kill the god
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Namamugi Incident
"They are invaders."
Just as the sun rises in the east、this perception ultimately led to conflict between the Westerners staying in Japan and the "patriots."
Yokohama、which is close to Edo City、has prospered as a settlement for foreigners since the opening of Japan (according to my recollection、Yokohama was originally a small fishing village./2023060420:11/japan time).
"On this day、the daimyo procession passes near the settlement.
Therefore、please refrain from going out on the day. "
One day、there was a request from the Tokugawa shogunate to the foreign settlement with such content.
However、the importance of this notice did not seem to be properly conveyed to the people of the Yokohama Settlement.
That day some Englishmen rode out on horseback for a long ride outside the settlement.
※I don't know if it was a notice that said、"It's a procession of the lord of the Satsuma domain." 2022120811:19 (japan time).
※The Japanese translation of the shogunate is "Baku-fu". 幕府
My literal translation is "a field army headquarters separated by curtains".
I think this word came from China、and I think it is easy for foreigners to imagine (for example、if you can associate Kurosawa Akira san's movie)、originally、it seems to refer to the shogun's headquarters on the battlefield covered with curtains on all sides. (however、in Japan、I think it's cloth rather than curtains).
※Mobile headquarters.
In ancient China、it may have resembled a modern Mongolian yurt、but I'm not sure.
Or rather、in short、it might be a large tent (lol). 2023060420:49 (japan time).
By the way、the official name of "Shogun" is "Seii Taishogun". 征夷大将軍
In my literal translation、it means "a general who represents a nation on a mission to subjugate barbarian tribes."
The first time this word was used in Japan was during the "Emishi subjugation".
※In those days、the emperor had the right to appoint the "Seii Taishogun" both in name and reality of course. 2023060421:09 (japan time).
And when the samurai government on the scale of Japan was established for the first time (roughly speaking the same area as the Tokugawa Shogunate、the first samurai government was established in the Kanto region which was the main strategic base of the former Emishi subjugation army)、the title became the word for the head of the samurai、the de facto ruler.
By the way、I write ”蝦夷” as ”Emishi”、but when I translate it on Google、it becomes ”Ezo”.
※At least in the current Chinese character notation in Japan、both are "蝦夷".
And during the Meiji Restoration、at this turning point in history、the remnants of the Tokugawa Shogunate finally sought to establish an autonomous state in (present-day) Hokkaido.
Its name is commonly known as "the Ezo Republic". 蝦夷共和国 Ezo kyo-wa-koku
(I think that what most Japanese people associate with "Ezo" is "the old name of Hokkaido".)
I believe there is no need to explain.※
・・・・・・・・・
On this day、the procession of the father of the lord of the Satsuma domain passed there. (De facto lord of Satsuma)
"They are invaders."
He seems to have had this thought strongly.
During this feudal period、commoners who encountered the daimyo procession had to kneel on the ground. (Put the forehead to the ground.)
And in the (ostensible) official stance of this feudal era、if a commoner acted disrespectfully towards a samurai (if the samurai thought so)、the samurai could kill them.
・・・・・・・・・
And the Englishmen、who were out on horseback rides、also came across this procession.
※I think that in Japan at that time there were generally only roads that were not so wide (even if it's the main road).
And naturally they are not from this area.
Eventually they tried to ride past the procession on horseback.
※I think it's probably after showing the courtesy of Western society to this procession.
"Get down from the horse."
Satsuma's samurai told them in Japanese. (maybe satsuma accent)
Of course、they wouldn't have understood what it was about.
※I'm not sure if they tried to go in the opposite direction next to the daimyo's procession at this time. 2023060422:16 (japan time).
※Needless to infer from the Shogunate's request、I think that attacks on Westerners by "Samurai" were not uncommon cases already.
They might have gotten the gist of what the samurai was saying、but depending on how he said it、they might have been in a mild state of panic at that point. 2023060422:25 (japan time).
・・・・・・・・・
"If you have time to cry、fly high！"
There was a words like that into Satsuma．
The samurai of Satsuma were the typical samurai who were recognized by both themselves and others.
Writing like this might sound a little pompous、but、for example、the behavior of the Satsuma samurai in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (I will talk about it later)、its spirit has been handed down unchanged for 260 years up to this time.
After that、they will be the main force for overthrowing the shogunate (and establishing a new government).
But in this case、it turned out to be the worst possible case.
"Don't waste your breath！"
On the orders of the lord's father、a samurai of the Satsuma clan killed an Englishman with a sword、but they left as if nothing had happened.
As a matter of course、the killer was not unknown and it was clearly a Satsuma samurai.
And of course、the people of the foreign settlement in Yokohama were outraged.
"We should immediately retaliate against Japan with force."
Such opinions occupied the majority.
・・・・・・・・・
To put it quite simply (everyone has emotions、I also have emotions)、samurai were allowed to easily kill non-samurai if they wanted to.
Don't get me wrong、back when Japanese were dating only Japanese、it wasn't a big deal.
"However your thinking is wrong."
As a reality、people who think so came one after another from overseas.
As a reality、the Japanese had to interact with such people.
After all、the era has come when should be change.
※Kill the drowning god of the author of the mischief.
