Pathway to Japanese Literature

The Disownment Following His Coming-of-Age Ceremony Instead of Ordination

One morning, when Soga no Tarō went out into the garden, he found that the young cherry tree he cherished had been cleanly severed.

“Whose mischief is this?”

However, when he examined the cut surface, he was astonished.
The trunk, nearly three inches in diameter, had been cleanly severed with a single stroke—a truly splendid cut surface.
This was no amateur’s work.
However, a skilled adult would not likely engage in such mischief.
When it came to someone likely to pull such mischief, there was only his wife’s stepson Hakō—though that rascal might be exceptionally fond of swordsmanship practice, he remained merely an eleven-year-old child.

“Now, now, Hakō.
“Surely you’re not the one who cut down this cherry tree?”

“No. It was me. Because it looked like Kudō Suketsune, I ended up cutting it without thinking.”

“Hmm. Splendid swordsmanship—I’m astonished.”

“Aren’t you going to get angry?”

Unlike Washington, he was psyching himself up for the old man’s anger. If provoked into anger, he’d gladly face off against the old man—this fearless resolve lay plainly visible on his face. Tarō clicked his tongue at the boy’s audacity and retreated into his room, but it was Mitsue, his mother, who caught sight of this and was shocked and grieved.

After her first husband Kawazu Saburō had been killed by Suketsune, she remarried Soga no Tarō, but her two sons Ichiman and Hakō (later Jūrō and Gorō) narrowly escaped execution by Yoritomo—who sought to kill them for being grandsons of his enemy's general—through Hatakeyama Shigetada's intercession.
If word were to spread that they were devoting themselves to swordsmanship practice against Suketsune as their father's sworn enemy, this time they would surely lose their lives.

What a terrifying child...

The elder brother, Ichiman, was scholarly and mild-mannered, but the younger brother, Hakō, was an unrivaled troublemaker.
He was uncontrollable.
If they weren’t careful, they would end up being summoned back to Kamakura because of this child, and it could lead to both the elder brother Ichiman and stepfather Soga facing punishment.
Since concluding that making him a monk was now the best course of action, she entrusted him to the chief priest of Hakone, with the ultimate intention of having him take vows.

There were over twenty monks there.
After completing his morning duties, Hakō would dive into the mountains and not return until nightfall.
This child called Hakō had an intense liking for meat.
He couldn't endure the monks' food—things like rice gruel and leafy greens.
He would craft homemade bows and arrows, hunt birds and beasts to eat, topple boulders in the mountains to build his strength, immerse himself in swordsmanship practice against groves of trees, and play in the mountains until sunset.
When his misconduct was witnessed by senior monks,

“You, though bearing the status of a monk, what do you think you’re doing slaughtering and devouring beasts?”

“Yes, I chant sacred sutras and administer last rites before eating them, so the birds and beasts are bowing gratefully inside my belly, saying how thankful they are to attain salvation.”

When the chief priest of Hakone heard this, he remarked that troublemakers from childhood often grow into unexpectedly significant figures as adults. “Since he shows promise for the future, well, let the child do as he pleases for now,” he laughed it off. Thanks to this, Hakō was able to grow up devouring meat to his heart’s content and training vigorously in the Hakone mountains from ages eleven to seventeen. Finally, a monstrous youth standing six feet tall with strength of unknowable depths had been forged. He would send boulders crashing into valley depths, uproot massive trees, and loose arrows from his powerful bow that crossed ravines faster than the eye could follow—through these daily exertions, the Hakone mountains trembled as though gripped by perpetual eruption or earthquake.

The chief priest could no longer endure this,

“You’ve reached the age to become an adult. Go to Kyoto, undergo ordination, and become a full-fledged monk.”
“Tomorrow you’ll cut that long hair, shave your head, and depart for Kyoto.”

This is beyond a joke, Hakō thought.
I only stayed at the temple because I could eat as much meat as I wanted and do whatever I pleased every day. Expecting me to become a monk now was outrageous.
A monk’s ordination was equivalent to a samurai’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Before they could cut my hair, I resolved to escape and undergo a coming-of-age ceremony instead of ordination.

