Sunday, November 14, 2010

Yokohama for VIPs in November...

Yokohama for a believer in October...




According to History of Japan a Portuguese missionary, Luis Frois (1532 - July 8, 1597), wrote, samurai hero Oda Nobunaga killed with his sword a common soldier who was engaged in construction of Nobunaga's new castle in Kyoto only because the poor soldier tried to see a woman who was among many onlookers surrounding the site.

The book History of Japan was a very important record of Japan in the 16th century or specifically between 1549 and 1593. But, as his original writing or report was too lengthy, a senior clergy man in charge of the Vatican mission in East Asia did not handle it with respect. Frois' writing was forgotten for so long in Macau till 1742 when the original manuscript was sent to Portugal. (Luis Frois, Historia de Japam. edica~o anotada por Jose Wicki. 5 vols. Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa, 1976-1984)

It was in the 20th century that his reports were compiled into a book. It seems to be also around 1970 that they were fully translated into Japanese. It is a kind of book of miracle, since even today's Japanese can know vividly how Oda Nobunaga and other samurais in the 16th century lived and fought.

Incidentally, Oda Nobunaga who was about to unite whole Japan was however assassinated by his vassal general Akechi Mitsuhide and Mitsuhuide's 13,000 samurai troops at a temple in Kyoto in 1582.

Yet, only Luis Frois reported that samurai hero Oda Nobunaga killed with his sword a common soldier who was engaged in construction of Nobunaga's new castle in Kyoto only because the poor soldier tried to see a woman who was among many onlookers surrounding the site. No Japanese historic records cite this tragic incident.

For Nobunaga, construction of a castle must be an act in war. If his soldier let his mind drift during any act in war, Nobunaga himself would be in great danger.

Nonetheless, it was not the norm for a samurai lord to sever the head from the body of his soldier for his being lax in morals. Was that woman a noblewoman or something? Or, was that common soldier a kind of spy?

Anyway, you can speculate about whether or not if a man or a hero can survive long based on how a woman is involved in his way of life.

Maybe, it is better for a woman not to access (ugly) politics, (big) money, and the sword.

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Finally, it is Kamakura President Mr. Barack Obama has today visited that the first samurai shogunate was established in 1192 or 1185.

So, if a man's family tradition can be traced back for 800 years to 1200 or so, he can be proud in Japan.