Pathway to Japanese Literature

Revenge Resolution

My dealings with Noguchi-kun regarding this incident began when I was working as a junior official at a certain prefectural office in Kyushu.
Noguchi-kun had been appointed as a teacher at a certain middle school in the Japan Sea coast region, where about three years had passed since his posting.
The two of us had been classmates since high school days and remained extremely close.
Thus I shouldn't have been surprised by Noguchi-kun visiting me in Kyushu, but given the suddenness of his arrival outside vacation season when teachers could freely take leave, seeing his face struck me with foreboding.

“What’s happened? Now?”

“I’m on my way back to Tokyo.”

“But isn’t this the wrong direction?”

“It occurred to me on the way, so I came here.”

“Now?
“What’s happened when it’s not even vacation time?”
“What on earth…?”

“You see, it’s this—”
“Abruptly.”

Noguchi-kun demonstrated by slapping his neck,

“I’m absolutely infuriated!”

“Well, this is unexpected.”

“I came to consult you.”

“If there’s anything within my power to do, I’ll do it. Fortunately, I’m a prefectural bureaucrat. If it’s within this prefecture, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“No, I’ve already written off the education world.”

“Exactly why were you dismissed?”

“I myself don’t even understand how it came to this. The principal who hired me got transferred, and that vice-principal bastard got promoted. Then they just said, ‘Since it’s for the school’s convenience, please go elsewhere.’”

“Given your nature, I imagine you never truly regarded the vice-principal as a vice-principal to begin with.”

I knew Noguchi-kun’s character all too well.
He was a pure-hearted man, but unreasonably stubborn.
He argued with anyone and everyone.
He was particularly adept at picking fights with those above him.
Having been employed for three years—though those called colleagues were mostly seniors in reality—he’d probably had too many people to argue with.

“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘given your nature’?”
“Are you just deciding I’m the bad guy without even properly hearing what happened?”

“That’s not what I meant, but…”

“You really are a bureaucrat after all.”

“It’s already started, huh? However, you’re not exactly the picture of calm yourself by nature.”

“If you won’t acknowledge that I’m in the right, then fine. Because I misjudged you and came all the way to this backwater of Kyushu.”

“Of course justice would be on your side. You were misunderstood. You may not be calm, but at least you’re not someone who strays from the proper path.”

“I thought he was an unpleasant bastard from the start—that must’ve gotten through to him. If I’m at fault, then my mistake was not buttering him up.”

“So you’ve already quit outright and come here?”

“Yeah.”
“I slammed down my resignation letter and ran straight here.”
“There’s no way I could stay even a single day in a place that’s resolved to kick me out.”

“That’s a bit rash.”

“Because their methods were terrible.”
“Anyone would be furious.”

“No—it’s your side.”
“They’re not telling you to quit right away, are they?”

“They’re telling me to transfer by the start of the new school year.”
“They’re telling me that since the school will do their best to find me a position, I should also try consulting my seniors about it.”

“Then why not just wait?”

“What, are you with the vice-principal faction too?”

Noguchi-kun was agitated.
He’d lash out at the slightest provocation.
Given this disposition, I suspected he’d been deliberately discarded for his attitude—but voicing that would only incense him further, so I soothed and coaxed him while drawing out the full story.
In essence, Noguchi-kun had prevailed in arguments but lost the power struggle.
He’d concluded the entire education world operated this way and came seeking advice on changing paths.
Being single, his whole life still lay ahead.
I decided to let Noguchi-kun stay for a few days.
First, he needed to settle his nerves.
As it happened to be Sunday with theater plans already made, I seized the chance to take him along.
Tokyo actors were performing Chūshingura.

“You—that vice-principal bastard is exactly like Kira.”

“Hmm.”

“They cherish those who flatter them and dislike upright individuals.”

“Hmm.”

“Since I have a strong rebellious streak, I make a point of not going to those kinds of people.”
“But colleagues were constantly coming and going.”

