Essay on Musui's Story: Late Traditional Urban Life in Japan

Musui's Story is one of the most riveting accounts of the history of Japan. Set in the Tokugawa period, the book retraces the escapades of samurai Katsu Kokichi in a country sealed off from the rest of the world but undergoing significant transition. The story recounts the life of Kokichi since childhood to middle adulthood and records the various experiences the author undergoes as he seeks to redefine his role in a society that was governed by strict standards and rules of behavior. Kokichi's story is full of regret in that the author urges his generation not to repeat the mistakes he made. However, a close examination of events in the story reveals otherwise. Kokichi makes daring adventures into issues of relationships, gender, authority, and human survival in a way that contradicts the expectations of society thereby making a mockery of the social standards and traditions of the Japanese culture during the Tokugawa era.

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Going against the codes of the occupation of a samurai is one of the landmark instances where Kokichi makes an adventure that does not conform to society's standards. Although Kokichi is a low-ranking officer, serving as a samurai put certain expectations on him. In this rank, one was expected to live to the ideals of the classification in Japan's military hierarchy but Kokichi does opposite. The violation of the codes of being a samurai can further be seen in the lending of money at exorbitant rates with the aim of getting rich quickly, which later saw him run into debt, culminating in his escape to Kyoto. From a tender age, Kokichi fights with a fellow child and bloodies his face after which the father severely punishes him. Punishment for misbehavior was also later done by the father by caging him in their home. Kokichi can also be seen violating the bushido code when he stole from his mother. In spite of his age, the boy was already aware of the expectations of a samurai in the Japanese society (Kokichi 11-13). The author commits these mistakes perhaps to highlight the hypocrisy in society. The punishment that Kokichi undergoes suggests that the Japanese society commanded considerable influence on how people behaved and the few who attempted to challenge the elite often failed due to lack of support from low-ranking members of society. As noted in the prologue, "Respect your superiors. Keep things to yourself. Venerate your ancestors and take care that no sacrilege is committed. Arrive at your place of work one hour early"(3).

Some elements in the character of Kokichi towards women are indicative of the social attitudes that were prevalent in Japan regarding the role of women in society. Women are depicted not only as objects of sex but also as individuals who hamper the progress of society. From the onset, the audience learns that Kokichi does not like the treatment he got from his grandmother, claiming that she drove his mother to an early death (Kokichi 14). What, however, makes a clear indication of the position of women in this society is the minimal role they are given in developing the plot of the story. Kokichi notes that he got married at eighteen but ran away at twenty-one after becoming penniless. What followed was a life with prostitutes and all sorts of acts of indecency. Despite his promiscuity, the author walked away from the widow of Amano Sakyo for practicing promiscuity. The treatment of the Sakyo's widow depicts a society that segregated against women in social matters. The fact that women are rarely mentioned in the book and only act emerge as sex objects suggest that during the Tokugawa period, women were not considered as proper participants in the discourse of Japan's social and economic development.

Besides treating women as lower class people, Japanese society encouraged an economic system that thrived on inequality. Most of the adventures of Musui involve money. He invests his money in various businesses and consequently makes a considerable amount of money which he then uses for prostitution. The author engages in business and hopes it would make him rich as quick as possible. Such a philosophy of business would eventually result in bad business decisions and bankruptcy. The drive to become rich even motivates Kokichi to involve himself in indecent activities to make money. The widening rift between the poor and the wealthy has created an obsession among the people about prosperity. The instance in which Kokichi spends his life in the streets with beggars further highlights the issue of inequality. Overall, Kokichi spends most of his life searching for prosperity. He does indecent and nasty things such as theft, gambling, cheating, and fighting to acquire wealth. Since Kokichi warns readers not to adopt his tactics, the author satirizes the hypocrisy of the elite. This obsession for wealth is a reminder of the way the Japanese society had placed great value in money and how the elite have ensured the endurance of poverty among ordinary citizens.

Conclusion

In Musui's Story, Katsu Kokichi succeeds in retelling the story of his life during the Tokugawa period. More importantly, he reveals the attitudes of the population towards various issues regarding the traditions and norms. The author reveals Kokichi as an individual who has violated the codes of samurai. The author further depicts women as less important in Japanese society. Obsession with wealth was also a crucial characteristic that explains the income inequality widespread in the country. Although Kokichi writes that readers should not imitate his behaviors, there is no instance that he expresses regrets in what he did. Therefore, Kokichi satirizes the behaviors of elites in promoting poverty and inequality in Japan.

Works Cited

Katsu, Kokichi. Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. University of Arizona Press, 1991.