly.
did you not hear?Copy !req
566. Then in that case,
I have no choice.Copy !req
567. I must call off my harakiri for now.Copy !req
568. Enough, Tsugumo Hanshiro!Copy !req
569. Your scheme for extortion
has gone too far.Copy !req
570. It's bad enough to march in here
demanding a place to perform harakiri.Copy !req
571. But then you quibble endlessly
over naming your second.Copy !req
572. You never intended to commit harakiri.Copy !req
573. All you really want is money...Copy !req
574. Counsellor!Copy !req
575. If I were the extortionist you say,Copy !req
576. would I be calmly sitting here
on this platform?Copy !req
577. - Then why do you not quietly proceed?
- I am fully prepared to die.Copy !req
578. But cutting my belly open
does not in itselfCopy !req
579. ensure a smooth passage
to the netherworld.Copy !req
580. I need someone to expeditiously
strike off my head,Copy !req
581. a swordsman of reliable skill.Copy !req
582. I do not commit harakiri
to atone for a crime.Copy !req
583. The least I can expect
is to choose my own second!Copy !req
584. Further debate on the matter...Copy !req
585. is clearly a waste of time.Copy !req
586. You are a fraud,
a disgrace to our class.Copy !req
587. You never intended
to commit harakiri!Copy !req
588. Insolent dog!Copy !req
589. Wait!Copy !req
590. Hold back!
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
anything 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. Counsellor!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 better