“Hmm.”

“In the morning, when I meet them in the staff room, there are guys who bow and say ‘I apologize for last night,’ so I can tell right away.”

“You’re disturbing others.”
“Let’s talk about this at home.”

“Then let’s go home already.”

“Aren’t you enjoying it?”

“You’re utterly self-centered.
People are becoming bureaucrats.”

“Why?”

“How could you drag along a best friend who traveled a thousand miles without hesitation to consult with you, all because of your own plans, to some play?”

“Art soothes the human heart.”

“It only provokes.”

However, I persisted and watched until the end.
Noguchi-kun wasn’t one to dislike theater in the first place.
He became drawn into it and grew solemn.

Upon returning to the boarding house, we immediately renamed the vice-principal bastard as the Kira bastard and began discussing our plans.

“I will take Kira’s head no matter what.”
“I’ll have my revenge.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“No—I’ll definitely fire him!”

“Old bushido aside—in today’s civilized age, taking direct action out of spite isn’t gentlemanly conduct.”

“I’m not using brute force.
Since he fired me, I’ll fire him right back.”

“How do you plan to fire him?
A middle school principal can’t be dismissed except by the governor.”

“Even as Superintendent of Education, I should be able to fire him.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve roughly settled on a plan and came to consult you,” he said. “Getting to see Chūshingura right now was a fortunate start. I’ve already steeled my resolve.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“I’ll take the civil service examination and follow in your footsteps,” he declared. “I’ll become Superintendent of Education and fire that Kira bastard.”

“I can’t admire your motive,” I replied, “but I approve of becoming a bureaucrat.” In truth, I’d always considered it sheer eccentricity that he’d gone off to teach English at a middle school in the first place. “What a waste. If your grades had been poor, that would be one thing—but in any case.”

“That’s what it means to be a bureaucrat!”
“You—”

“Getting riled up again, are we?”

“Still, I’ll become a bureaucrat too.”
“A pity, but there’s no helping it.”

“Then bow to bureaucratic authority.”

“I’ll need your help.”
“Not that I think much of you personally—but you’ve got a decent boss.”

“What a rotten thing to say.”

“How many years to become Superintendent?”

“That hinges on your abilities.”

“If we factor in your boss’s clout and the marital ties from your future wife—how long would it take you?”

“Quit with all the unpleasant talk.”

“Ha ha ha!”

“I suppose it would take me ten years from this point.”

“Then mine would be three years—no, since I still have to take the exam, I’m starting four or five years behind.”
“So fourteen or fifteen years total.”
“Before I can exact my revenge—”

“That seems roughly accurate.”

“A long road lies ahead.”

“He might have retired by then, you know.”

“Wait a moment.”
“That bastard’s thirty-eight or thirty-nine now—he’ll be fifty-three or fifty-four by then, so he should still be around.”

“Even if you become Superintendent of Education, there’s no guarantee you’d end up in the same prefecture to face him.”

“I’ll lobby to get transferred to whatever prefecture that bastard’s in.”
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“I’ll take the exam and become a bureaucrat.”

“You must become one.”
“I’ll pull you up.”

“I’ll become your boss’s subordinate.”
“If I pass the exam, I ask that you kindly recommend me.”

Even among my classmates, I held three years of seniority in the bureaucratic sea.
As I believed I had maneuvered quite effectively up to that point, I explained the essentials of exams and employment to him.

“The civil service examination is quite the formidable hurdle.”
“And even if you pass, that doesn’t mean you’ll immediately land a position.”
“After that, it’s character.”
“Those with good character are hired.”
“When analyzing character—though connections do play a small role—in essence, administrative officials are those who are the most capable and highest in character among Imperial University Law Department graduates.”
“For this reason, administrative officials are the salt of the earth.”
“and the light of the world.”

“Don’t get cocky.”

“It’s about priorities—if you wish to rise among today’s elite, you must first bow to bureaucrats.”

