The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-26
japan Still CIingS to The Weird fiarikari

and not feel a tinge of awe or under
stand a little of the ancient chivalry
which knew nothing more sacred than
the honor of lord and master.
Story of Asano.
1t fell to the lot of Asano to super
intend the reception of an envoy from
the mikado to the shotgun at Yeddo.
upon whom Asano was in attendance.
1t so happened that Asano was a
greater warrior than he was authority
on ceremonial functions; so he sought
the advice of Kir. ASanO failed to
Tip" Kiri for giving him the desired
instruction. and to get even with him
for this little neglect Kiri publicly
/ Haunted Asano's ignorance in the pal
ace, calling him country lout rather
than a daimyO. AsanO was a man
slow to wrath, but he could not stand
this. The trouble eliminated one day
when Kiri ordered Asano to bend down
and tie his shoe gear Angered be-
/ yond endurance at this insult AsanC
! drew his sword and slashed the of
fender across the face and would have
slain him but for prompt interference.
Thus to profane the sacred precincts
of the palace was punishable by death,
and Asawano was condemned to COM
nit harikari the same night of the
quarrel, and his lands and castle were
confiscated and his family declared eX-
tinct. Thus it was that the "Forty-sev-
en-" retainers Of the lord became rom
! ms or 'Wave-men,' men without a
home or master. Oishi Kuranosuke, the.
leader of the retainers of the dead daim-
70. determined to secure revenge. Ven
geance was prohibited and was severe
ly punished, but the custom of ages
sanctioned it, and in reality made it
| obligatory upon one who sought to re-
tain his honor and the respect of his
fellows.
In order to deceive the authorities
the ronins separated and took service
in various parts of the country. One
of them plunged into wild dissipa-
tons to allay the suspicious Of the Of
ficials. even deserving his family. When
everyone had been lulled into security
by this means, the Forty seven"
gathered one night and made an attack
upon the mansion Of Kiri They slew
all of his retainers and. dragging him
forth, gave him the privilege of COM
hitting harikori, which he was afraid
to do. So they killed him and marched
sOlmenly toward the temple of Senga-
kuji. While on the way there the
people it having dawned. focked to see
them and to heap praises upon their
heads. \ powerful daimyo came out Of
MS mansion to greet them and to Of
fer them refreshments and sympathy.
Arrived at the temple they were re-
ceiyed by the abbot himself. and in his
presence they washed the head of their
victim and laid it upon the grave of
their lord. OF course, sentence of
death by harikari soon followed and
each of the ronins was committed to
the care of daimyO in whose house
and in whose presence he was to kill
himself. On the same day each took
his life in the approved manner and
they We're all buried with their lord
whose death and whose honor they had
so CALAMITY avenged.
Ethical Code Governs.
One phase of the ethical code which
governs harikari is forcefully illustrate
ed in the death of Ohara Takeyoshi, a
former lieutenant of the Yezo militia.
AlthOIloh his death Occnrrp6 nv his
own hand in 1891, Mr.. Van Buren,, who
represents the Great Northern Steam
ship company in the Orient and who
has resided there for nearly 40 years.
assured me that the affair had an i'm
pOrtant bearing upon the Russo Japa-
nese war 1t appears that Ohara had
for II years protested bitterly against
the encroachments of the Russians and
had urged the government to take de-
Cided action in checking their advance
apparently his efforts We're of no eff
f"Ct and Ohara grew bitterly dis
couraged. At last, he became con
vII.ced that his government would not
list to his protests and he therefore
determined to appeal by harikari, be-
| lieving that this would have more eff
feot than his living arguments
Accordingly Ohara proceeded to the
tomb of his ancestors and there ripped
himself up in the interests of the
stoppage of Russian encroachment. The
only departure he made from the an
cient and accepted custom of harikari
was in leaving a story" containing
the reasons for his act. He directed
that this should be given TO the news
agency at Toxic, and you may be sure
that the latter was not slow in making
| the most of the beat" as it is called
| in newspaper parlanCe. There is no
| doubt in the minds of Europeans in
Japan that the leaVen which Ohara
! thus injected into the political situa-
! ton was one of the most potent fac
tors which ultimately caused war and
resulted in making Japan world
! power. In no other way could the
humble lieutenant of the Japanese
government have spoken so that he