That very night, he escaped down from the Hakone mountains and knocked on the door of his brother Jūrō’s hermitage.
Ichiman had already undergone his coming-of-age ceremony to become Jūrō and was living in seclusion in a separate house.

“Hakō? Isn’t it?”
“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”

“Because they were going to shave my head and make me a monk tomorrow, I ran away.”
“If I become a monk, I won’t be able to avenge our father.”
“Instead of becoming a monk, I want to undergo a coming-of-age ceremony.”

“That’s good.”
“Then let us go to Kamakura at once and ask Lord Hōjō to serve as the sponsor for your coming-of-age ceremony.”

That very night, they set out together, visited Hōjō Tokimasa to complete the coming-of-age ceremony, and there Hakō became Gorō Tokimune.

The brothers were overjoyed.

Now resolved to devote their combined efforts to avenging their father, they first visited their mother to report his coming-of-age ceremony. Contrary to their expectation of her delight, Mitsue suddenly turned deathly pale. Staggering as though about to faint, she barely managed to steady herself,

“I thought you’d become a monk to pray for your father’s salvation, but this self-decreed coming-of-age ceremony defies all reason!”
“I once had a child named Hakō, but there is no child of mine called Gorō Tokimune.”
“We are neither mother nor child.”
“I hereby disown you! Until you mend your ways and take monastic vows, you must never show your face to me again!”
“Let this Gorō Tokimune perish in the wilderness!”

They were immediately disowned.

The Loss of Dependent Status Through Romantic Troubles

Since he could not abandon the disowned Gorō, Jūrō accompanied his younger brother and wandered from relative to relative living as dependents.

As for relatives who would particularly help them, their two sisters were married to Ninomiya Tarō.
Also, their aunt was married to Miura Yoshizumi.
That daughter—in other words, a cousin—was married to Heirokubē.
All of them were people who would wholeheartedly support them.

However, Jūrō’s scholarly dedication ran deep, and he was truly a man of refined elegance and striking handsomeness who proved immensely popular with women.
Since it was an era overrun by heroes—a veritable surplus of them—perhaps because young women had grown weary of such rugged men, Jūrō found himself wildly popular wherever they went.
Moreover, from his youth he had possessed both an appreciation for aesthetic refinement and a natural propensity for romantic entanglements, making him prone to stirring up incidents.

For instance, Heirokubē’s wife was a cousin who had grown up with Jūrō, though their relationship had already formed during those childhood years.
Unaware of this connection, Heirokubē proposed marriage, and since Soga no Tarō too remained oblivious, he granted permission for the union.
The woman was shocked.
She had been certain Jūrō wouldn’t stay silent—surely he would confess to their parents and resolve matters—yet he did nothing.
She secretly sent letters urging him to act, but when he neither replied nor abandoned his feigned ignorance, she tearfully married Heirokubē.
Even after marriage, she wrote letters saying she wished to flee to you, but these too received no response.

At this juncture, when they came tumbling in as dependents, Heirokubē’s wife welcomed them with such delight that she practically rolled out the red carpet, yet in secluded corners where others wouldn’t notice, Jūrō found himself persistently propositioned.
Jūrō was exasperated,

“Why don’t we leave here tomorrow?”

“There’s no need to rush out of a place that treats us this well.”
“Let’s take our time staying six months or a year.”

“If we linger here that long, my life will be forfeit.”
“The truth is, due to certain circumstances, we can no longer remain here.”

“If that’s how things stand, guess we gotta roll with it.”

The next day they left that place and became dependents at Miura Yoshizumi’s residence in the same village.
This was their aunt’s house.
They had thought being at their aunt’s house would be safe, but matters did not proceed as expected.

Miura Yoshizumi had a lady-in-waiting named Katabae, who was a peerless beauty.
Yoshizumi had taken a fancy to her, so his wife—their aunt—had grown jealous, and they were in the midst of a quarrel.

The aunt was the one delighted when the brothers came tumbling in as dependents. When she observed them for three or four days, Katabae would fidget and blush whenever she saw Jūrō. Jūrō, too, proved a problem with his exaggeratedly reserved expression. The aunt, seizing upon this, called Jūrō over and,

"That lady-in-waiting Katabae—don't you think she's a peerless beauty?"