“That’s what you call a bureaucrat’s mentality! Even in the private sector, there’s no shortage of clever people.”

“But didn’t you yourself bow to bureaucratic authority?”

“A necessary compromise. I could’ve joined a company, but revenge demands I wield the bureaucracy instead.”

Enduring hardship for revenge.

Noguchi-kun passed the civil service examination the following year and soon assumed office as a subordinate official in a prefecture in Tohoku. As I had transferred to the central ministry by then, I could make arrangements for him whenever needed. My boss was none other than the head of the bureaucracy. I introduced him to this man too. Thereafter, Noguchi-kun used my house as lodging whenever he came to Tokyo. I already had a family by then—though not quite marital connections in the way Noguchi-kun had sarcastically implied. I had married the daughter of my former post's governor. Noguchi-kun was the one with true marital connections. Perhaps determined to secure a better background if he were to marry at all, he wed much later than I did—having been recognized by a senior from his hometown who was an influential figure in financial circles, through whom he took that man's daughter as his wife. People often claim that ties to influential figures hasten promotions, but it's not merely about clinging to nepotistic vines. Only when one is an exceptional talent do influential people engage them—marrying into such circles inherently proves one's own influence. In Noguchi-kun's case, this held true exactly. He held his wedding ceremony in Tokyo, though unfortunately I had contracted typhoid and lay hospitalized at the time. However, having sufficiently recovered by then, Noguchi-kun visited me during his rounds of post-nuptial courtesies.

“You had a close call there.”

“Thanks to that.”
“Congratulations, by the way.”
“So I ended up missing it all.”

“Thank you for the congratulations.”
“My wife has come to the gate as well.”

“I should like to meet her.”

“Cut it out.”
“Looking like you just crawled out of hell to steal fire!”

“You’re as harsh as ever.”

“I stopped by home and brought my wife along.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m returning home first thing tomorrow. I’ll be back out soon enough.”

“I should be fully recovered by then.”

“Right. You’ve been hospitalized all this time, so you probably don’t know—that bastard got transferred!”

“Who?”

“Daimon.”

“Hmm. Where to?”

“It’s ○○! He came crawling into your neighboring prefecture!”

“Then you might run into him.”

“Even if I met him, as a mere subordinate official there’s nothing I could do. I want to get promoted quickly.”

“Haven’t you given up yet?”

“If I give up on this, my life’s purpose will vanish.”
“Last night I laid it down as a household rule when speaking to my wife.”

I began touring the regions as an administrative officer.
Noguchi-kun also toured various regions.
Since our time in Kyushu, ten years passed like a dream.
However, things did not go as planned.
I was still only serving as a section chief.
Noguchi-kun, who had started four years late, steadily closed in on me.
We never ended up in the same prefecture, but since I was always positioned between Noguchi-kun’s postings and Tokyo, he would invariably stop by on his return trips from the capital.
The topic on those occasions was invariably his longing to become a director.
Local officials didn’t count for anything unless they became directors.
I was aiming to become Police Director.
Superintendent of Education would be acceptable too.
If I didn’t secure a directorship soon, the seat of Internal Affairs Director wouldn’t come around.
From Internal Affairs Director to Governor, and beyond that, depending on ability and character, there was potential to become Bureau Chief, Vice Minister, or even Minister.
However, Noguchi-kun was fixated solely on becoming Superintendent of Education.

“How’s it looking?”
“What’s the situation?”

“No prospects for now. I just got promoted recently.”

“Caught up, haven’t I? Heh.”

“It’s just the salary.”

“How can I endure being beaten down to my official rank? Since I’m your senior who taught you everything.”

“I have no intention of overtaking you, but given my circumstances—which you’re well aware of—I’m specially rushing for promotion.”

“Don’t you dare get ahead of me!”

“Not a chance. By the time you catch up, it’ll be your turn to rise. You’re the one who’ll be sprouting buds steadily already, aren’t you?”

