Today I want to speak about a book I read recently, one of the few examples of Japanese historical novel to be popular abroad. The book is by Eji Yoshikawa, and it is titled "Musashi". It was originally published in Japan on the pages of the daily newspaper "Asahi Shinbun", from 1935 onwards. The book was then republished several times in Japan, where it is still popular today. And finally, in 1981, a partial English translation was published with a nice preface written by Edwin Oldfather Reischauer, famous American scholar of Japan and Asia.
The book speaks about the life of a man, Miyamoto Musashi, who not only really existed, but who left artworks and even a book, "The book of five rings" which is very popular even today. Miyamoto Musashi, born in a small village, son of a rural samurai, rose to the top ranks of the swordfighing world in the early times of the Edo era. After his young life of many duels and incredible successes, Miyamoto Musashi fought under Tokugawa Ieyasu, became a master of sword under the noble Hosokawa Tadatoshi, and played a role in taming the rebellion of Shimabara.
The novel of Yoshikawa Eiji follows the early years of Musashi, from the start in the battle of Sekigahara, until the final battle against Sasaki Kojiro. Much of what is told in the book is historical. But Yoshikawa manages to picture in a very nice way the life of the people of Edo, and to represent with the characters of his book, different moral qualities and ideals. Musashi is struggling for perfection, and rises in the book from his start, when he is a fighting bully, to the end, when he decides to stop taking the lives of his enemy. Through the "Way of the sword" Musashi also grows morally. So do most of the characted in the book,from the old woman Osugi who wants to kill Musashi for "ruining" her son Matahachi. To Matahachi himself who finds his way in life after many mistakes. To Otsu, who is from long pages obsessed in her love for Musashi.
One of the unredeemed characters, is the cruel and arrogant Sasaki Kojiro, who mastered the use of a long "nodachi" sword crafted centuries earlier and who, finally, is killed by Musashi in the famous Ganryujima duel. While the Sasaki Kojiro of the book is definitely a villain, I don't believe the real Kojiro, who surely was arrogant, must have coincided with the character in the book. The real Kojiro was a master of arms for the Hosokawa fief in Kyushu. Anyway he is mainly honored today as the final opponent of Musashi.
I advise to all the fans of traditional Japan to read the book "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa!
Sasaki Kojiro's bronze in Iwakuni city.
参加しています。