to simply hear me out?Copy !req
603. Once I have finished my story,Copy !req
604. I will disembowel myself
without further ado.Copy !req
605. Or if you feel harakiri
is too good for me,Copy !req
606. you may turn your men on me
to do what they will.Copy !req
607. In any event,Copy !req
608. I would first like you to hear
what I have to say.Copy !req
609. As to these conditions you stipulate,
do I have your word?Copy !req
610. You have my word.Copy !req
611. And as a samurai,
you will hold true to it?Copy !req
612. Very well, but make it short.Copy !req
613. I will not listen
to your useless mutterings for long.Copy !req
614. Men, fall back.Copy !req
615. Now, where was I?Copy !req
616. Oh, yes...Copy !req
617. My master's house fell
and Chijiiwa Jinnai died.Copy !req
618. But before doing so,Copy !req
619. he asked me
to look after Motome.Copy !req
620. When my master's house fell,Copy !req
621. we immediately left the domain
and moved to Edo.Copy !req
622. The streets of Edo
were crowded with ronin,Copy !req
623. flotsam from the Battle of Sekigahara.Copy !req
624. In former times, other clans would
have gladly taken in any roninCopy !req
625. who'd earned a name for himself.Copy !req
626. But in an era no longer in need
of warriors or horses,Copy !req
627. so peaceful that no wind even
rustled the leaves on the trees,Copy !req
628. it was a constant struggle
simply to find a meal.Copy !req
629. Indeed, it shames me to recallCopy !req
630. our miserable lives
over these last eight or nine years.Copy !req
631. But amidst all our hardships,Copy !req
632. my daughter Miho was rapidly
becoming a woman,Copy !req
633. and soon it was the spring
of her 18th year.Copy !req
634. Father.Copy !req
635. I've set out your lunch
in case I'm not back in time.Copy !req
636. The greatest delicacies
taste of nothing when eaten alone.Copy !req
637. If you're not back, I'll wait.Copy !req
638. I'll collect the money for theseCopy !req
639. and then stop by Yoshizakicho
for some dried fish.Copy !req
640. Good day!Copy !req
641. Welcome, sir.Copy !req
642. Busy as usual, eh? On your way out?Copy !req
643. Yes, to the wholesaler
in Kyobashi.Copy !req
644. The Mikawaya, I suppose.
Take care.Copy !req
645. Practice makes perfect.Copy !req
646. You've become very deft at that.Copy !req
647. Forgive me.Copy !req
648. I hate asking you
for advances all the time,Copy !req
649. but my earnings
refuse to catch up.Copy !req
650. You disarm me by beating me to it.Copy !req
651. I came intending
to lodge a complaint or two,Copy !req
652. but now that you've made
the first move...Copy !req
653. what can I say?Copy !req
654. By the way,Copy !req
655. what are your thoughts on that matter
I raised the other day?Copy !req
656. Have you come to a decision?Copy !req
657. Yes, I have decided.Copy !req
658. Glad to hear it.Copy !req
659. That takes a load off my mind.Copy !req
660. No...Copy !req
661. I appreciate your proposal
regarding Miho,Copy !req
662. but I've decided to decline.Copy !req
663. In the end, her adoption
by the Joshuya familyCopy !req
664. would be a mere pretext
lasting perhaps six months.Copy !req
665. Once established
as a member of their family,Copy !req
666. she'd be sent to Lord Sakakibara
as his concubine.Copy !req
667. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
668. the Sakakibara are a noble family
with a domain of 110,000 koku.Copy !req
669. It may seem odd to seek benefit
from your daughter's connections,Copy !req
670. but you need do nothing
and doors will open to you.Copy !req
671. I understand that.Copy !req
672. But, Master Seibei, no matter
how much I've fallen on hard times,Copy !req
673. I cannot profit from making
my daughter a concubine.Copy !req
674. It's fine to uphold your pride.Copy !req
675. But as a parent, you must consider
your daughter's feelings too.Copy !req
676. What?Copy !req
677. She's young and beautiful,Copy !req
678. yet she doesn't have
a single fancy kimono to wear.Copy !req
679. She can only look forward to endless
days of slaving at her father's side.Copy !req
680. Master Tsugumo,
you can't fight the world you live inCopy !req
681. nor go against
the tide of the times.Copy !req
682. It's a good proposal
for both Miho and for you,Copy !req
683. no matter which way you look at it.Copy !req
684. In fact, to be honest,Copy !req
685. is it not precisely because Miho
was blessed with such beautyCopy !req
686. that an avenue like this
remains open to you?Copy !req
687. Confucius said:Copy !req
688. "He who knows not the will of heaven
is not a superior man."Copy !req
689. "He who knows not proper decorum
must not rise to his feet."Copy !req
690. "He who knows not the heart of words
cannot know the heart of man."Copy !req
691. That will be all for today.Copy !req
692. Thank you, sir. Goodbye.Copy !req
693. Hey, Katsuzo,
let's go sparrow-hunting today!Copy !req
694. Hello, Uncle Hanshiro.Copy !req
695. It's good to see you.Copy !req
696. Some tea?Copy !req
697. - Much obliged.