“To tell the truth, I thought something might come of the recent transfer, but my hopes were dashed.”

“Do you know this Kurisu fellow who’s just become Superintendent of Education in ○○?”

“I know him.
“We were in Fukuoka together.
“When I think that man’s only now become Superintendent, my own path still stretches endlessly ahead.”

“Was he Superintendent in Fukuoka?”

“Yeah.
“I worked under him.”

“Then you’re acquainted.
“How about writing him to take care of Daimon’s matter?”

“Ah—so it’s Mr. Daimon’s prefecture now.
“You’re still seriously keeping up this crusade, aren’t you?”

“That bastard—an Imperial University graduate himself—went and fired me, another Imperial University man. He’s a traitor in our own ranks.”
“From the perspective of my education policy to consolidate power with Imperial University graduates, we can’t let him remain.”

“You used to criticize me, but now you’ve become a thorough bureaucrat through and through.”

“It’s only natural for the government to place those it educated with state funds into key positions.”
“The Army and Navy operate on the same principle.”

“I never disagreed with that to begin with.”
“I’m simply impressed by what I see as your ideological evolution.”

“Write a letter for me.”

“That won’t do. You won’t do it yourself—you’re having someone else cut him down?”

“No—I’m asking for protection.”

“Hmm.”

“Daimon hasn’t moved an inch since then.”
“He’s already past fifty.”
“It would be problematic if he took a leave of absence before I could cut him down.”

“So you’re asking me to take good care of him?”

“Right.
Since Mr. Daimon at your new post is an excellent principal, I’m telling you to show him special respect.”

“But whether he’s an excellent principal or whatever, I don’t know Mr. Daimon in the slightest.”

“He is indeed an excellent principal.
I’ve been investigating all along, and his reputation is truly excellent.”

“In that case, it should be fine.
He should last until about sixty.”

“It’s a precaution.”
“Every time the Superintendent of Education changes posts, I recommend Daimon through an acquaintance.”
“I can’t have him getting axed by someone else.”

“But is he truly such an excellent principal?”

“He’s a man of integrity.”
“Principals who stay ten years without transferring are rare.”
“The school’s been managed well.”
“That shouldn’t be possible, but maybe he’s improved himself since then.”

“Fine.”
“I’ll send the letter ahead.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“If you hear he’s reputed to be an excellent principal, wouldn’t actually giving up be the proper course? An excellent principal wouldn’t fire someone without good reason.”

“So you’re saying it was only natural that I got dismissed?”

“That’s probably about right.”

“I have my complaints, but I won’t pick a fight.
“I’ll have you write the letter after all.”

“You are an utterly incomprehensible human being.”
“When it comes to other matters, you never fail to make fair and impartial judgments, but when it comes to this problem, you lose all rationality.”
“Don’t you think you owe your present standing to being provoked by Mr. Daimon?”

“No, I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean by ‘present standing’?”
“Do you think a local government official outranks a middle school teacher?”

“That’s correct.”
“You immediately lose all rationality and resort to calling me ‘you bastard.’”

“If Daimon hadn’t taken such measures, I’d be doing far better work as an educator.”

“If you understand the preciousness of good work, revere Mr. Daimon.”

“Hateful bastard!”

“You’ve gone mad.”
“How utterly devoid of magnanimity.”

“You’re the magnanimous one.”
“When called a hateful bastard, you assume it refers to someone else.”

“In that case, I won’t write the letter.”

“I’m begging you.”
“I was wrong.”

A culmination devoid of drama

At that time, I was stationed in Chūgoku and Noguchi-kun in Miyazaki; both of us had attained regional section chief positions, leaving us one step from our goals.
A year later, amid political upheaval that reshuffled upper leadership, I found myself promoted to Police Director.
Simultaneously, Noguchi-kun—his patience long exhausted—ascended to Superintendent of Education.

