The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn

The solitary tree is a symbol of Personal Ambition Versus Societal Expectations. On the Tokaido Road, Seikei sees “An ancient pine tree, twisted and bent by the winds, [clinging] to a crevice in a rock at the edge of the sea. [Seikei] wondered how the tree managed to survive […] For some reason, it made him feel sad” (69). Ooka contrasts this lone tree with a group of others growing separately; each one in the group is “straight and tall,” growing as it is supposed to, and they “drop their cones so that new trees will grow in their place when they die” (69). The judge suggests that this is similar to how most people live within Japan’s caste system, people like Seikei’s father, Kazuo, Bunzo, and even the shogun: They grow straight and tall, doing what they are expected to do, like the trees which are grouped together.

However, Ooka points out that “Fate has put [the lone tree] where it cannot grow straight and tall” because it is buffeted by winds and surf, and that “It reminds us of something that we fear” (69). The judge suggests that the tree, like Seikei, is different from its fellows, that it is “in the wrong place” (69) due to some quirk of fate.