"It appears to be as you say."

“You can’t remain single forever, but having such a beauty as your wife would bring no shame. You must marry.”

“Ah.”

When the aunt summoned Katabae and inquired about her true feelings, the latter replied with equal delight—“As staying in this household and causing trouble for my lady pains me, there could be no greater joy than marrying such a splendid gentleman.” Thereupon, the aunt arranged a meeting between Katabae and Jūrō:

“Even if we call it marriage, Master Yoshizumi will never permit it. Take advantage of his absence—choose a day, make your preparations, and elope. I’ll take care of things appropriately and contact your Soga sisters as well.”

“Ah.”

Again, Jūrō was exasperated.
He could no longer stay on as dependents while taking a wife, yet leaving Gorō alone filled him with unease.
Moreover, marriage would prove disadvantageous to their revenge.
Thereupon, he whispered to Gorō,

“Hey, let’s make a night escape tonight.”

“Again? They’re stuffing me full of such fine food—I don’t wanna night-escape.”

“The truth is... circumstances.”

“Hmm.”
“Again.”
“No choice.”

That night they slipped away through the darkness.

However, the matter of Katabae eloping with Jūrō had leaked from the mouths of other ladies-in-waiting to Yoshizumi’s retainers.
Since allowing their master’s beloved woman to elope during Yoshizumi’s absence would displease him, they had been discreetly keeping watch; when the two made their night escape, they immediately roused all their comrades and,

“They’ve gone and eloped already!”
“After them!”

“There!”

As many as twenty retainers pursued and surrounded the two.

“To elope with our master’s beloved woman is outrageous!”

“We have not eloped.
“As you can see, it’s just us two brothers alone.”

“You must have hidden her somewhere.
“If we let you take our woman, we retainers would lose face—let’s settle this properly.”

“As I have certain circumstances requiring me to value my life, I humbly ask your understanding.”

Jūrō was desperately bowing and apologizing.
Gorō fidgeted restlessly,

“Hrmph. Hrmph.”
“Hrmph.”

He approached a roadside boulder weighing about 100 kan, rocked it back and forth to pry it loose, wedged his shoulder beneath it, then heaved—"Hup! Hyah! Hyah!"—hoisting it above eye level before dropping it with a ground-shaking thud. Yoshizumi’s retainers were the ones astonished by this sight.

“Since Katabae’s nowhere to be seen, this probably ain’t no elopement after all. Our deepest apologies for the misunderstanding.” With that, they sneakily beat a retreat.

Jūrō's expression darkened as he scolded Gorō,

"Until we achieve revenge, your life remains precious. You must take care not to stir up trouble over trifles."

Though it was thanks to Gorō that no incident had occurred, perversely enough, Gorō found himself being scolded and could only scratch his head in resignation.

However, in such ill-timed moments, there was no helping it. As dawn fully broke and the two reached the Hayama area, they encountered Heiroku returning from Kamakura.

The retainer left in charge of the household during his absence, having noticed Heiroku's wife persistently attempting to seduce Jūrō, rushed to report this to Heiroku in Kamakura as if it were a grave crisis for the main house.
Thereupon, having obtained leave from Yoritomo, Heiroku was at that very moment hastening back.
Spotting the brothers on the road, he guided his horse toward them and,

"So it's Lord Jūrō."
"Who's that giant?"

“This is my younger brother Gorō.”

“You—someone has informed me that you have an improper relationship with my wife. Isn’t that truly cowardly? Let’s settle this properly.”

“As I have certain circumstances requiring me to value my life, I humbly ask your understanding regarding your anger.”

“I don’t know what your circumstances are, but my circumstances take greater precedence here.”
“Do you think I can let some bastard who’s been meddling with my wife just walk away?!”

“I shall provide a full explanation at a later date.”
“Today I humbly beseech you to overlook this matter—thus I bow my head in supplication.”