“MUTUAL CONGRATULATIONS. NOW BEGINS THE SWORD SHARPENING.”

A telegram arrived.
He was simply a man who could not be forgotten.

Before long, a disturbance arose at the Second Middle School in my prefecture, and the principal submitted his resignation.
There was friction among the staff, resulting in several other casualties.
While newspapers reported the vice principal's appointment as successor principal, the Superintendent of Education declared he would dismiss even the vice principal to implement drastic reforms.
However, this approach risked student unrest.
Fearing another upheaval, they resolved to retain the vice principal while appointing an authoritative new principal above him to maintain control.
The Superintendent of Education, who had been scouting middle school principals nationwide,

“Sawada-kun, weren’t there any excellent principals in your previous postings?”

he consulted me.

“Well…”

“There are two or three candidates, but if you can think of someone, please recommend them with the intention of helping me.”

“There’s Daimon.”

“Is he the principal of [○○]?”

“That’s right.
I’ve only heard about his reputation, though.”

“That Daimon has become the primary candidate.”

It was a strange catalyst.
Considering Noguchi-kun’s connection to the matter, I said as if making a belated excuse that I had never met him, but since his reputation was so well-known—all the more reason—the Superintendent settled on Mr. Daimon.
I reported to Noguchi-kun before the announcement.
Noguchi-kun seethed with rage and sent a vehement letter.
“I’ve always thought your attitude was suspicious from the start.
Pretending to be a moralist, you called Daimon into your jurisdiction to interfere with my revenge.”
“You’re a lousy friend.”
When I explained everything to eliminate any misunderstanding, this time he came asking for a favor.
“Well, if that’s how it has to be, then make sure to keep him carefully protected for me.”

In the case of the Soga brothers, revenge took eighteen years.
Eighteen years of Divine Wind.
He declared that he would eventually become governor and cut him down.

In my official capacity, I had no dealings with Mr. Daimon. However, we frequently encountered each other at Gakushikai meetings. Then, since my oldest son had enrolled, I assumed the role of a parent. He was indeed an excellent principal. The Second Middle School no longer made a peep. Three years passed in that state. Noguchi-kun stopped by twice on his way back from Tokyo. It was the second time.

“So, how about it? What about Daimon?”

“He’s doing well.”
“He’s highly praised as an outstanding principal.”
“Even if you become governor and come here, you still couldn’t cut him down.”

“I’m not cutting him down through logic.”
“I’ll cut him down through my position.”
“Ultimately, as long as I cut him down, that’s all that matters.”

“That’s absurd.”

"I'll definitely cut him down."

“Mr. Daimon won’t be transferring out of here anymore.”

“That’s precisely why I’ll cut him down here.”

“By the time you become governor and arrive here, Mr. Daimon will have long since retired.”

“Just you wait and see.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“I did some campaigning while on business trips.”
“If there’s a political change now, Mr. Kameyama will be reinstated.”
“Considering his standing, he’d likely be posted here first if reinstated.”
“There are three or four other comparable postings though.”

“I see. You’ve researched this thoroughly.”

“I’m banking on that one-in-five chance.”

“Since you’ve served under Mr. Kameyama in two prefectures, if he makes a comeback, he’ll manage something for you.”
“You’ve hit upon a crucial point there.”

“If this doesn’t succeed, it’ll set me back another three or four years.
“As long as he stays in position, I should be able to achieve my goal eventually.
“Since someone with Home Affairs Director qualifications is aiming for Superintendent of Education, you know.”

Though the political shift came a year late, just as Noguchi-kun had schemed, Mr. Kameyama resurged to become governor of a prefecture in Chūgoku.
Noguchi-kun stormed in as Superintendent of Education beneath him.
I received a promotion to Home Affairs Director in a lesser-ranked prefecture.

