忠臣蔵

忠臣蔵(Cyushingura) is very popular story. Originally, It was a samurai drama of Kabuki and Jyoruri, "The Treasury of Loyal Retainers". Now we can see many Cyushingura's TV dramas and movies. Year after year, new dramas or movies are broadcasted. If you interesting in Samurai. I think you should see or read the story. You can buy the books written in English. Cyushin means loyalist, gura means quiverful.





忠臣蔵 is a drama of Genroku Akou incident (real event). There was a samurai lord named Asano Takuminokami Naganori. (Takuminokami is a name of an appointment.) In 1701, March, Asano Takuminokami cut at Kira Kouzukenosuke at a hallway embellished with pictures of pines in Edo castle. Shogunate never allowed samurais to draw a sword there, therefore, Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered Asano Takuminokami to commit a seppuku (harakiri, we usually don't say "harakiri").



At a garden of one Daimyo, Asano Takuminokami composed a poem and committed a seppuku. The death poem was:



風さそう　花よりもなお　我もまた　春の名残を　いかにとかせん



かぜさそう　はなよりもなお　われもまた　はるのなごりを　いかにとかせん



Kaze sasou Hanayorimonao Waremomata Harunonagoriwo Ikanitokasen



It means: Falling flowers would not want to leave, I'm frustrated more than flowers, what should I do?



Kira was a coach of ceremony and Asano takuminokami was a person in charge of the ceremony. Someone say, Kira kouzukenosuke always needled Asano takuminokami. Asano Takuminokami never schmeared, thus, Kira don't teach about how to practice the ceremony. Asano Takuminokami was at a complete loss　and was put out of countenance, and had a snout on Kira.



When Asano met with Kira at the hallway, kira needled Asano Takuminokami again. Asano takuminokami was infuriate and drew a sword. Asano was ordered to commit a seppuku and manorial forfeit.



Few days later, the news reached Asano takuminokami's domein. "Our lord did seppuku and was forfeited his domain"



Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshitaka, a chief retainer, tried to promote to resuscitate Asano clan, but the hope were dashed. Asano's retainers became masterless samurais.



In 1702, December 14th, 47 masterless samurais made a raid a mansion house of Kira. They caught Kira and requested to commit a seppuku to Kira in order to carry out revenge for Asano Takuminokami. And Kira died.



Shogun and all Samurais praised 47 masterless samurais highly as samurais among samurais, best loyalists. But the Shogun was hard-pressed to deal with the incident. They are loyalists but making a raid does not meet right way in piping time of peace. The Shogun invite a comment from a Tendai buddhist monk. And Shogun decided to order 47 samurais to commit a seppuku.



Oishi Kuranosuke composed a poem when he informed Takuminokami's gravestone that they were successful in the revenge :



あら楽し　思いは晴るる　身は捨つる　浮き世の月に　かかる雲なし



あらたのし　おもいははるる　みはすつる　うきよのつきに　かかるくもなし



Aratanoshi Omoi-ha-suturu Mi-ha-sutsuru Ukiyo-no-tsuki-ni Kakaru-kumonashi



(It seems あら楽や, Aratanoshiya, is real his poem)



It means:



Oh, I'm very happy. I realized my desire and it is time to die. There is no cloud on the moon of my life.



I know many dramas deal with this poem as his death poem, but it seems this poem is not death poem.



Tuki has two meaning. One is moon and the other is end. Thus, the moon he said is also his life too.



---- Like this, Japanese poems sometimes have two meanings. Also as for my poem sometimes has two meaning.



For example:



湯けむりの　朝もやおおう　津軽の海



ゆけむりの　あさもやおおう　つがるのうみ



Yukemurino Asamoyaoou Tugaru no umi.



It means:



Tsugaru Straits, streamed with morning mist, made by steam of hot springs.



おおう(Oou) means covering and 奥羽(0uu district). Ouu means Tohoku district which I saw from the hot spring.





Asano Takuminokami was a lord of Banshuu-Akou(Hyogo prefecture). Income of the clan was 53,000 Goku(a unit to quantify rice). It means Asano Takuminokami can mobilize about 2,000 samurais tops. There are about 350 samurais who were Takuminokami's own retainer. And 46 samurais and a rear vassal accomplished the feat. They are highly commended even now. The vassal seems to lived out the whole of his allotted span of life. He wasn't ordered to commit a seppuku because he was a vassal.



Oishi's death poem was:



極楽の道はひとすぢ君ともに阿弥陀をそへて四十八人



ごくらくの　みちはひとすじ　きみともに　あみだをそえて しじゅうはちにん



Gokuraku-no Michi-ha-hitosuji Kimi-tomoni Amida-wo-soete Shijyuuhachinin



It means:



The path way toward to pure land is direct road, we go there with my lord and with Amita buddha, 48 people in total.



In pure land buddhism, it is said that Amita come to get people who has died. As I recall, then death walk a pathway on a pond, and it is a direct road. "I think Kimitomoni" means "with Asano takuminokami". In Japan, it is said a soul who is attached to this world can't become a buddha.



In addition, the samurais and Asano Takuminokami's teacher was 山鹿素行(Yamaga Sokou). The teacher is very famous and important figure to learn Japanese thought history.



One my American penpal said Cyushingura was very interesting.



I took the photo at Arai-Yakushi-Temple in Nakano ward where I lived, Tokyo. Those are cherry blossoms.