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PrologueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue Summary
The Prologue lets the audience know that the author, Kokichi Katsu, is writing this book in retirement. He has formally put his son, Rintarō, in charge of the family as the man of the house. His daughters are doing well by taking care of all the domestic issues. Thanks to the children, Katsu and his wife have a comfortable retirement.
Katsu has spent the past year confined to his house, as ordered by his superiors. During that time, he focused on reading different types of texts, for instance, those about war. He realized that even the most illustrious historic personalities, such as military leaders, often forgo the laws of Heaven. Eventually, this behavior catches up with them, and they pay for their disregard dearly. Therefore, Katsu wonders how he has been able to avoid this fate. Perhaps, he had been blessed by Heaven, the author concludes. He is open about the fact that he has led a less-than-honorable life. Katsu has never held a government office despite being a hereditary samurai. The author is also aware that many people dislike him because of his misdeeds. However, he is free of regret. Katsu also claims to be reformed and on the right path. To atone for his sins, he recites the Lotus Sutra every evening.
Next, the author provides a lengthy description of proper living for boys and girls. From the age of 8 or 9, boys must dedicate themselves to learning and the military arts. They must cultivate physical strength. Boys must also recognize the importance of treating their future wives and children well. Girls must learn how to take care of men, for instance, how to create the proper samurai haircut, the chonmage. They must learn the proper handling of domestic tasks like sewing, reading, and writing. Katsu also suggests that people must be simple, thrifty, and avoid friendships that make no positive contribution to their lives. People must remember to venerate their ancestors and focus on sincerity, gentleness, and moderation while avoiding greed.
Prologue Analysis
Katsu’s Prologue sets the scene for the subsequent chapters of his book. On the one hand, it offers us the first honest glimpse into the author’s inappropriate lifestyle before retirement. The honesty is striking considering the social requirements placed on the hereditary lower-level nobility of the military class. The tone of the Prologue is formal, and there are many religious references to Japanese Buddhism.
Katsu uses his immoral past as a jumping-off point to lecture the reader about the right way to live. On the one hand, one could say that a life of impropriety has given Katsu a true understanding through his experience as to why living the right way is preferred. On the other hand, his moralizing lecture may come across as hypocritical considering his former lifestyle.
There may also be a hint about the extent of Katsu’s true transformation from the fact that he makes his son, Rintarō, the head of the household when the boy is only 15. Therefore, it appears that Katsu is eager to rid himself of the responsibility for his family as soon as possible.
Another revealing aspect of Katsu’s Prologue is the rigidly delineated social roles given to men and women in the late Edo period. From a young age, boys are supposed to learn about the military arts and develop physical strength to later fit into the Japanese society ruled by military governors, the shogun. Girls are supposed to take care of all things domestic to eventually become good, obedient, humble wives. Women of higher social status and sufficient wealth can avoid physical work but are otherwise subservient to their husbands.
A final noteworthy aspect of the Prologue is the question of religion. Japan was and still is a society in which people practice the indigenous religion, Shinto, and imported Buddhism—sometimes both. Katsu mentions reciting the Lotus Sutra to atone for his sins, indicating that he was a practicing Buddhist. The Lotus Sutra, one of the most well-known Buddhist scriptures, discusses the Buddhist path. It was also very influential in Japan, originally disseminated by the emperor, and had certain rituals associated with it (Lopez, Donald [2016], The Lotus Sutra: A Biography [Kindle ed.], Princeton University Press, 66-70).
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