"Here we go again," thought Gorō as he took down the large bow and arrows from his back. It was an extraordinarily large bow—a rattan-reinforced weapon with a grip twice the normal thickness, fitted with long arrows bearing sharp arrowheads nearly a foot in length. High overhead, two kites perched with piercing cries. He nocked an arrow, drew the bow to its fullest, and released. Then came the second shot. These were kites in the distant heavens—beyond any arrow's reach. Yet both birds came falling down as if sucked earthward. Gorō addressed Heiroku’s retainers surrounding them both,

“Could you fetch those kites for me? Haven’t eaten since last night—stomach’s empty.”

When Heiroku took one of the kites a retainer had brought and examined it, the arrow had pierced clean through the center, with nearly half the arrow’s fletching embedded in the flesh.
A fearsome bow indeed.
When he looked over the retainers’ faces, they all had their mouths half-open and wore expressions as if their souls had been snatched.
Of course.
Gorō was sucking blood from the neck of one kite he had decapitated.

“You seem quite famished. Since interrupting your meal would be discourteous, I shall take my leave today. I shall await your proper greeting at a later date—mark my words.”

With that, Heiroku puffed out his chest, let his sword curve at his side, and swayed away on horseback.

Jūrō snatched the black kite from Gorō's grasp and slammed it to the ground,

“Until we achieve revenge, your life is precious.”
“I keep telling you not to stir up trouble over trifles, and yet...”

“Got it.”
“I get it, I really do.”
“But this is troublesome.”
“We’ve lost our dependent lodgings.”
“Both Heiroku’s wife and Miura’s aunt kept stuffing us with delicious feasts, but now their faces keep flashing before my eyes—it’s maddening.”

What haunted Jūrō's eyes were women's faces; what haunted Gorō's eyes were heaping feasts.

“We have prospects in Ōiso, so don’t worry.”

“Are there good feasts there?”

“It’s fine—because it’s a restaurant.”

“That’s reassuring. But you’ve got allies in unexpected places, huh?”

“The only daughter there is my lover.”

“Again?”

Gorō was disappointed.

Gorō thought his rogue of an older brother was putting all his energy into women.

Ōiso was the most bustling amusement area in these parts at the time.
It had been an amusement area since ancient times.

Long ago, a great multitude of Koryo nobles and their retainers—apparently driven out from the west—fled by boat and landed there.
To this day, the Koma Shrine remains there, and for them, that place was the sacred landing site worthy of commemoration.
And while many of them moved deep inland and settled there, it is recounted in the records of the renowned Koma family of Koma Village in Musashi Chichibu that their ancestors had landed at Ōiso.

The majority had scattered into the hinterlands, but a minority remained in that land, conducting trade with travelers along the highway and organizing something akin to today’s station-front markets.

However, when the Minamoto clan came to power and the shogunate was established in Kamakura, the Tōkaidō—linking Kyoto and Kamakura—became Japan’s foremost highway. Consequently, Ōiso Market rapidly swelled into prominence, becoming the number one amusement district in the Kamakura vicinity.

The hereditary bosses of this market—Ōiso’s magnates—currently had a female proprietor, whose only daughter was called Tora.
She was a peerless beauty.

Since ancient times, the magnates of highway markets had functioned as inns for travelers, restaurant-brothels, and something akin to modern-style hostess bars. For the daughters there too, appearing as shirabyōshi and entrusting themselves to distinguished guests was an age-old custom, and Ōiso’s magnate had taken the Major Counselor of Fushimi as a client when her daughter was in her prime, giving birth to Tora.

Tora, their only daughter, had been raised with utmost care and had mastered all manner of accomplishments—from scholarly pursuits and waka poetry to instruments like the koto and flute—but her dancing was particularly extraordinary. Moreover, she was a peerless beauty—a renowned belle whom the samurai of Kamakura, that is to say, the dignitaries of the then-ruling regime, marveled at as being without equal in this world. However cultured she may have been raised and however free from want, even that education and lack of privation stemmed from her fate as a shirabyōshi—a lifelong destiny she could not escape. If summoned, she had to appear before the guests’ seats, and for particularly distinguished patrons, she had to attend to their bedside.

For Tora, this was truly a sorrowful existence—amidst days both defiling and infuriating—until she chanced to gain a lover called Soga Jūrō and thereby came to know hope in life.
Though Jūrō was typically irresponsible with women, he was utterly smitten with this Tora.
They solemnly swore to two lifetimes together, their relationship a blazing bond where they vowed neither to release nor part from each other.