- Not at all.Copy !req
698. I know this house well enough
at least to put water on to boil.Copy !req
699. As it happens, Motome,Copy !req
700. I came today to discuss
a matter of some weight.Copy !req
701. You sound so formal, Uncle.
What could it be?Copy !req
702. How quickly the days
and months fly by.Copy !req
703. Miho is now 18.Copy !req
704. She looks more
like her mother every day.Copy !req
705. In fact, it's hard to see...
how she could possibly be of my blood.Copy !req
706. If she'd taken after me,
she'd never have grown so beautiful.Copy !req
707. Uncle... what are you trying to say?Copy !req
708. Well... Motome...Copy !req
709. I'd like you to take Miho
as your wife.Copy !req
710. I realise this is all very sudden,Copy !req
711. but what do you think?Copy !req
712. Motome?Copy !req
713. Uncle, you know as well as I
the state of my livelihood at present.Copy !req
714. I offer classes in the Chinese classics
to a handful of childrenCopy !req
715. and live from hand to mouth.Copy !req
716. How could I possibly take a wife?Copy !req
717. do you dislike Miho?Copy !req
718. All I'm asking is
how you feel about her.Copy !req
719. It's not only because of the promise
I made to your fatherCopy !req
720. that I hope you'll marry Miho.Copy !req
721. Boorish and dull as I am,Copy !req
722. I'm not entirely insensitive
to your feelings for each other.Copy !req
723. It was more difficult than I expected
to persuade Motome.Copy !req
724. I didn't realise he had such
a stubborn and wilful streak.Copy !req
725. But I knew he loved Miho,Copy !req
726. and I knew Miho would have
no objections to the match.Copy !req
727. The crane that lives
a thousand yearsCopy !req
728. A symbol of myriad joysCopy !req
729. The tortoise that lives 10,000 yearsCopy !req
730. Bears on its back the three worlds
of heaven, earth and manCopy !req
731. The sands upon the beachCopy !req
732. Numberless and smoothCopy !req
733. May they ever reflect
the morning sunCopy !req
734. After two years,
a child was born.Copy !req
735. It was a boy,
and they named him Kingo.Copy !req
736. Of course, I was the one
who chose the name.Copy !req
737. Good day.Copy !req
738. What's this? Asleep again?Copy !req
739. Father, you're too generous.Copy !req
740. Nonsense.Copy !req
741. Even after I married you off,
you still cook for me.Copy !req
742. And besides,
I now have only myself to support.Copy !req
743. I save more money
than I know what to do with,Copy !req
744. and I can't take it with me!Copy !req
745. Well, well.Copy !req
746. did you wake up?Copy !req
747. Now, none of that,
you little rascal.Copy !req
748. A warrior's son should not
be flashing his dimples.Copy !req
749. What did I tell you now?Copy !req
750. Really? Even the Matsudaira Clan
of dewa province?Copy !req
751. That's right.Copy !req
752. I can understand abolishing
the domains of newer vassals,Copy !req
753. but to treat vassals who've supported
the Tokugawa for years so harshly?Copy !req
754. The shogunate's policy towards
the daimyo is completely beyond me.Copy !req
755. We'll see an increase
in the number of ronin.Copy !req
756. did you hear?Copy !req
757. One of them tried to commit harakiri
at the Sengoku Clan's gate.Copy !req
758. A ronin named Oi Shume,
formerly of the Kurume Clan.Copy !req
759. I heard the Sengoku
were so impressedCopy !req
760. that they offered him employment.Copy !req
761. That much was fine.
It's what happened next.Copy !req
762. Yes, I heard.Copy !req
763. Other ronin who got wind of the storyCopy !req
764. began presenting themselves at the
