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It’s just after sunrise,
and 16-year-old Mori Banshirô
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is already hard at work
practicing drills with his long sword.
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Banshirô is an ambitious samurai
in training,
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and today he must impress
his teachers more than ever.
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Today he’ll make his request
to travel to the capital city of Edo
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for a year of martial
and scholarly studies,
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and he needs their support,
along with his father’s.
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The year is 1800 in the castle town
of Kôchi,
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capital of the Tosa domain in Japan.
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The daimyo rules the domain, and about
1,500 samurai retainers serve him.
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For 200 years,
Japan has been at peace,
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and the samurai, once primarily warriors,
now play a much wider range of roles—
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they are also government officials,
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scholars,
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teachers,
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and even masters
of the tea ceremony
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or artists.
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To prepare for these
diverse responsibilities,
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young samurai like Banshirô
study the “twin paths”
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of literary learning and the martial arts.
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At 15, he went through the rites
of adulthood and received the daishô—
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a pair of swords.
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The long sword is for training
and combat,
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while the short sword
has a sole, solemn purpose—
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to commit ritual suicide, or seppuku,
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if he dishonors himself, his family,
or the daimyo.
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Banshirô idolizes the legendary samurai
Miyamoto Musashi,
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a renowned swordsman
who lived 150 years earlier.
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But Banshirô doesn’t admire
his swordsmanship alone.
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Miyamoto Musashi was also
a master calligrapher and painter.
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That’s the real reason
Banshirô wants to go to Edo—
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he secretly wants to be a painter, too.
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After finishing his practice at home,
he bids his father goodbye
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and walks to school.
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His father is preparing to accompany
the daimyo to the capital.
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The Tokugawa shogun, head of the Japanese
military government,
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requires all the regional rulers
to alternate years
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between their castle town
in the home domain and the capital city.
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The costly treks back and forth
keep the daimyo subordinate
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and prevent them from building up
their own military forces
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to challenge the shogunate.
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The daimyo’s wife and children
live in the capital full time,
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where they serve as hostages
to ensure his loyalty.
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But the practice
doesn’t just affect the daimyo—
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it determines much of the rhythm
of life in Japan.
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Samurai must accompany the daimyo to Edo.
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This year it’s Banshirô’s father’s
turn to go,
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and Banshirô is desperate to go with him;
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but given that he’s still in training,
he’ll need permission
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from both his father and the domain.
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At school, Banshirô’s first lesson
is in swordfighting.
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Under his teacher’s stern eye,
he pairs up with his classmates
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and goes through the routines
he’s been practicing.
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At the end of the lesson, he reminds the
instructor of his request to go to Edo.
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The instructor cracks
his first smile of the day,
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and Banshirô feels confident
he will gain his support.
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Next, Banshirô practices archery,
horsemanship, and swimming
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before his academic courses
in the afternoon.
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Courses cover Confucian philosophy,
morality, and history.
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When the instructor calls on him, he has
the response on the tip of his tongue,
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ensuring another supporter
for his campaign.
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By the end of the day, Banshirô
feels confident that his formal request
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will be approved, but the greatest
challenge is still ahead of him:
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convincing his father.
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His father believes the martial arts
are more important than the literary arts,
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so Banshirô doesn’t mention
his artistic ambitions.
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Instead, he talks about renowned
sword instructors he can train with,
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and teaching certifications he can earn
to improve his professional prospects
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back in Kôchi.
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Then, he makes his final,
strongest argument:
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if he goes this time and succeeds,
his father can retire and send him instead
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in the future.
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It’s this last point
that finally sells him—
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Banshirô’s father agrees
to take him on his tour of duty.
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In the bustle of the capital city,
Banshirô will finally have the opportunity
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to pursue his secret ambition
to become a painter.6595
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