///Indie Journal Daily///

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Sunday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred fifteen

Sanjiro Yakamoo made Okuni read his Kabuki plays. She loved his Kabuki plays. Okuni really loved the strapping man that Sanjiro had become while living in the hills.

Akira Yakamoo tells of how Sanjiro used Okuni.

“He told her the onnagata was a messenger of evil and that all men who played women, either for lust or for art, were really all murderers. Okuni didn’t believe Sanjiro, though she really loved the strapping man that Sanjiro had become while living in the hills.
“Sanjiro got to one of the onnagata when Okuni wasn’t looking and he said, ‘You will go kill one of the other onnagata or else I will kill you.’ And the onnagata who Sanjiro threatened said, ‘We are not afraid to die.’ So, Sanjiro slit that onnagata’s throat and went to another onnagata and said, ‘You will go kill one of the other onnagata or else I will kill you.’ And the onnagata who Sanjiro threatened said, ‘We are not afraid to die.’ So, Sanjiro choked that onnagata’s to breathlessness and went to another onnagata.
“Sanjiro said to the next onnagata, ‘You will go kill one of the other onnagata or else I will kill you.’ And that onnagata who Sanjiro threatened said, ‘We are not afraid to die.’ So, Sanjiro held that onnagata’s testicles until that onnagata could no longer take a breath and went to another onnagata and said, ‘Are you afraid of death?’ and that onnagata said, ‘Damn straight,’ and so Sanjiro said ‘You will go kill one of the other onnagata or else I will kill you.’ And the onnagata who Sanjiro threatened said, ‘You got it, big boy.’”

According to Akira, Okuni was dismayed that her Kabuki onnagata were killers. Sanjiro said to her, “See, I told you they were murderers,” and Okuni believed him. She said then that no more onnagata would play women in Kabuki shows or dances and she did that because Okuni really loved the strapping man that Sanjiro had become while living in the hills.

But the Neo-Confucianism group was becoming restless and concerned by the murders. They began to associate Kabuki with wrongful death. That was when Howcum, aging and sagging, his skin looking like wet leather, came to the religious group and told them they were not thinking correctly.

“This is a conflict of your religion and true philosophy,” Howcum said, according to historical records kept in historical files in the historical file cabinet of many historians who studied Neo-Confucianism. “To see death as wrongful or right full is a misfiring of concepts. So, you ask how concepts can misfire? Exactly. No death is wrongful if death is the end.

“Consider this, that death is the end and the end must come and if the end must come than the end is natural and what is natural cannot be wrongful.”

According to historical records kept in historical files in the historical file cabinet of many historians who studied Neo-Confucianism, Howcum was not getting through.

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 8:42 PM

Friday, July 02, 2004

Saturday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred fourteen

Sanjiro Yakamoo came out of the woods where he had lived in hiding with his Yakamoo kin. According to Akira, in my exclusive taped interview, Sanjiro met with Kabuki founder Okuni. He said he was a fan of the sophisticated, highly stylized form of theater she created and that he had some stories that would work as Kabuki plays.

Okuni was immediately taken with the strapping man that Sanjiro had become while living in the hills. Akira tells of the conversation the two had about all Kabuki roles being taken by men.

“Why do you use onnagata?” Sanjiro was said to have said to Okuni.
“Because they are easier to work with,” it is said Okuni is to have answered to Sanjiro.
“Men cannot play women well,” said Sanjiro.
“Oh but they do,” said Okuni.
“But you want women to play women, don’t you?” said Sanjiro.
“Yes, but in Japan, you know because you are Japanese, women must serve man and if man wants to play woman then woman must serve man by allowing him to do so.”
“Yes, but when it comes time for love, man must find woman.”
“Though some men find men.”
“I have heard of such men. And I have heard of such men acting as women to find men.”
“True, some onnagata go getta men, so to speak. ”
“And so you do speak.”
“But you are a man and you like women, right?”
“Yes, but not onnagata.”
“No, I mean like me.”

With that, Sanjiro nodded affirmatively and took off her blouse, a colorful top made of silk and salad.
“Well, very nice,” said Sanjiro. “And you are not a follower of Neo-Confucianism?”
“You see these?” she said, pointing to her perky breasts.
“Do I?”
“Yes, well this is as neo as I get, if you catch my drift.”
“Do I?”
“You do, I can see it in your eyes.”
“You can.”

They made love, according to Akira, for the first of over two thousand times over the next two months. And in between love-making, Sanjiro convinced Okuni that his plays were worthwhile. And she never once realized that it was all part of a master plan, one that would bring Shaki back to the forefront of Japanese culture.

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 7:12 PM

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Friday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred thirteen

So it was that the philosophical era thrived outside of Japan. But inside, even without the influence of foreign literature, things changed and conspired against the great thinkers.