gates of daimyo houses all over Edo,Copy !req
765. insisting on committing harakiri
and refusing to budge.Copy !req
766. In order to get rid of them,Copy !req
767. the houses offered them
money to leave.Copy !req
768. It's a shameful turn of events.Copy !req
769. It certainly is.Copy !req
770. No matter how hard-pressed
they may be,Copy !req
771. it's a despicable thing to do.Copy !req
772. In these difficult times,
it's no help growing desperate.Copy !req
773. Becoming too impatient
to seek employmentCopy !req
774. is a danger we must all
take care to avoid.Copy !req
775. You are absolutely right.Copy !req
776. If you stop worrying
about finding employment,Copy !req
777. you can sit here like this
without answering to a superior,Copy !req
778. at no one's beck and call.Copy !req
779. What's the matter, little one?Copy !req
780. It's time for his milk.
I'll nurse him.Copy !req
781. don't give him your breast
every time he cries,Copy !req
782. or he'll develop bad habits.Copy !req
783. Lookee here, Kingo. Ready?Copy !req
784. All right?Copy !req
785. Upsy-daisy. Here we go, Kingo.Copy !req
786. In KandaCopy !req
787. At the Myojin ShrineCopy !req
788. There's a festivalCopy !req
789. This very nightCopy !req
790. Kingo was the centre of our existence,
and the three of us lived happilyCopy !req
791. with the constant sound
of warm laughterCopy !req
792. raising peaceful ripples around us.Copy !req
793. It truly was a time
of greater happinessCopy !req
794. than I'd ever known in the domain.Copy !req
795. However, good things
never last for long.Copy !req
796. "We've been granted
to live thus far...Copy !req
797. "But it won't last forever...Copy !req
798. "We're destined to leave this world...Copy !req
799. "And there's nothing untoward
about it."Copy !req
800. One day, Miho suddenly coughed up
profuse quantities of blood.Copy !req
801. She had always been
of weak constitution,Copy !req
802. and with the endless burden
of our piecework labour...Copy !req
803. she'd driven her frail body
too hard for too long.Copy !req
804. Motome panicked.Copy !req
805. The poor fellow.Copy !req
806. date Clan construction site,
fifty labourers at 40 mon.Copy !req
807. Fifty labourers at 40 mon.Copy !req
808. Just a minute, samurai, sir!Copy !req
809. Are you trying to get me in trouble?Copy !req
810. There isn't enough work
even for the townsmen.Copy !req
811. If the authorities spotted
a two-sworded labourer,Copy !req
812. I'd be in for a real dressing-down.Copy !req
813. Hosokawa Clan construction site,
twenty labourers at 45 mon.Copy !req
814. Pawn ShopCopy !req
815. Poor Motome,Copy !req
816. he tried everything
but to no avail.Copy !req
817. Miho was gradually wasting away.Copy !req
818. And the worst was yet to come.
It's seared forever in my memory.Copy !req
819. We'd just barely made it
through the end of the year,Copy !req
820. and the plum blossoms
had begun to bloomCopy !req
821. shortly after the beginning
of the new year.Copy !req
822. What's wrong?Copy !req
823. Is it Miho?Copy !req
824. It's Kingo.Copy !req
825. What? Kingo?Copy !req
826. A fever.Copy !req
827. Like he's on fire.Copy !req
828. Why, Miho?Copy !req
829. Why did you just sit by
until it came to this?Copy !req
830. I thought it was an ordinary cold.Copy !req
831. What did the doctor say?Copy !req
832. You did have a doctor see him,
didn't you?Copy !req
833. You haven't had a doctor see him?Copy !req
834. Why haven't you had a doctor
look at him?Copy !req
835. Kingo, fight it off.Copy !req
836. Your grandpa,
