the reader is how bloody these stories are: a good number of them incorporate stabbings, beheadings and the like. They often imply or state directly morals which may seem odd to modern Western minds: death is an appropriate punishment for rude behavior, seeking revenge is of paramount importance, a retainer owes absolute loyalty to his superior. Sometimes the meanings of cryptic phrases are explained in the parables (for instance “matters of great concern should be treated lightly” refers to preparation and consistency of philosophy, not to acting rashly) but many are not and may leave the reader scratching his head.
For this reason, William Scott Wilson’s afterword is invaluable as a guide to interpretation. If you’re not already familiar with Hagakure I’d recommend reading the afterword first, then reading the manga, then reading the afterword again. Besides providing some background information about Tsunetomo, Wilson also clarifies the basic philosophy of selflessness which is at the heart of Zen Buddhism as well as bushido. The oft-quoted saying “The way of the Samurai is found in death”, for instance, refers not so much to a literal death on the battlefield as to the death of self-interest which paradoxically liberates a person to live more abundantly.
Chie Kutsuwada’s illustrations are done in a style which will be familiar to readers of historical manga: simplified realism with stylized human figures and more detailed backgrounds. Her art is adequate to the task and is a good match to the deadpan tone of the text, but really offers nothing in the way of originality. Also, in stories with numerous men of similar age interacting, it’s sometimes difficult to tell them apart and you may find yourself backtracking in search of identifying characteristics so you can figure out who just cut off who’s head. On the positive side, she doesn’t stint on the bloodier aspects of these stories and seeing heads being severed from their bodies, with lots of splatter and emanata, communicates the elemental nature of such parables far more viscerally than verbal description ever can.
I have one quibble with the book’s title, which should really be something like Selections from Hagakure or A Hagakure Sampler. The reason: there are 1,300 parables or passages in the original, but only 32 in this volume. It’s understandable that so lengthy a treatise would be presented in abbreviated form, but the degree of excerpting should be made a little clearer, along perhaps with some statement about why these passages were selected and how they relate to the whole. This goes double because the target market for this volume would appear to be fans of manga and Japanese popular culture, not scholars of 18th century Japanese philosophy.
That quibble aside, Hagakure: The Code of the Samurai: The Manga Edition offers a lively presentation of some selections from an influential historical work. As such it is enjoyable for its own sake and should also prove to be an effective “gateway drug” to tempt readers so inclined to undertake a deeper investigation of Japanese history and culture.
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