“Since I’m truly in love with this woman called Tora, you won’t have to make a night escape this time.”

“That might be the case. I usually find out about women after the fact, but this time I knew beforehand.”

“Because appearing before guests is so painful, I’m actually being pressed right now to marry her quickly.”

“I get it already.”

“You really are as unfeeling as wood and stone.”

When they entered the inn at Ōiso, a shirabyōshi who had spotted Jūrō came running up and pressed her still-unpainted dark face close,

“What’s wrong with you, Mr. Jūrō? You haven’t shown your face at all. The young lady’s having hysterics—it’s terrible! Actually, she’s having a huge fight with rogue samurai right now!”

“She’s fighting samurai?”

“Yes, exactly. They’re low-ranking samurai but strong-armed brutes. The ringleader’s this thug called Kuroinu no Gonta who’s been ransacking every inn here lately. Today they came to our place, and just as they tried forcing their way in—poof!—the young lady materialized! With some hidden weapon or other, she glared daggers at those rogues. ‘If you want to drink here,’ she declared in a blazing rage, ‘you’ll have to cut me down first! Not one step inside while I draw breath!’ And all because you’ve been vanishing on her, Mr. Jūrō—she’s completely beside herself!”

“Then what happened?”

“What do you mean, ‘what happened’? The young lady’s facing eight rogue samurai—isn’t it clear how this will end? I rushed out back and begged local enforcers like Uma Shichi, Tako Hachi, and Imo Jū for help. They’re all claiming it’s their mother’s death anniversary—not a single one came! They’ve been wiped out. The Glen squad of local toughs can’t handle them. I was at my wits’ end... Then heaven smiled on us! This must be divine providence—heaven wants you to save us now and ease the young lady’s anguish! That’s why it made her snap! Hurry and do something!”

“Due to circumstances, I must value my life above all; I cannot possibly start trouble with mere ruffians.”

“What’s this ‘I’ business?”
“Blockhead.”
“Your sworn lover suffers at villains’ hands, yet you cling to your precious life over circumstances.”
“Hmph.”
“Could any circumstance outweigh love?”
“Thick-skulled fool!”

“You’re quite the chatterbox.”
“Still, this does warrant concern.”

“Isn’t that obvious? Hey, if you’re a man, do something about it! Otherwise I won’t let you off easy! Don’t underestimate me just because I’m a woman! I’ll sweep your shin!”

“Wait, wait. I have no wish to quarrel with you. Due to circumstances, I must preserve this life of mine...”

“You blockhead!”

As the shirabyōshi was about to lunge, Gorō lightly pressed her shoulder.

“Urk.”
“Ouch.”
“Ugh, you brute, with your ridiculous strength.”
“Cut it out!”
“I can't move. It hurts.”

“I like starting trouble for my own reasons.”
“Take me to your place.”

“Hey!”
“Gorō.”
“Cherish your life for revenge...”

“I’m cherishing my life.”
“Just stirring things up, that’s all.”
“Hurry up and lead the way.”
“Once I drive off those rogues and become your dependent, don’t forget to heap my plate with good eats every day.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“I am the Hakone Tengu.”

“Alright.”
“I like it.”
“Come on, let’s go!”

“Hey, wait.”
“Gorō.”
“Cherish your life—”

“I’ll cherish it.”

The woman and Gorō started running.
The nosy crowd started running after them.
With no other choice, Jūrō half-walked and half-ran, muttering “Cherish your life for revenge—” as he dragged his feet.

When they arrived at the wealthy man’s gate, a boss-like thug was stomping up and easily pinning down Tora.
Having entered the gate, Gorō called out to the rogue samurai.

“Hey!”
“Hey, hey.”
“Octopus legs.”

“What did you say?”

When everyone turned to look, there stood a giant so tall he seemed to touch the clouds, grinning broadly.

“What’s this ‘octopus legs’ nonsense?”

“Because there are eight of you—octopus legs.”

“Ah, got it.”

“I’m a dependent of this household.”
“You can’t just come barging in without my say-so.”