like your mother and father,Copy !req
837. has already sold off
everything of value.Copy !req
838. There's not a thing,
not a thing we can do for you.Copy !req
839. There's nothing...Copy !req
840. nothing we can do, Kingo.Copy !req
841. But you're the son of a samurai.Copy !req
842. You can't let a little illness
get the better of you.Copy !req
843. don't let it beat you.Copy !req
844. don't let it... don't let it...Copy !req
845. Father.Copy !req
846. I have an idea.Copy !req
847. What?Copy !req
848. I need to go out.Copy !req
849. Please look after Kingo.Copy !req
850. What do you have in mind?Copy !req
851. A former retainer of the Kato Clan
now lives in NihonbashiCopy !req
852. and makes his living
as a moneylender.Copy !req
853. His rates are so high
I didn't dare go to him before,Copy !req
854. but I can't worry about that anymore.Copy !req
855. You're right. If you know such a man,
hurry and go!Copy !req
856. I'm on my way.Copy !req
857. I'll be back by evening at the latest.Copy !req
858. As you can see, Miho is too weak,Copy !req
859. so please take care of Kingo.Copy !req
860. Of course. I know what to do.Copy !req
861. But, Motome,Copy !req
862. you can see
he's barely hanging on.Copy !req
863. You must be quick,
and you mustn't fail.Copy !req
864. I'll return by evening without fail.Copy !req
865. Until then.Copy !req
866. We're depending on you, Motome!Copy !req
867. No, no, I'll do that.Copy !req
868. It won't be long now, Kingo.Copy !req
869. What's taking him so long?Copy !req
870. He's getting worse.Copy !req
871. What could Motome be doing?Copy !req
872. No, no. Your getting up
won't do Kingo's fever any good.Copy !req
873. Where can Motome be?Copy !req
874. He swore he'd be back by evening.Copy !req
875. What could he be doing?Copy !req
876. I waited.Copy !req
877. Every moment felt like an eternity.Copy !req
878. But Motome did not return.Copy !req
879. We never saw him again.Copy !req
880. "I'll be back by evening,
so please look after Kingo."Copy !req
881. Those were his final words
as he went out the door,Copy !req
882. and that was the last I saw
of Chijiiwa Motome.Copy !req
883. But then,Copy !req
884. around nine that night,
he did return home.Copy !req
885. Only not on his own.Copy !req
886. He was borne home by a party
of retainers from the House of Iyi...Copy !req
887. most courteously.Copy !req
888. This was the request with which
Chijiiwa Motome came to us.Copy !req
889. But our forecourt is a busy place
and would have been inconvenient,Copy !req
890. so we offered him our courtyard and
saw to his needs with all due propriety,Copy !req
891. thus allowing him to fulfil his wish
to commit harakiri.Copy !req
892. We understand there have been
incidents all across Edo latelyCopy !req
893. in which ronin present themselves
at the gates of daimyo housesCopy !req
894. and threaten to commit harakiri
unless given money.Copy !req
895. This disgraceful practice has put
many houses at a loss as to what to do.Copy !req
896. But now we have Chijiiwa Motome,
a samurai of true valour,Copy !req
897. who carried out his resolve
to die honourably.Copy !req
898. And we the members
of the Iyi ClanCopy !req
899. responded appropriately
to facilitate his wishes.Copy !req
900. In contrast to many disgraceful roninCopy !req
901. and the spineless timidity
of other daimyo households,Copy !req
902. both parties in this instance
acted in an exemplary mannerCopy !req
903. that will open eyes
and clear the air.Copy !req
904. It is truly an occasion
for mutual congratulations.Copy !req
905. - We bid you...
