Katsu Kokichi
Samurai that was formerly a denotation for the aristocratic warriors, however, it came to be a name referred to the members of the warrior class that took in the 12th century Wilson, (William and Gregory). Thus, ruling and dominating the Japanese government until the Meiji Restoration that happened in 1868. The samurai are better known as legends who were never associated with fear, most of them valued honor, courage and strength. The samurai hated disgrace hence the consideration of taking their own lives without being considered as a disgrace to the society. Generally, the samurai are considered in history as the fiercest warriors that ever existed. This paper will focus on the leadership of Katsu Kokichi. In addition, how he can be considered as the best Samurai in Japan. Moreover, how his social status didn’t deter him from becoming a leader in Japan.
Katsu Kokichi who was considered as a low-ranking samurai writing down his life history, not for the reason of being celebrated about his great wars, but as a warning to the coming generation is a clear indication of how great he was. A leader is someone who is someone never fears to share his failures and the mistakes he made. He knew his flows and never wanted his descendants to be like him. The picture that he paints in his life story can be considered as not being the idealistic picture painted of the samurai, however the fact is it shows the uniqueness of him being a samurai. He cannot be compared from his actions to other samurais that existed, he created himself and became a leader not being like other samurais, hence the uniqueness he possesses.
He is well known of his occupation selling swords and in his spare time he’d lending money, drinking too much, visiting brothels, getting into fights, challenging rivals to sparring sessions, and conning people. However, with all this occupation that are linked to him, that didn’t deter him from being a great samurai and leader in Japan. He rose to power and ruled with wisdom. The wisdom he had can be the key reason why he never wanted his descendants to make the mistakes he made. Therefore, making sure he had set the record straight before his death through his life story.
Even though the aim of Katsu Kokichi was to warn the future generations not to follow the path he went through. The side of his life story can be ignoring, Katsu Kokichi at some point he had a lot of trouble while trying to walk, however his strength was fast taking which made him better. The fact that he swore to commit Seppuku, which was a form of ritual suicide, to enable him achieve certain goals shows that he was courageous and determined (Katsu). The attribute of courage and determination can be linked to leaders and warriors. People who can do anything to make sure that they achieve what they want, it is all abouhttps://essaygroom.com/what-kind-of-nutritional-intake-and-physical-activity-mistakes-are-associated-with-obesity/t achieving the set goal and failure is not a solution. Moreover, him wanting to commit suicide if things don’t go his way can be linked to the qualities of samurais. They hated disgrace with passion, hence the option of them committing suicide instead of facing a disgrace. Therefore, Katsu Kokichi can be considered as a real samurai, who as much as he had life faults, he was ready to do what is always done by a samurai.
Katsu is also known as a person who never got education in his early years, he just ended up learning how to read and write in his early twenties. As much as he was considered in the society as a lower level samurai and unemployed retainer of the shogun. The fact is to live up to bushido, a person required money and government position, the things that Katsu Kokichi did have in possession. That led him join the many dispossessed in Edo, but that did not stop him from thriving. Therefore, lacking of proper education like other people in the society didn’t stop Katsu Kokichi for taking the leadership position, he can be considered as a warrior who believed in possibilities. A person who never considered his disadvantage in the society as a weakness but rather gain strength the weak links and striving to rule. Therefore, as much as he didn’t not possess the education many valued, he still ruled over people who considered themselves better than him. Hence, him being a real samurai, as much he won the battles he fought, he also won the battle of ruling people without proper education.
Musui also had an honor of his own kind. The fact is as much as he had an erroneous life, he was very cautious about the life of other people. Hence, exposing mistakes he made in life. That can be considered as honor, the assumption is very few samurai or no samurai would ever do what Katsu Kokichi did, without fear. Moreover, it is noted that the son Katsu Kokichi went on to become one of the greatest and respected leaders, also, he became famous in his own right. The reason why the son of Katsu Kokichi became very successful in his leadership can be linked to the story of his father. Musui didn’t want his descendants to follow his path. What if the son adhered to what his father said and avoided the mistakes his father committed? Katsu Kokichi warnings may have worked towards the path of his son. That means that many people apart from the son of Katsu Kokichi may have listened to the warnings of Musui. Hence, he can be considered as a person who made an impact in the lives of many people in the society, in doing so he changed their lives. From that perspective, Katsu Kokichi can be considered as a great samurai, a samurai who never feared about his reputation, but felt for the lives of people living in his community, therefore wanting them to be better people that he was during his life.
