Harakiri (Seppuku) (切腹)

A shochiku production

Japan art festival entry 37th year of showa era

"In the year 1630,

"13th day of ma y.

'7-'air skies.

"Extreme/ y hot from early on in the day."

Iyi clan journal

"at 10 in the morning, master bennosu/(E...

"Pays a visit to the kandahashi mansion of the honourable lord dal;

"to present fresh river trout from the shiraka wa river;

"which arrived from our domain.

"No other official business to record.

"Ho we vel; At about four in the afternoon,

"a samurai claiming to he a former retainer

"of the fukushima clan in Hiroshima

"appeared at our gate."

Ha ra kirl

Produced by hosoya tatsuo

original story by takiguchi yasuhiko

screenplay by hashimoto shinobu

cinematography by miyajima yoshio

music by takemitsu toru

Cast:

Nakadai tatsuya

ishihama Akira, iwashita shima

tam ba tetsu ro

mishima masao, nakatani ichiro

sato kei, inaba yoshio, aoki yoshiro

Mikuni rentaro

directed by kobayashi masaki

soto sakurada-machi, edo

official residence of the iyi clan

you were a retainer of the former fukushima clan in Hiroshima?

Correct.

My name is tsugumo hanshiro.

Written with the character "tsu" for "harbour"

and "gumo" for "cloud".

What is the nature of your visit?

The house of my master fell in 1619.

Subsequently, I left the domain and moved here to edo,

where I found shelter in a back-alley tenement.

While eking out a meagre living,

I sought connections for employment with a new master.

But try as I might, we live now in times of peace,

and my every effort has been in vain.

Failing to find employment and with little to do,

he finds himself in dire straits

and believes that he can endure it no further.

Rather than live on in such poverty and disgrace,

he wishes to die honourably by committing harakiri

and asks for permission to use our forecourt.

Such is his request, sire.

Not again?

Will it never stop?

How shall I respond, sire?

Fine. Show him in, then.

This way.

Please enter.

Thank you.

| am a former retainer

of lord fukushima masanori of Hiroshima.

Tsugumo hanshiro by name.

I respectfully beg your favour.

I am senior counsellor of the house of iyi, saito kageyu.

I am much obliged for this immediate interview.

The purpose of my visit...

I've already been told of your request.

Rather than live on in endless poverty, idly waiting for death,

you wish to end your life in a manner befitting a samurai.

I believe that was the gist of it.

Indeed.

In these times, your resolve is truly admirable.

I can only express the highest esteem.

You mentioned that you served the former lord fukushima.

Did you happen to know a man named chijiiwa motome?

Chijiiwa?

Yes.

Well...

You don't recognise the name?

I'm quite certain he said he'd served the former lord fukushima.

In its prosperous days, the clan's retainers

numbered some 12,000 men.

One could hardly know them all.

I see.

But never mind that.

Earlier this year, perhaps around the end ofjanuary,

this Ronin named chijiiwa motome came calling.

The purpose of his visit was the same as yours.

He requested the use of our forecourt to dispatch himself with honour.

Isthatso?

Would you like me to tell you what happened in that case?

I would indeed.

You say you were a retainer

of the former fukushima clan in Hiroshima?

Correct.

I served the former lord fukushima masanori of Hiroshima.

My name is chijiiwa motome.

And what is the nature of your visit?

After the fall of my master's house,

I moved here to edo and found shelter in a back-alley tenement.

While eking out a meagre living,

I sought connections for employment with a new master.

But try as I might, we live in times of peace,

and my every effort has been in vain.

So now it seems it's our turn.

How shall we respond?

Let me think.

It's amazing how such foolishness can take hold.

Blame it on what the sengoku clan did.

- Say what you will, that was a mistake. - No, yazaki.

- That's not necessarily true. - Why not?

The fellow who went to the sengoku house

was serious about committing harakiri.

There was nothing dishonourable about his intent.

It was precisely because they were touched by his sincerity

that the sengoku house decided to take him in as a back-room retainer.

That was good. They made the right decision.

The problem is the shameless imitators who have followed.

They have no intention whatsoever of performing harakiri,

and just because they're hurting a little for food and clothing,

they show up at our gate to practise their pathetic extortion.

We can't very well allow him to disembowel himself in our gateway.

Our only choice is to follow the example of other clans,

and give him a little something and ask him to leave.

No. That will not do.

If we give him money and send him away,

he'll soon be followed by others.

One after the other,

like ants drawn to a mound of sugar.

Ever since the battle of sekigahara,

edo has been teeming with masterless samurai.

They're like wild dogs roving about in search of prey.

Think what people will say...

"Everybody thought that the house of iyi had backbone,

"so up until now, the Ronin avoided their gate.

"But look what they've done now.

"They boast of their martial valour,

"but this is a time of peace,

"so they're just living through yesterday's dreams."

Would you have such derisive chatter spreading all over edo?

Especially when our lord is away in his domain.

Under no circumstances

can we allow a stain on our lord's name while he's away.

Giving him money and asking him to leave,

such Lily-livered nonsense is out of the question.

He hasn't the slightest intention of killing himself,

yet he speaks of honourable harakiri.

Counsellor!

If I may...

My apologies for keeping you waiting.

I am kawabe umenosuke, a member of lord iyi's mounted guard.

My name is chijiiwa motome, a Ronin from Hiroshima.

Kindly come with me.

- Excuse me? - I am to show you to the bath.

Since lord iyi is at present away in his domain,

counsellor saito conveyed your request

to his lordship's son, bennosuke.

He finds your resolve most admirable

and wishes to Grant you an immediate audience.

So... I am to have an audience with master bennosuke?

Correct.

I must beg your pardon, but your present attire will not do.

While you refresh yourself in the bath,

we'll arrange for some new robes for you.

I place myself in your hands.

Your kindness overwhelms me.

I must be dreaming.

This is so...

Completely unexpected.

Almost...

Pardon me.

My apologies for keeping you waiting so long.

I must ask you to change again.

Your robes.

Is something wrong?

What about my audience with master bennosuke?

I was told I'd be granted an audience.

I don't believe so.

- You must have misunderstood. - No, I'm quite certain.

That was the word I received from kawabe of the mounted guard.

Kawabe?

Now that you mention it...

That must be it.

So I'm not mistaken?

I believe I understand.

When counsellor saito conveyed your desire to master bennosuke,

he noted how rare it was these days to find men with such a sense of honour.

"I would like to add this man to the ranks of our retainers", he said.

"But when a man declares that he wishes to cut his belly open,

"it can only come from a most profound resolve.

"I am sure it would be no use trying to dissuade him.

"Grant him his final wish.

"I would like to meet this man of uncommon valour

"and tell him how much I admire his purpose.

"Unfortunately I am scheduled to go to lord doi's residence at this hour.

"Extend to him every courtesy of this house,

"and have all our retainers witness his final act,

"that they may remember it as a proud example."

Such were master bennosuke's words, I was told.

Tell me, what do you think of this story?