- Wait.Copy !req
906. To avoid any misunderstanding,
show the blades.Copy !req
907. That's right.Copy !req
908. For the record, we wish you to examine
the swords Chijiiwa was carrying.Copy !req
909. You will note that
both blades are of bamboo.Copy !req
910. Bamboo?Copy !req
911. As you can see,
both are made of bamboo.Copy !req
912. No one must accuse us later
of having switched blades.Copy !req
913. So take a good look.Copy !req
914. Is it clear?Copy !req
915. In that case,Copy !req
916. Motome must have borrowed
a blade from your household?Copy !req
917. No, he did not.Copy !req
918. He died magnificently
using his own blade.Copy !req
919. Motome... killed himself
with that bamboo blade?Copy !req
920. Exactly.Copy !req
921. The entire household
witnessed the spectacleCopy !req
922. of harakiri performed
with a bamboo blade.Copy !req
923. As you may imagine,
an unsightly affair.Copy !req
924. It would have been more fitting
for a samuraiCopy !req
925. to end his life with a true blade,
which is a warrior's soul.Copy !req
926. - So long.
- We bid you good night.Copy !req
927. Miho wept.Copy !req
928. She wept...Copy !req
929. and wept.Copy !req
930. Motome!Copy !req
931. Forgive me!Copy !req
932. I had...Copy !req
933. I had no idea.Copy !req
934. You had even sold your blades.Copy !req
935. For Miho's sake,
you even sold your blades.Copy !req
936. But I...Copy !req
937. I would never let this go.Copy !req
938. It never entered my mind.Copy !req
939. The stupid thing
was too dear to me...Copy !req
940. and I clung to it.Copy !req
941. To this stupid...Copy !req
942. With his fever still raging
and in a coma,Copy !req
943. Kingo died two days later.Copy !req
944. Three days after that,Copy !req
945. as if chasing after him,Copy !req
946. Miho died as well.Copy !req
947. Thus did Tsugumo Hanshiro find
himself utterly alone in the world,Copy !req
948. having lost every last person
he had ever cared about.Copy !req
949. Master Tsugumo,Copy !req
950. does that conclude your story?Copy !req
951. I suppose it does.Copy !req
952. No...Copy !req
953. there's one more thing.Copy !req
954. May all those here listen carefully
to what I'm about to say.Copy !req
955. No matter how grinding
his poverty and hunger,Copy !req
956. for a samurai to present himself
in someone else's entrywayCopy !req
957. and declare that he wishes
to commit harakiri thereCopy !req
958. is an unspeakable act that
can in no way be excused.Copy !req
959. Having said that...Copy !req
960. the manner in which
the House of Iyi handled the matter...Copy !req
961. surely left a great deal to be desired.Copy !req
962. If a samurai risks shame and ridiculeCopy !req
963. to beg for a day or two's grace,
he must surely have good reason.Copy !req
964. A simple inquiry
as to the reason for the requestCopy !req
965. would have told so much.Copy !req
966. Yet with this many witnesses present...Copy !req
967. not a single one among you
had the consideration to ask.Copy !req
968. His wife lay on the very verge of death,Copy !req
969. while his beloved son burned with fever,
in dire need of a doctor.Copy !req
970. Motome no doubt wished
to explain the situation to me,Copy !req
971. make whatever last effort
he could for his son,Copy !req
972. before turning all further care
over to me,Copy !req
973. and then return here
to the House of Iyi.Copy !req
974. Tsugumo Hanshiro!Copy !req
975. Enough of your self-serving excuses!Copy !req
976. What?Copy !req
977. As to Chijiiwa Motome,Copy !req
978. the circumstances that drove him here
were no doubt complex.Copy !req
979. But it was he who declared
his wish to commit harakiri.Copy !req
980. What followed upon that request
may not have been what he intended,Copy !req
981. but he reaped
what he himself sowed.Copy !req
982. He was in no position to complain,
or to blame or condemn anyone.Copy !req
983. At that point,Copy !req
984. all he had to do was cast all else
aside and die a magnificent death.Copy !req
985. To face death without wavering,Copy !req
986. that is the true way of the samurai.Copy !req
987. But what did this man do?Copy !req
988. He cravenly asked
for a day or two's grace.Copy !req
989. One might well accuse him
of having gone mad!Copy !req
990. True enough.Copy !req
991. Motome had indeed gone mad.Copy !req
992. But I say good for him!Copy !req
993. I praise him for it.Copy !req
994. He may have been a samurai,Copy !req
995. but he was also
a man of flesh and blood.Copy !req
996. He could not live on air alone.Copy !req
997. When a man has reached
the point of no return,Copy !req
998. even one as strong as Motome will
go mad trying to protect his family,Copy !req
999. and I would praise him for it!Copy !req
1000. They'll call him the "Bamboo Ronin".Copy !req
1001. Not only samurai, but townspeople, too,
will scoff at his wavering.Copy !req
1002. But let them laugh all they want.Copy !req
1003. Who can fathom the depths
of another man's heart?Copy !req
1004. Thanks to the shogunate's ruthless
policy of wiping out the provincial lords,Copy !req
1005. countless samurai lost their mastersCopy !req
1006. and were cast out
to wander the depths of hell.Copy !req
1007. How can those who never want for food
or clothing understand their misery?Copy !req
1008. To those who find Motome loathsome
for his pleading, I ask you,Copy !req
1009. what if you found yourself
in the same position?Copy !req
1010. Would you do any differently?Copy !req
1011. After all,
this thing we call samurai honourCopy !req
1012. is ultimately nothing but a façade.Copy !req
1013. Is that your grievance?Copy !req
1014. - Grievance?
