Recently I watched the documentary, Flip a Coin, about the popular Japanese rock band, One OK Rock. While the band members bluntly admit to wanting to become an international band rather than to be known as just a Japanese band, Taka, the lead singer stated that he wanted to accomplish this in their own way like a samurai. His words struck me. I have been to one of their concerts and yet nothing about their music had led me to specifically think of samurai (other than maybe their songs included on the Rurouni Kenshin film soundtracks). I thought about what Taka meant and how he would define being a samurai. I think the following books helped to broaden my perspective.
Nonfiction: Quite possible this first book stretches the definition of samurai to its furthest application. Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura relates the story of a group of five Japanese girls, daughters of disgraced samurai, who were sent to the United States in order to receive a western education in the belief that educated mothers were needed in order to help the Japanese modernize and enter the international stage. The oldest girls were fourteen and the youngest only six years old when they left home in 1871. On one hand their time in the United States was an amazing success. They were taken in by prominent families on the East Coast, had the chance to travel, and did well in their studies. The girls even made important contributions to Japan upon their return home. But the sad reality was that they never were fully accepted either in the United States nor in Japan once they returned. As Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto wrote in her book, A Daughter of the Samurai, published in 1926, and quoted in this book: “The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was so sincere, that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes upon two separate worlds.”
Fiction: I first read The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama back in February of 2007. At that time, I likened the experience to sitting in a quiet, restful garden. While my impressions of the dignity and self-possession of the main characters and the tone of the book remain, this second time around produced quite a contradictory response to the idea of restfulness. The story follows a young Chinese man recovering from tuberculosis at his family’s beach house in Japan on the eve of World War II. Tucked away in a tiny village by the sea, he can only watch from a distance as his parents’ relationship falls apart and the Japanese march on China, taking Shanghai, Nanking and Canton. Amidst this turbulent time, both internationally, but also personally, Stephen forms a deep relationship with the Japanese caretaker and gardener of the beach house, who helps him not only heal physically, but put this life into perspective. One of my favorite quotes is from Stephen’s conflicted thoughts upon the death of a local boy in the war against China as written in his diary:
I wondered how many Chinese he had killed before his own death? I suppose that question held no relevance to a Japanese family who had lost their only son. But what of all the Chinese civilians killed during the last year? I wondered if Keiko and her family grieve for those sons and daughters, mothers and fathers? The madness of war destroyed much more than just the soldiers fighting in it. It picked apart everything in its way, so that no one escaped its clutches. Not even someone as decent and humane as Keiko would be left without scars. (188)
Children’s Book: Shipwrecked: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg is a chapter book for older middle school students. It relates the story of Nakahama Manjiro, the oldest son of a widow and a fisherman. In the early 1840s at the age of 14, he was shipwrecked on a deserted island with four other men while on a fishing trip. When rescued by an American whaler, the five were not able to return to their homes and families due to a Japanese law which made it illegal to leave their country. As a result, John Mungo, as the Americans call him, is taken in by the captain of the whaler and brought to Massachusetts where he learns English and receives a formal education. His life continues to be full of adventure, including further sea adventures and time spent in the gold rush, however Manjiro never forgets his family and constantly looks for a way to return to Japan. Once he is finally able to return, he is made a samurai, and his amazing accomplishments continue. The illustrations in this book, which are a mixture of photographs, Japanese art, and pictures by Manjiro, himself, elevate this already riveting story.
Tea: Matcha tea is a quintessential Japanese tea. Made by steaming, drying and grinding tea leaves, it is the most beautiful green color with a “grassy” flavor. While matcha tea has grown in popularity and is now offered mainly in a latte form in many coffee shops, if you haven’t tried it yet, I hope that describing matcha as grassy will not turn anyone away from trying this delectable and satisfying tea. Recently, I enjoyed a lovely matcha latte with almond milk, a nontraditional cup of tea to match my nontraditional samurai books, at Quebec City’s Brûlerie Saint-Roche. It was so good, I went back for another, the second time made with whole milk. To my surprise I preferred the almond milk version, as it produced a slightly sweeter cup of tea. Someday, I would really like to experience a traditional, Japanese tea ceremony.
With The Samurai’s Garden in mind, I want to mention another tea perfect for pairing with this novel. It is an oolong tea from Fujian Province, China called Goddess of Mercy. The name of the tea alone goes well with the themes of the book. But it is my understanding that this type of tea takes more time and care to process, as do personal relationships particularly when circumstances around us work to keep people in conflict. It is a lovely smooth cup of tea, quieting the spirit, which is necessary for clear thought.
Flip a Coin can be viewed on Netflix
Artwork credited to Aurora Draws - contact aliceechesley@gmail.com for more details
All photographs by the author
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