Despite the isolation with the rest of the world, domestic trade and agricultural production improved. Some feel this was because there was nothing much else to do but work and the Japanese work ethic was becoming stronger. A lot of this came to pass thanks to the philosophers, who eventually learned to do some down-and-dirty hands-on work because they had to feed themselves and their families. Philosophy had proven not to be a thriving industry, to say the least, and that is the least I can say.

During the Edo Era and especially during the Genroku Era (1688 to around 1703, it was an era within an era), popular culture flourished. New art forms like kabuki became very popular, especially among the villages of working people.

The most important common practice around this time in Japan was Neo-Confucianism. It was stressing the importance of morals, education and hierarchical order in the government and society. Were it not for a backlash with the philosophers of the Edo Era, the Neo-Confusianism would not have flourished. For people shunned intellectualism for some simple fun and more use of their muscles. Intellectualism, after all, was not helping anyone break a sweat.

Oddly enough, Neo-Confucianism was imported from China. No one brought it in, mind you. Its foundations were already in Japan, known as Confucianism. But when the rebellion of intellect swarmed over the Edo Era, some people went to Confucianism and felt they had to modernize it. The old Chinese deal needed a facelift. So common people began to spiff up the doctrine and, of course, put the word “Neo” in front of it to show that it was a fresh and exciting thing.

Fresh and exciting were the new buzzwords in Japan as the 1700s came. Kabuki, for one, was all the rage.

Kabuki has become a traditional form of Japanese theater. It was founded by Okuni, a shrine maiden. She brought her unique and lively dance style to the dry river beds of Kyoto and helped what developed into a sophisticated, highly stylized form of theater. Kabuki plays and dances are some times about grand historical events or the everyday lives of people in the Edo Era. Other times they are meaningless dribble with catchy tunes.

However, even though Okuni, a woman, created Kabuki, early in its years, all roles were taken by men. Men who play the roles of women are referred to as "onnagata," which translates to "female role specialists." It was considered fresh and exciting for men to portray women in the new theater.

However, it is here that, according to Akira Yakamoo, Shaki came back into the Japanese culture with a fervor. Seizing an opportunity to create controversy and havoc, therefore gaining power and influence, the face of Sanjiro Yakimoo surfaced in Kyoto disguised as a Kabuki author.

Sanjiro Yakamoo had been born in the hills and had lived there in hiding with his Yakamoo ancestors and others who were remnants of the great Masu Yakamoo lineage. Shaki was in his blood and, as Akira describes, Sanjiro had the makings of a great leader, a man who could—and eventually would—take Shaki out of the cinders and make it fresh and exciting. How ironic that the great criminal underground would find new breath in a Japan that had become so cultured and envigorated by fresh and exciting and was so in touch with the moral fiber of Neo-Confucianism.

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 6:19 PM

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Thursday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred twelve

Another rare look at excerpts from Hoocares’ Why?, translated by Ike Smearfold.

“The village pauper says, ‘And now you know that because I have a belly full I don’t want to find the answers to the questions I came here to get.’
“’It always happens,’ says the village wise man.
“’So,’ says the village pauper as he cleaned his mouth from eating the good soup with such fervor as a mountain lion would gnaw at fresh kill, ‘ how about dessert?’
“With that, the village wise man tossed the village pauper out of his abode and he shakes his fist at the man and he says, ‘You will always go hungry with manners such as that! No less your mind be empty as your stomach and your heart as cold as ice.’

“And your heart as cold as ice was the term the village wise man said to the village pauper and there is the moral to the fable, the parable, the story, the brief encounter. But what cold heart knows an answer to anything? Get it? So you see, or you have a better understanding of my mission to ask a question and explain about answers? Do you get why I titled this book a question instead of an answer? Is your heart warmed and ready to take to it the spirit of the way and the way of the spirit?

“Can the question be answered at all, then, and you ask, too if any question matters or is without an answer and if so, what is the answerless question? And every question continually breeds questions. Think of how many questions there are.

“The why.

“The when.

“The what.

“The how.

“The where.

“The who.

“They are all roll off the lips like jellied tarts, and they all open a world of knowledge and experience, if not a world of humor and excitement, all within the confines of a limited mind that wanders in the worlds of knowledge, experience, humor and excitement.

“For without knowledge where is the experience and without the humor where is the excitement? When is it, too? And why is it knowledge and not experience and when is it humor and not knowledge? And who is humorous that is not knowledgeable and when does experience become humorous and how does it last without experience?

“You now see the question is always why?”

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 5:58 PM

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Wednesday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred eleven

Another rare look at excerpts from Hoocares’ Why?, translated by Ike Smearfold.