- Is that what you're trying to tell us?Copy !req
1015. That samurai honour
is nothing but a façade?Copy !req
1016. Exactly.Copy !req
1017. "Even if I say I want
to commit harakiri,Copy !req
1018. "they surely won't make me do it."Copy !req
1019. Such wishful thinking
is where these ronin go wrong.Copy !req
1020. If a man says he wants
to commit harakiri, we will let him.Copy !req
1021. In fact, since he has proposed it
himself, we'll make sure he does.Copy !req
1022. That is the policy of the House of Iyi.Copy !req
1023. For us, samurai honour
is no mere façade!Copy !req
1024. And so Tsugumo Hanshiro tooCopy !req
1025. has come here with no intention
of committing harakiri,Copy !req
1026. but rather out of deep bitternessCopy !req
1027. over the manner in which the Iyi Clan
treated his son-in-law Chijiiwa Motome,Copy !req
1028. and the desire to vent
his many grudges.Copy !req
1029. Is that what you think?Copy !req
1030. That's not for me to say.Copy !req
1031. You can only look into your own heart.Copy !req
1032. But all the same,Copy !req
1033. you have no intention
of letting me leave here alive?Copy !req
1034. That is my decision to make.Copy !req
1035. I need make no excuses to you.Copy !req
1036. Counsellor,Copy !req
1037. there is a proverb, "The suspicious
mind conjures its own demons."Copy !req
1038. do you know it?Copy !req
1039. When I say I will disembowel myself,
I truly mean it.Copy !req
1040. Yet, even after all I have said,
you still refuse to...Copy !req
1041. Suppose I were to go on living,Copy !req
1042. what could I possibly have
to look forward to?Copy !req
1043. The fact is, I can hardly wait
to join Motome and Miho and KingoCopy !req
1044. in that world to which
they have preceded me.Copy !req
1045. But I would never be able
to look them in the faceCopy !req
1046. were I to go empty-handed.Copy !req
1047. I think you can understand that.Copy !req
1048. I thought perhaps
once I had explained,Copy !req
1049. even members of the Iyi Clan would
surely say, "So that's how it was?Copy !req
1050. "Perhaps we were overzealous that day
in pressing towards that end.Copy !req
1051. "Anyone can see that our handling
of the situation was less than ideal.Copy !req
1052. "In some ways,
perhaps we carried things too far.Copy !req
1053. "No doubt both parties could have
conducted themselves to better effect."Copy !req
1054. If I could take with me
even a single word in this vein,Copy !req
1055. it would be a comfort to Motome.Copy !req
1056. Was this not the most fitting gift
I could hope to offer him?Copy !req
1057. Such were my thoughts!Copy !req
1058. But I see now it was nothing
but wishful thinking.Copy !req
1059. If you can see that,
then it makes the rest easy.Copy !req
1060. This world does not bend
to sentimental tales.Copy !req
1061. If you really think
that samurai honourCopy !req
1062. is ultimately nothing more
than a façade,Copy !req
1063. then you never had a chance
of swaying us.Copy !req
1064. So in the end,Copy !req
1065. these have been nothing but
the useless grumblings of an old man.Copy !req
1066. But it does no good
to lament that now.Copy !req
1067. Well, then, forgive me
for my long-winded recitation.Copy !req
1068. I will now proceed with the ritual.Copy !req
1069. Tarry a moment.Copy !req
1070. Before that,Copy !req
1071. I must return some items
that belong to this house.Copy !req
1072. For identification,
I have placed name tags on each.Copy !req
1073. Please examine them carefully.Copy !req
1074. Master Yazaki HayatoCopy !req
1075. and Master Kawabe Umenosuke...Copy !req
1076. I understand they're both among
the best swordsmen of the Iyi Clan,Copy !req
1077. held in high esteem
for their courage and honour.Copy !req
1078. But, Counsellor,Copy !req
1079. gentlemen,
let me set your minds at ease.Copy !req
1080. I took only their topknots.Copy !req
1081. Not their lives.Copy !req
1082. In the case of Yazaki Hayato,Copy !req
1083. it was six days ago.Copy !req
1084. Hold it!Copy !req
1085. In the case of Kawabe Umenosuke,Copy !req
1086. it was five days ago, on May 8th.Copy !req
1087. However,Copy !req
1088. when it came to that master swordsman
of the Shindo-Munen-Ichi school,Copy !req
1089. Master Omodaka Hikokuro,
I had a little more difficulty.Copy !req
1090. Perhaps aware of what had befallen
Yazaki and Kawabe,Copy !req
1091. I could not catch him off guard.Copy !req
1092. In fact, to be honest,
I found myself at quite a lossCopy !req
1093. as to how to deal
with Master Omodaka.Copy !req
1094. May I enter?Copy !req
1095. If you reach for your sword,Copy !req
1096. I'll slice you in one motion
from shoulder to waist.Copy !req
1097. However...Copy !req
1098. I fear the lintel will catch
the tip of my blade.Copy !req
1099. If you lunge to the side,Copy !req
1100. then this pillar will get in the way.Copy !req
1101. It took a few days to locate your home.
