More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
‘Artists’, my father’s voice continued, ‘live in squalor and poverty. They inhabit a world which gives them every temptation to become weak-willed and depraved.
In those days, of course, houses were all badly lit, so it was not at all unusual that we should stand in the dark and converse.
‘You mustn’t misunderstand me, Mother. I have no wish to find myself in years to come, sitting where Father is now sitting, telling my own son about accounts and money. Would you be proud of me if I grew to be like that?’ ‘I would indeed, Masuji. There is much more to a life like your father’s than you can possibly know at your age.’
My mother fell silent for some moments. Then she said: ‘When you are young, there are many things which appear dull and lifeless. But as you get older, you will find these are the very things that are most important to you.’
‘Once, I was terrified of Father’s business meetings. But for some time now, they’ve simply bored me. In fact, they disgust me. What are these meetings I’m so privileged to attend? The counting of loose change. The fingering of coins, hour after hour. I would never forgive myself if my life came to be like that.’
I merely wished to say that it is perhaps wise if Father would take certain precautionary steps. To ensure misunderstandings do not arise. After all, Noriko is almost twenty-six now. We cannot afford many more disappointments such as last year’s.’ ‘Misunderstandings about what, Setsuko?’ ‘About the past. But please, I’m sure I’m speaking quite needlessly.
It is all very well a husband and wife occupying each other with ridiculous speculations, but they should keep such things to themselves. A stricter father, no doubt, would have done something long ago.
He had the appearance of a young man much accustomed to being bossed around;
But even then, only a week after the actual encounter, I could hardly recall the conversation I had had with young Miyake.
His act was an apology on behalf of us all to the families of those killed in the war.’ ‘Why, really,’ I said, ‘that seems rather extreme. The world seems to have gone mad. Every day there seems to be a report of someone else killing himself in apology.
those who fought and worked loyally for our country during the war cannot be called war criminals. I fear that’s an expression used too freely these days.’ ‘But these are the men who led the country astray, sir. Surely, it’s only right they should acknowledge their responsibility. It’s a cowardice that these men refuse to admit to their mistakes.
It had taken more than a year for my son’s ashes to arrive from Manchuria.
First mention 1/4 way through
Suichi identifies very much with the likes of Kenji. He says it could so easily have been him.’ ‘But isn’t that all the more reason not to desert the ceremony?’ ‘I’m sorry, Father, Suichi never intended to appear disrespectful.
The gaze, no doubt, is quite innocent, but perhaps because Suichi is a physically powerful man and his features rather fearsome, it is easy to read something threatening or accusing there.
Of course, it is tragic that so many of his generation died as they did, but why must he harbour such bitterness for his elders?
something has changed in the character of the younger generation in a way I do not fully understand, and certain aspects of this change are undeniably disturbing.
Nobody minded idiots in those days. What has come over people that they feel inclined to beat the man up?
!
For this was 1933 or 1934 – an unlikely time, you may recall, to be contemplating the birth of a new pleasure district. The authorities had been applying arduous policies to keep the more frivolous side of the city’s life in check,
Oh to write in retrospect
‘that the proposed establishment be a celebration of the new patriotic spirit emerging in Japan today. The décor would reflect the new spirit, and any patron incompatible with that spirit would be firmly encouraged to leave. Furthermore, it is the owner’s intention that the establishment be a place where this city’s artists and writers whose works most reflect the new spirit can gather and drink together. With respect to this last point, I have myself secured the support of various of my colleagues, among them the painter, Masayuki Harada; the playwright, Misumi; the journalists, Shigeo Otsuji
...more
the new spirit of Japan was not incompatible with enjoying oneself; that is to say, there was no reason why pleasure-seeking had to go hand in hand with decadence.
if you are new to the city, my talking of the Furukawa district probably conjures up the park that stands there today and the peach trees for which it is renowned. But when I first came to this city – in 1913 – the area was full of factories and warehouses belonging to the smaller companies, many of them abandoned or in disrepair. The houses were old and shabby and the only people who lived in Furukawa were those who could afford only the lowest rents.
in those days I was so delighted at having been accepted by the Takeda firm, and to be earning my living as an artist, that I gave little thought to these unhappy conditions.
Often, as the deadline date approached, it would not be unusual for us all to be living on just two or three hours of sleep each night, and painting around the clock.
I cannot recall any colleague who could paint a self-portrait with absolute honesty; however accurately one may fill in the surface details of one’s mirror reflection, the personality represented rarely comes near the truth as others would see it.
Of course, this is all a matter of many years ago now and I cannot vouch that those were my exact words that morning.