In Chūgoku, when I briefly met with Noguchi-kun and promptly parted ways, he said he would act immediately.
True to his word, after about a month had passed, Mr. Daimon’s retirement notice appeared in the official gazette.
I wrote Noguchi-kun a letter that mingled praise with reproach and congratulations with condolences.
I remember it took me all night to craft those ambivalent lines.
Then came his ceremonious reply—invoking a blind turtle chancing upon driftwood and an udumbara flower in bloom—declaring his objective achieved through my assistance.
But roughly a month later, one morning at my office desk, I froze upon opening the gazette.
Noguchi-kun’s suspension order had been published.

“Look!”
I muttered.
When I sent a telegram, the reply was that he would stop by with his family on his way back to the capital.

A few days later, Noguchi-kun appeared at my new official residence, accompanied by his wife, three children, and a maid.

“I finally did it.”

“But isn’t this mutual punishment?”

“No—once I’d taken my revenge, I had no further use for the bureaucratic world. So the moment Daimon’s official order came through, I submitted my resignation.”

“What are you going to do now? From now on—”

“I’m moving into the business world.”

“What a waste, after going to all this trouble.”

“What’s there to regret? In any case, I’ve achieved my purpose after all.”

“Didn’t Mr. Daimon voice any complaints?”

“I thought he truly was an elite principal, but that man is simply skilled at navigating society.”
“He brought it up first and threw me off guard.”

“Hmm.”

“He knew I’d been drifting through life seeking revenge.”
“Noguchi-kun,” he joked in his old manner, “ever since I saw your official appointment that day, I’ve been scrubbing my neck with soap while waiting.”

“Was it you who summoned him?”

“Yes.”
“I too returned to the past, recounted my sixteen years of struggles, and then told you: ‘Since you fired me under the pretext of school expediency, I’ll dismiss you under the guise of bureaucratic necessity.’”

“What a ruthless Superintendent of Education I was.”

“Since if a movement to retain him arose it would cause trouble, he asked me to handle it in absolute secrecy.”
I was impressed by his graceful exit and felt a certain pathos, but later realized I was still naive after all.

“You know, Daimon became principal of ○○ Middle School right after his dismissal order came through.”

“Hmm, that private one?”

“Hmm, I hear that used to be the domain’s school back in the day.”

“I see. There was a silver lining after all.”
“You’ve woken up quite refreshed yourself.”

“It seems he’d been consulting with them for some time.”
“When I think about it, I seem to have arranged things for my adversary’s convenience.”
“Daimon has three children attending university and high school—his life’s financially strained.”
“If he moved to a private school, he could save on his pension; he was tempted—but the previous Superintendent stubbornly refused.”

“I see. Since Nishio-kun hired him himself, he wouldn’t readily consent.”

“That’s when I deliberately barged in to take his head.”
“He had no reason to be surprised.”
“It ends up looking like I went to kill someone who’d already resolved to die.”
“It wasn’t particularly effective revenge, but my goal wasn’t to make things hard for him.”
“Since you just have to fire back whoever fired you, there’s nothing left but to find some satisfaction in that and call it quits.”

“I suppose it’s acceptable to have arranged some conveniences.”
“The reason you’re here today is thanks to being spurred by Mr. Daimon’s treatment.”

“There’s nothing here today.”
“I’m already on leave.”

“Well, if you’d stayed a teacher, would you have been able to marry your current wife?”

“You may think so, but…”
“Revenge isn’t particularly interesting, is it?”

“Hmm.”
“After all, it’s just stubbornness—hardly worth the effort.”
“I recommended Daimon as an elite principal to four Superintendents of Education, and in the end supplemented his current salary with pension benefits—effectively rescuing him from financial hardship.”

“What a hassle you went through.”

“But even in the Soga vendetta, two died to kill one man.”
“When it comes to Chūshingura, forty-seven people became sacrifices for one man’s sake.”
“Such things belong to Bushido—they fundamentally can’t be measured by an abacus.”

(April 1935 [Showa 10], Sunrise)