Free Hara-Kiri: Japanese Ritual Suicide by Jack Seward Page A

of about sixteen. Kumagai's thoughts turned to his own son of the same age; when the latter suffered a slight wound that same morning, how worried he had been! If this young warrior were killed, how his parents would grieve! He was tempted to be merciful. But then it was too late! His own troop came riding up to him. Fearing to be thought soft or traitorous, he swiftly cut off the head of this young, handsome samurai. After this, he renounced the world and became a monk.
    Kumagai, although he succeeded in avoiding the betrayal of his faction, almost succumbed to humane feelings. At least in his mind, feudalism was losing its hold.

    Disintegration from Within
    Peace lasted for nearly 300 years during the Edo Period, and feudal society flourished. But, even while thriving, it began to show indications of its eventual dissolution. The elements contributory to this disintegration are significant.
    Peace enhanced commerce and artisanship and commoners began to accumulate wealth. Inflated finances, aggravated by the introduction of luxuries, gradually lowered the living standards of the samurai class in general. The policy taken by the Shogunate to cope with this situation was the same as that taken by some feudal lords in Europe: onerous taxation, prohibitive edicts against effete ways, recoinage, loans from commoners, etc. None of these methods, however, afforded a fundamental solution to the ever worsening feudal economy. Finally, the stipends of their vassals were borrowed against by the lords, which was, of course, tantamount to reducing the stipends. Poverty among the samurai prevailed everywhere, which was, no doubt, contributory to bringing about their distrust of the feudal system. The samurai class of this period was completely separated from the land, in contrast to that of the Kamakura Period. They were reduced to the status of mere "salarymen."
    Swordsmanship did nothing to assist them financially in an age of peace. A talent for business began to mean something, even among the samurai. Such economic pressures gradually eroded the samurai spirit.
    A famous physician, Sugita Gempaku, of the Edo Period, left the following criticism:
Living under an auspicious reign for nearly two hundred and fifty years, chivalry has dwindled away, and even the direct feudatorial samurai and other high retainers, in seven cases out often, are dressed like women; far from entertaining noble ambitions, they behave like merchants; the samurai now know no shame.
    The ruling samurai class could not compete with the economic power of the merchant class and thus began the rise of the commoner. Destitute lords, in exchange for loans from wealthy merchants, gave them the privilege of wearing swords. Commoners wearing swords! Feudal dignity was offended.
    Clever samurai married daughters of wealthy merchants, and other samurai pretended not to be envious.
    The drastic edict of prohibition against oibara or self-immolation was the first and most decisive display of humanism in the comparatively early days of the Tokugawa reign. The following humanistic expression found in Hihon Tamakushige is worthy of notice:
However courageous it may be to perform seppuku, the custom is not a recommendable one. Not only is a life lost, but also it is a pity to cause one's parents, wife, and children bitter grief. His Late Excellency Ietsuna, the Fourth Shogun, prohibited self-immolation. Your Excellency too should strictly prohibit all kinds of seppuku.
    This was humanitarian advice, and it endangered Bushido. Such ideas must have been held by many others, though none of them left their views in writing for posterity.
    The custom of shinju did much damage to the cause of feudalism. Under the feudal system, one married to beget issue who in turn would continue to serve the feudal lord. Therefore, choosing a bride was not a job for a young, inexperienced man; it was presumed that the parents would choose the best partner for their son. True love and romance played