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  • Essay / The Escape of a Samurai The Story of Music, an Autobiography of Katsu Kokichi

    The Story of Musui is the autobiography of Katsu Kokichi, a low-ranking samurai who lived from 1802 to 1850, during the Tokugawa period. He was from Edo, present-day Tokyo, and spent most of his life there, except for his excursions around the country. The story of Musui is an interesting and unique historical document for several reasons. First, it is an autobiography which, although not rare, has only gained popularity in Japan in the last century, under Western influence (Kokichi, XVII). Additionally, autobiographies, especially before the 20th century, are usually written about spiritual journeys or by those who considered themselves exemplary; the tone of Musui's story suggests that neither of these are true for Katsu Kokichi. However, it is Katsu's behavior and status in Edo society that makes his autobiography so culturally relevant. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe Tokugawa period was characterized by domestic peace, economic growth, and political stability. The influence of Neo-Confucianism during the Tokugawa period led to respect for morality, education, and hierarchy. For this reason, there was a strict system of four classes. First there were the samurai, followed by peasants, artisans and merchants. These factors combined made the Tokugawa period a strange time for samurai. They still belonged to the highest social class, but their real need had disappeared with the violence. Despite their status, the samurai lost their main source of income and had to resort to new measures. For the most part, they became political advisors, joined a personal army, served as bodyguards, or a combination of all three. Katsu Kokichi's story is unique because he did not follow this path except occasionally serving as a bodyguard. Instead, he often supplemented his samurai income through seedy, even criminal, means such as sword trafficking, racketeering, and theft. However, due to strict social classes, his status within society was largely unaffected by his criminal activities. It is this interesting contradiction that seems to define Katsu Kokichi's character. Nowhere is this contradiction of character and class more apparent than in Yoshiwara, the red-light district of Edo that Katsu frequented. Although samurai were discouraged from entering the Yoshiwara, many did so often, but probably none more so than Katsu Kokichi. In fact, not only was Katsu a regular, but it seems to suggest in Musui's story that he was one of Yoshiwara's most respected people. This is best seen during Katsu's interactions with Toranosuke, an experienced swordsman who was relatively new to Edo. Knowing that he is direct and new to the city, Katsu decides to meet Toranosuke and take him to visit the Yoshiwara, in order to “shake him up a little” (Kokichi, 111). From the jump, it's clear that Toranosuke was unimpressed with Katsu's reputation, especially when he starts naming the laziest swordsmen in Japan in an attempt to insult Katsu (Kokichi, 114). Katsu is not offended and instead takes this as a challenge to corrupt Toranosuke. After discovering that Toranosuke does not drink, Katsu forces him to have dinner together at Yoshiwara, despite Toranosuke's objections. Katsu then quickly convinces Toranosuke to smoke and drink sake, despite previously claiming that he neither smokes nor drinks. Immediately after finishing eating, there is a.