The Samurai's Tale

“I had only one desire—to be among them and to be recognized as their equal.”

Taro describes his desire to regain the rank he was born with. As he watches highborn youths participate in an archery contest, he feels that he is one of them even though he is a servant. This passage illustrates the importance of status in feudal society and the naive, even arrogant, perspective that Harutomo has in his youth.

“Death will always be a part of life; it is as natural as the seasons. […] But there are those who are cursed to live in times when death seems to come out of season, when the winter of a man’s life may leap upon him in the midst of summer greenness.”

In this quote, Harutomo foreshadows the death of Togan, the cook who is his first mentor. The author’s use of metaphor and poetic style in this quote place the death in a philosophical context that gives some distance from the trauma of a murder. The idea of death as a change of season may refer to Zen Buddhist teachings that were popular in Sengoku Japan. The passage also sets the tone for the distanced way that Harutomo responds to death throughout the book. He grieves when a loved one dies, but he doesn’t dwell on this pain, and he describes the losses in an unemotional way.

“We messengers were a superior kind of servant who carried orders given by our betters.”

After being promoted from stableboy to messenger, Harutomo shows the arrogance that is common in his young years. He yearns to move up the social ladder, and when he does, he looks down on those below him. This character trait changes as he matures later in the book.

“Even now the name Yoshitoki carries the soft warmth of the Spring breeze to me.”

Harutomo reflects on the importance of Yoshitoki in his life. Yoshitoki was both a friend and a mentor who offered wisdom and helped him separate warrior myth and reality. While the poetic tone maintains some distance from the grief Harutomo felt when Yoshitoki was later killed, this quote shows the powerful bond they shared.

“I think you are destined to live and I to die. This is why you are eager to prove yourself in battle and I am pleased to have yet another year to live.”

This quote is an example of Yoshitoki’s unique wisdom. He is happy to enjoy living while he can, but he doesn’t seem afraid of death. He also encourages Taro to understand the harsh reality of war without disparaging the warrior ethic that binds them both. He helps Taro enjoy life and grow more grounded at the same time.

“‘You are a samurai now,’ I said bitterly. ‘And I am nameless, for Taro is like a grain of rice—there are so many of them that they cannot be counted.’”

Now in his teens, Taro is still fixated on becoming a samurai and regaining the status he was born with. He is jealous of his peers who have been given names in the rite of passage to warrior manhood. He also seems petulant, which reminds the reader that he hasn’t fully matured.

“The center of each man’s soul is the center of the world.”

Akiyama makes this comment after he gives Taro his new name, Murakami Harutomo. Murakami is Harutomo’s family name, and he is concerned that it might offend Takeda since his father died fighting against Takeda’s army. Akiyama laughs and says that Takeda wouldn’t remember one fallen enemy. He reminds young Harutomo that not everyone is thinking about him even though it’s natural for him to think his experiences are as important to others as they are to him.

“I shall not quarrel with another man’s road to salvation if he will allow me to wander along mine.”

Yoshitoki comments on a debate between Buddhist sects. While another young samurai says that all samurai should follow Zen, Yoshitoki is not as dogmatic. Since he is both a mentor and a friend, his perspective may influence Harutomo’s evolution from someone who imitates his social superiors to the independent thinker that he becomes.

“Fools […] They think themselves better than an officer of the baggage train.”

While Harutomo has become more mature by this stage of the novel, this quote shows that he is still arrogant. At first he didn’t want to be part of the supply train, but now he looks down on everyday soldiers. This is another indicator that he is not yet fully confident and mature.

“Your heart may not be of stone, but neither is it as soft as a woman’s.”

Supply Train Commander Wada Kansuke makes this comment after Harutomo chooses to beat and humiliate a rice thief rather than kill him. Earlier, Kansuke had told Harutomo to kill anyone who stole rice to prevent further theft. This passage shows that Harutomo is both more merciful and more creative than many of his peers. Kansuke acknowledges that Harutomo’s solution worked, and he compliments the young man’s wisdom. While the comment is sexist by today’s standards, in the context of the setting it means that Harutomo is neither merciless nor too sensitive to do his job well.

“Man’s vanity transgresses death.”

Harutomo makes this comment after wounding and defeating the ronin Hanagata Minbu. He notes that Minbu blackened his teeth in the style of high-status samurai even though he no longer has a master and lives by himself in the mountains. This comment reflects on both the frivolity of fashion and the rigidity of social norms in this feudal society.

“I shall tell Lord Akiyama that you have killed one of the bravest men in Kai. It will please him.”

Kansuke shows his loyalty and respect for Harutomo. He is one of Harutomo’s mentors, and he takes the time to advocate for his young assistant, to help him gain favor with his local lord. Harutomo later reflects Kansuke’s example when he protects his men and promotes Yochi to be a trusted servant.

“The first man killed is like the first woman slept with—unforgettable.”