All the samurai were living in accordance with the Bushodo Code, the code was essential because it outlined the behavior and attitude that was expected from the samurai. Therefore, the samurai were expected to follow certain line command. The samurai were also expected to live a certain lifestyle because of the code that governed the samurai. However, Katsu Kokichi admitted that he broke some of the rules that governed them since he lived unworthy life. Katsu Kokichi not adhering to the rules doesn’t disqualify him from being a samurai. He made mistakes, that he came to admit. Him admitting what he had done did not also make him less of a samurai.
Katsu Kokichi was born in a samurai family, therefore him coming from a lineage of samurai also makes him to be a samurai. Therefore, him growing up he knew that he was coming from family of samurai, hence his faulty actions will never change the fact about where he comes from and what he believes in. When someone is born from a royal family, he will remain a royal family member and no matter the mistake one makes will never change the status of where he grew up. Moreover, Katsu Kokichi coming from a samurai family means that he grew up understanding the codes that guided the samurai, therefore he had a good grasp of what is needed by the samurai. Therefore, him going astray was just part of life but did not change the existing fact that he came from the blood of samurai.
The other concrete reason that Katsu Kokichi can be considered as a samurai is because during the period, he became a leader a samurai. Many people at that time were buying the samurai title, since it was connected people who had better education and also the social status mattered a lot (Smithberg 78). Therefore, generally the view of the society of a person being a samurai had changed. Hence, they went against the cultural norm where the samurai were known for fighting and they were fierce and feared by the people. They always fought for the community and brought glory to their people and community. Therefore, disqualifying Katsu Kokichi as being a samurai because of the negative things he did against the codes set would be unfair, the other samurai that were going for leadership positions did not do it the traditional way but they based on their influence.
Katsu Kokichi is considered as samurai that was genuinely fond of his friends and family. Therefore, the surprise of many people he understood the plight of the people within the society he was in (Craig). The fact that he was concerned about the livelihood of people living in the society. It is a very clear indication that he had the needs of people at heart. Therefore, he could not allow people to suffer, he felt their trouble. Just like a samurai who fights for his people on in a battle field, he fights for them by being close to them. Thus, Katsu Kokichi can be considered as a Japan samurai since as much he was a leader, he took some of his time in making sure that people are okay.
Moreover, Katsu Kokichi being adopted by the Katsu at his tender age and coming out as a leader is a clear indication that no matter the faults he had in life (Craig), he still made sure that people respected him, hence being a leader. His growth in a family that took him is a clear indication that he didn’t forget that he came from a samurai family. Hence, he worked hard ending up as a leader even though with many issues that revolved around him, he still ruled for many years. Therefore, the growth of Katsu Kokichi it shows that he is an example of a samurai leader that can be admired for working hard to coming to where he reached. As much as the leadership of Katsu Kokichi had many challenges while ruling, the fact will still remain that he was a unique leader who remained real in his leadership, accepted his faults and tried to connect with people as much as he could.
In conclusion, Katsu Kokichi was a samurai leader who had many shortcomings in his leadership and younger age. However, that did not change the fact that he was a samurai in the making, having come from a family of samurais and adopted by into the katsu family and still became a leader. Katsu Kokichi made sure he wrote about his life that was essential in making sure that the coming generations and his descendants will never commit the mistakes that he made in his leader and young life. Therefore, his life story can be linked to the successful leadership his son had while ruling the people. Also, his thinking about the future and trying to protect the lives of people in the future symbolizes a leader who accepts his mistakes and he is ready for change. Therefore, can be considered as a true samurai.
Work Cited
Craig, Teruko. “Musui’s Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai.” (1988).
Katsu, Kokichi. Musui’s story: the autobiography of a Tokugawa samurai. University of Arizona Press, 1991.
Smithberg, Fred. “Mitsui’s Story or Mafia’s Story: A Different Reading of The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai.” Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 6.2 (2016): 78-84.
Wilson, William Scott, and Gregory Lee, eds. Ideals of the samurai: Writings of Japanese warriors. Black Belt Communications, 1982.