“The village pauper says, ‘Very well, I had a bowl of rice and a piece of raw fish last night.’
“’You must live to tell the truth,’ says the village wise man.
“’But the raw fish was undercooked and I threw up later that evening.’
“’I see.’
“’So, maybe you can tell me how to find an answer, since I have only questions.’
“’That is why I am here,’ says the village wise man.
“’And so it is. I not only will tell you what you need to know, but I will keep it in the present tense so that this fable can always be told and learned from by others.’
“’Whatever,’ says the village pauper. ‘But can you tell me while I eat something?’

The village wise man gets the village pauper a bowl of soup that is rich with herbs and chunks of fresh chicken.

“’This soup is rich with herbs and chunks of fresh chicken,’ says the village pauper.
“’Healthy food can wake up the spirit in a man,’ says the village wise man.
“’What about a woman?’ says the village pauper.
“’A woman can also wake the spirit.’
“’No, I mean can healthy food do the same for a woman?’
“’Yes.’
“And the village pauper eats quickly and sloppily.

“’Hunger of mind and body go together,’ says the village wise man.
“’But a full stomach is better than a full mind,’ says the still eating village pauper.
“’This is true only because life keeps one thinking.’
“’Can’t think dead.’
“’Not as we know it.’
“’Death is not a question.’
“’No. It is a state of non-being.’
“’None being isn’t as active as being.’
“’True, and non-being asks no questions.’
“’And therefore has no answers.’
“’Non-being is an answer.’
“’It is?’
“’Yes.’
“What’s the question?’
“’To what?’
“’To non-being as the answer.’
“’You don’t know, you hungry slave.’
“’That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.’

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 7:26 PM

Monday, June 28, 2004

Tuesday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred ten

Another rare look at excerpts from Hoocares’ Why?, translated by Ike Smearfold.

“The village pauper says, ‘Three years. I have been counting. Day after day I starve and my bones grow weaker.’
“’But really, three years?’ says the village wise man. ‘You would be dead.’
“’I am not dead, just very hungry,’ says the village pauper.
“’Why didn’t you come here before, then?’ says the village wise man.
“’Why, why, why, it is always the question,’ says the village pauper. ‘I have no answer, and so I starve.’
“’Sure, but not for three years,’ says the village wise man.
“’Yes, three years.’
“’No.’
“’Yes, three years.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’All right then, two and a half years.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Two years.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’A year and ten months.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“A year and nine months.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“A year.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Ten months.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Nine months.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Eight.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Seven.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Six.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Five.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Four.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’Three.’
“’No, your mind is clouded from lack of food.’
“’I am running out of numbers,’ says the village pauper.
“’And still you lie.’
“’Not a lie, it is not.’
“’Is too.’
“’Not a lie, it is not.’
“’Is too.’
“’Not a lie, it is not.’
“’Is too.’
“’Not a lie, it is not.’
“’Is too.’

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 7:19 PM

Sunday, June 27, 2004

Monday; The Complete and Unabridged History of Japan, part three hundred nine

A rare look at excerpts from Hoocares’ Why?, translated by Ike Smearfold.

“And so the question is eternally asked, sometimes shouted, sometimes whispered to the priests and the children. We all ask it, some before breakfast and others after lunch and even others when no meal is available.

“Because we look for answers, and want them neatly packaged and preserved. No man, woman or child can know it all, whatever ‘it’ is and if one knew all of it where would one put it?

“So the answer to why only presents more questions.

“Like where?

“Like how?

“Like when?

“And all together, the who of the asking says, ‘Where, how and when,’ only to be drowned in uncertainty and misnomer and misdirection and a cloud of untouchable tangents.

“For to know why, perhaps, if not maybe, but certainly, is to know more than what one asks. That is, the answer known would mean the question is no longer askable.

“An unasked question is not asked because one knows the answer, usually, and sometimes because more than one knows the answer. If many know the answer, no on asks. It everyone knows the answer, then the question is put aside, left unspoken and unused.

“For every unused question there is an answer. Thus, a question unasked is a question unanswered, yet only unanswered because everyone knows the answer. An answer is a fact and a fact bears no questioning.

“Take the story of the pauper who knew not why the sun broke the dark of night.

“In this story the village pauper is so poor that he doesn’t even think about money. Yet, the night time darkness disappears and becomes day. The village pauper asks, ‘Why’ over and over again until he is red in the face and his knees ache.

“Finally he goes to the village wise man, who does not make much of a living at being the village wise man but is filled with answers nonetheless.

“The village wise man greets the village pauper and asks if he would like something to eat. The village pauper says, ‘Of course I do. I am hungry. I have no money. I cannot buy food. I have not eaten in three years.’

“The village wise man says, ‘Three years? I doubt that.’

To be continued

Frank Cotolo 7:11 PM