“Shall I give notice before barging in?”
“I don’t mind—ask what’s in my hand!”
“You’re not holding anything!”
“I’ll grab it now!”

Gorō removed the bow and arrows from his shoulder and placed them on the ground, then clung tightly to the pine tree beside the entrance.

“Oh! Consulting the pine tree now?”
“Interesting.”

“It’ll get way more interesting—just wait!”
“Hraaagh...!”

As he shook it, the earth began to split open with a splintering crack.

“Hah! Hyah!”

When Gorō mustered all his strength and pushed, the pine tree came crashing down toward the rogue samurai's head, startling them.

While being pricked by pine needles, they managed to escape and stood staring blankly at each other's faces.

"Go on, ask the pine tree," he said.
"Try standing up and coming at me. How's that sound?"

True to his role as boss, Gonta approached Gorō with feigned nonchalance and drew his sword to strike.
Gorō dodged and struck Gonta's dominant arm as he charged forward with heavy stomps.
Though it didn't seem he'd struck with particular force, the arm appeared broken beyond use.
The sword slipped from Gonta's grasp, his eyes darting wildly.
Gorō grabbed that one arm and collar,

“There! If you wanna climb up, I’ll send you flying!” He swung him around like a windmill and let go, sending him flying onto the roof. “How was the ride up?”

He fell with a clattering crash to the ground, his eyes rolling back,
“Ugh… I appear to have overindulged.”

The story goes he couldn't say it.

The seven rogue samurai carried their unconscious leader and sneaked away.
At the gate, the delighted crowd pelted the rogue samurai with stones.
At that moment, Jūrō arrived, gathered his brother and the others together, explained the circumstances of their disownment, and requested assistance.
The patriarch was greatly delighted,

“The very idea of you being mere dependents is outrageous! You’re our honored guests! No—I’ll treat you more preciously than our shop’s customers! Stay for hundreds of years if you like! Hey, Tora.”

“Yes. That magnificent gentleman saved my life. I’ll cherish him—but drive out that skinny runt of a companion and purify the place with salt.”

He was furious.
Jūrō earnestly apologized to Tora in a separate room and explained the circumstances—that he couldn’t visit because he had to look after his disowned brother—

“Once Gorō’s dependent residency here is settled and I can leave him behind, I’ll take you back to Soga instead. How does that sound?”
“Since I have yet to inform Mother, we cannot marry immediately—but what say we live happily together as just the two of us for a time?”

“Really! So we can be alone together, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m happy. I’ll forgive you.”

And so, Jūrō returned to Soga’s hermitage with Tora in tow.

Left behind, Gorō was absolutely delighted by the excellent treatment.
He ate and then practiced his combat drills, ate and then practiced his combat drills.
He thought of nothing besides eating, combat practice, and sleeping.

The aforementioned shirabyōshi entertainer Nen'nen, who had guided them before, was furious,

“Hey, you.
“What do you think this place is?”
“This is a specialty house!”
“There are women here to entertain you.”
“Quit stuffing yourself with food all the time and try getting your hands on a woman once in a while!”

“Are women tasty?”

“They’re delicious.”

“Will you make them into sashimi?
“Or salt-grilled them?”

“Tch.”
“You’re such an idiot, you fattykins!”
“Looks like you really plan to eat women after all.”

Nen'nen too had no choice but to throw in the towel.

Gorō had become a complete fixture in Ōiso.
Not only in Ōiso but even from pleasure districts in inns five or ten ri away—when trouble occurred, they would come flying to Gorō’s place and—

“Hey, Mr. Gorō.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Another gang of those rogue samurai bastards have come barging in—”

“I’ve got circumstances regarding my life—”

“Cut it out.”
“We’re being serious here!”

“Should I feed them wild boar?”

“Ah, sure thing.”
“We’ll feast on ’em even if there’s two or three.”
“While you’re at it, I’ve been thinking of moving the garden pine tree—mind giving it a quick yank for me?”

Requests for his services came pouring in constantly.
For three years, he lived this kind of life.
Gorō was perpetually occupied—who could say how many pine trees along the Tōkaidō he uprooted, how many massive boulders he shifted?