Yoshitoki notes that, for a warrior, the first kill is a rite of passage. He makes this comment after Harutomo defeats the ronin who later dies by seppuku, or ritual suicide. Having crossed this threshold, Harutomo can empathize with the sadness his friend felt at taking a life. However, Yoshitoki makes the point that killing is routine for warriors, and the ronin wouldn’t have felt the same sorrow for Harutomo had he killed the younger man.

“I said to myself, your dream has come true; the gods have heard you and given you what you asked for. Yet you are not satisfied. Why is that? […] ‘Because I was poor once,’ I whispered. ‘Part of me still belongs in the cookhouse with Togan.’”

Harutomo achieves his goal of becoming a samurai, but he struggles with the realization that the army he serves in causes suffering by burning villages. His time working his way up from a servant’s position and spending time with Togan gave him empathy for people from different social stations. He doesn’t reject his military position, but he thinks about the humanity of the people around him, such as the soldiers who serve under him.

“This is the agreement: no one within the castle is to be treated as vanquished; all are to be treated as loyal retainers of Lord Takeda and myself.”

Akiyama makes this statement when the defenders of Castle Iwamura surrender. This is an example of the samurai code of honor, and it influences Harutomo in a positive direction. Akiyama also benefits from this honorable action—he gains a wife and allies such as Zakoji. When Harutomo follows his example and builds respectful relationships with others, such as the charcoal burner, the people he supports help him in return.

“Decisions that a few months before would have caused me great concern I now made at a moment’s notice.”

Harutomo makes this comment when he is leading his supply train back from a supply-gathering mission without the benefit of an escort. This quote shows that Harutomo has grown confident in his leadership role. He grows stronger under the weight of leadership.

“Already I thought of myself as a young lord.”

After Zakoji suggests the possibility of adopting Harutomo and allowing him to marry his daughter, Harutomo’s previous obsession with status reasserts itself. While he has grown into a mature, thoughtful person who cares for his men and appreciates poetry, he is still attracted by the allure of power, which is common in his society.

“Dreams are as strong as iron. They say that a wild horse can be tied with a spider’s web; certain it is that a man can be tied by a dream.”

When Zakoji suggests that Katsuyori, the new warlord, should give up his dream of conquering Japan and make peace with his enemies, Harutomo privately doubts it will happen. The metaphors in this quote give the passage a philosophical texture and credence to its universal message. Harutomo spent much of his life chasing the dream of becoming a samurai, and he is still entranced by the dream of marrying Aki-hime and growing more powerful as a member of Zakoji’s family. The fact that the quote is framed as universal suggests that Katsuyori would also be tightly bound to his dream.

“I am afraid that we shall need more than bamboo swords to save our lives.”

Bound by loyalty to send soldiers to support Katsuyori, Akiyama has a premonition of disaster. He references the beginning of the novel when Harutomo, then a small child, grabbed a bamboo sword to protect himself from invading samurai. The gesture inspired Takeda to spare his life. In mentioning this, Akiyama calls to mind his long relationship with the young man and suggests that no mere gesture will help them in their current situation.

“A man should be satisfied with this. To hunt in the mountains and then to return to his home, to a warm fire and good company.”

Under the specter of Katsuyori’s ill-advised war, Akiyama seems weary of fighting. This quote suggests that he might yearn for a life outside of the military. The context suggests that he believes they will lose the war and that his men will die in a hopeless battle. Having tasted domestic bliss with his new wife, he isn’t ready to die, as he says later. This quote suggests that he wishes the warlords could be satisfied with what they have, so that he and his men could enjoy the simple pleasure of activities such as hunting and time with their friends and families.

“You seem to have an abundance of fathers.”

Akiyama is speaking to Harutomo after Harutomo asks to be sent to fight in Kansuke’s stead. This quote rings true because Zakoji, Tongan, Kansuke, and Akiyama have served as father figures to Harutomo. Akiyama considers that perhaps he should have adopted Harutomo, and the reader can infer that he may be afraid the young man will die on the dangerous mission. The quote is also ironic because Akiyama was part of the army that killed Harutomo’s biological father.

“In the raging fire of this world there is no peace.”

Akiyama quotes this prayer after learning that Katsuyori’s army has been defeated. Harutomo notes that he seems more at ease than he has been in some time, which may be surprising since Akiyama suspects the end of their warlord’s clan is near. Akiyama may be at ease because there is no uncertainty now that Katsuyori’s army has been defeated. He tasted the pleasures of domestic life and worried about how he could preserve it, but now he is back to what he has known all his life—there will be war and he knows what to do.

“Everyone must fight a last battle before he dies. It is bitter to say good-bye to life when the blood in your veins still gushes like a river in June, Taro. Yet one must strive to pass out of this world with dignity.”

As he prepares to send Harutomo on a mission to ask Katsuyori for help, Akiyama is somber. This quote suggests that Akiyama believes both he and Harutomo may die in the coming conflict. With that thought in mind, he refers to the dignity that is one of the tenets of the samurai code and suggests that they must face their fate bravely.