I do not think I am claiming undue credit for my younger self if I suggest my actions that day were a manifestation of a quality I came to be much respected for in later years
‘In my opinion,’ I said, ‘Master Takeda doesn’t deserve the loyalty of the likes of you and me. Loyalty has to be earned. There’s too much made of loyalty. All too often men talk of loyalty and follow blindly. I for one have no wish to lead my life like that.’
for I have had cause to recount this particular scene many times before, and it is inevitable that with repeated telling, such accounts begin to take on a life of their own.
I think it can be assumed those words I have just attributed to myself do represent accurately enough my attitude and resolve at that point in my life.
That while it was right to look up to teachers, it was always important to question their authority.
if there’s one thing I’ve tried to encourage you all to do, it’s been to rise above the sway of things. To rise above the undesirable and decadent influences that have swamped us and have done so much to weaken the fibre of our nation these past ten, fifteen years.’
a patriotic spirit began somewhere further back, in the routine of our daily lives, in such things as where we drank and who we mixed with.
‘Why, Obasan,’ Shintaro put in, ‘just the other day, I greeted someone in the street, thinking it was someone I knew. But the man obviously thought I was a madman. He walked away without replying!’
And who is to say the old district will not return again? The likes of Mrs Kawakami and I, we may tend to make a joke about it, but behind our bantering there is a thread of serious optimism.
looked like heavy lines had appeared towards the chin and the throat. And I thought to myself as I stood there: ‘He’s not young any more.’
In fact, although Dr Saito and I were not properly acquainted before, I had always known of his activities in the world of the arts, and for years, whenever we had passed in the street, we had exchanged greetings politely to acknowledge our familiarity with each other’s reputations.
My grandson had achieved a close likeness in his sketch of two days earlier, though there was no fire in the picture; what Ichiro had remembered were the impact lines – resembling streaks of lightning – which the artist had painted in to emphasize the ferocity of the giant lizard.
I believe we did not discuss the matter further after that. Neither did Setsuko raise it again for the remainder of her stay last month. Yesterday, as I took the tram down to Arakawa, the carriage was filled with bright autumn sunshine.
But that firm voice calling ‘Anyone home?’ had caught us unawares, causing us to betray our sense of guilt concerning our late nights of drinking, the way we slept through many of our mornings, the way we lived a life without routine in a decaying villa.
‘Your garden sounds distinctly different to mine,’ I remarked. ‘I can tell just listening to it that we’re out of the city.’ ‘Is that so? I hardly remember what the city sounds like. This has been the extent of my world for the past few years. This house and this garden.’
I realize there are now those who would condemn the likes of you and me for the very things we were once proud to have achieved. And I suppose this is why you’re worried, Ono. You think perhaps I will praise you for things perhaps best forgotten.’
Ono, there are things we should both be proud of. Never mind what people today are all saying. Before long, a few more years, and the likes of us will be able to hold our heads high about what we tried to do. I simply hope I live as long as that. It’s my wish to see my life’s efforts vindicated.’
‘Ono, you look deathly pale. And you looked so healthy when you first arrived. That’s what comes of sharing a room with a sickly man.’ I laughed and said: ‘Not at all. It’s just that one’s children can be a great worry.’
further along the riverbank, where a year ago there was only grass and mud, a city corporation is building apartment blocks for future employees. But these are still far from completion, and when the sun is low over the river, one might even mistake them for the bombed ruins still to be found in certain parts of this city.
I was fully aware there were others now – his employer, for instance – far more suitably placed to act as guarantor in such matters. Nevertheless, I confess I was somewhat surprised he should not have confided in me at all about these applications.
Still, Shintaro, what has a small disagreement like that to do with anything now?’ ‘Forgive me, Sensei, but as it happens, the matter has come to have some significance. The committee is obliged to be reassured of certain things. After all, there are the American authorities to satisfy
‘Yes, I remember your posters now. It was a crucial time for the nation. A time to stop dithering and decide what we wanted. As I recall, you did well and we were all proud of your work.’ ‘But you will recall, Sensei, I had serious misgivings about the work you wished me to do.
‘You wish me to write a letter to your committee,’ I said eventually, ‘disassociating you from my influence. This is what your request amounts to.’ ‘Nothing of the sort, Sensei. You misunderstand. I am as proud as ever to be associated with your name. It’s simply that over the matter of the China poster campaign,
‘Shintaro,’ I said, ‘why don’t you simply face up to the past? You gained much credit at the time for your poster campaign. Much credit and much praise. The world may now have a different opinion of your work, but there’s no need to lie about yourself.’
‘Sensei, with every respect, I am always very grateful for your advice and learning. But at this moment, I am a man in the midst of my career. It is all very well to reflect and ponder when one is in retirement. But as it happens, I live in a busy world and there are one or two things I must see to if I am to secure this post, which by all other counts is mine already. Sensei, I beg you, please consider my position.’