My apologies for the delay.Copy !req
1102. I ask you to make ready.Copy !req
1103. This is obviously no place
for a sword duel.Copy !req
1104. It's a bit far, but I must ask you
to accompany me to Gojiin-gawara.Copy !req
1105. As miserable a hovel as this is,Copy !req
1106. your landlord will be inconvenienced
if you do not return.Copy !req
1107. And without someone to retrieve your
remains, your soul will wander aimlessly.Copy !req
1108. I suggest you leave a note.Copy !req
1109. It should indicate
you're going to Gojiin-gawaraCopy !req
1110. for a duel with Omodaka Hikokuro
of the Iyi Clan.Copy !req
1111. Taking advantage of the wind
was brilliant,Copy !req
1112. but a blade can do more than cut.Copy !req
1113. It can also stab,
or even snap another blade in two.Copy !req
1114. Swordsmanship untested in battleCopy !req
1115. is like the art of swimming
on tatami mats.Copy !req
1116. On the other hand,Copy !req
1117. I had not seen battle eitherCopy !req
1118. since the siege of Osaka Castle
16 years ago.Copy !req
1119. Taking his head
would have been difficult enough,Copy !req
1120. but taking only his topknot
proved more difficult still.Copy !req
1121. Whatever the differences
in our skill,Copy !req
1122. for a samurai to have
his topknot takenCopy !req
1123. is the same as having
his head stricken off.Copy !req
1124. It is an ineptitude, a disgrace,Copy !req
1125. that can scarcely be atoned for
even by death.Copy !req
1126. Yet these men claim illness
and shirk their dutiesCopy !req
1127. while waiting for their topknots
to grow back. Counsellor!Copy !req
1128. This house boasts of its red armour
and its martial valour,Copy !req
1129. but it seems that even
in the great House of Iyi,Copy !req
1130. samurai honour is nothing more
than a façade.Copy !req
1131. Madman!Copy !req
1132. Cut him down!Copy !req
1133. Fall back!Copy !req
1134. Tsugumo Hanshiro
has been killed, sire.Copy !req
1135. And our casualties?Copy !req
1136. What were the casualties
among our men?Copy !req
1137. Sugita Masakatsu, Uemura Sobei.Copy !req
1138. Shinmen Ichiro, Yoshioka Uemon.Copy !req
1139. Four dead.Copy !req
1140. Eight more seriously wounded.Copy !req
1141. The ronin from Hiroshima,Copy !req
1142. Tsugumo Hanshiro,
committed harakiri.Copy !req
1143. All our own men died of illness.Copy !req
1144. The House of Iyi has no retainersCopy !req
1145. who could be felled or wounded
by some half-starved ronin.Copy !req
1146. Former retainer of the Fukushima Clan,
Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
1147. committed harakiri honourably,
according to his wish.Copy !req
1148. All our men died of illness.Copy !req
1149. Their deaths have nothing to do
with Tsugumo's.Copy !req
1150. Furthermore, we cannot allow
any more to die of illness.Copy !req
1151. See that the wounded
are treated immediately.Copy !req
1152. I have just returned, Counsellor.Copy !req
1153. Omodaka Hikokuro...Copy !req
1154. last night at his home...Copy !req
1155. Kawabe and Yazaki both claim illness.Copy !req
1156. - But in fact...
- Fool!Copy !req
1157. Why did you not order them
to commit harakiri on the spot?Copy !req
1158. Go back at once
and order them to do so!Copy !req
1159. And take some skilled swordsmen
with you.Copy !req
1160. If they fail to willingly disembowel
themselves, make them do it by force.Copy !req
1161. Of course, these two men
and Omodaka too,Copy !req
1162. did not officially commit harakiri.Copy !req
1163. They died of illness.Copy !req
1164. Imbecile!Copy !req
1165. You weren't born yesterday,
you know the ways of the world!Copy !req
1166. do you not realise the implications?
Idiot!Copy !req
1167. I am on my way, sire.Copy !req
1168. The former retainer of the Fukushima
Clan, Tsugumo Hanshiro,Copy !req
1169. died by harakiri
at six in the evening.Copy !req
1170. His speech and behaviour
had been erratic.Copy !req
1171. Many of those present felt
he showed signs of derangement.Copy !req
1172. Furthermore, it has become clearCopy !req
1173. when another former retainer
of the Fukushima Clan,Copy !req
1174. one Chijiiwa Motome, asked to commit
harakiri in January of this year,Copy !req
1175. we did not err
in our chosen response.Copy !req
1176. Word of the martial rigour
of this house echoed throughout Edo.Copy !req
1177. In the present case too,
word of our resolute handlingCopy !req
1178. spread across the city
before two days were out.Copy !req
1179. As a result,Copy !req
1180. on the third day,
in a formal session at Edo Castle,Copy !req
1181. Lord Doi took the occasion
to confer words of praiseCopy !req
1182. upon our young master Bennosuke
as follows...Copy !req
1183. "At peace, yet ever vigilant.Copy !req
1184. "Let the House of Iyi continue
to embrace this principle,Copy !req
1185. "and your fortunes are sure
to prosper for ages to come."Copy !req
1186. The 16th day of May,Copy !req
1187. 1630.Copy !req