by Osamu Dazai
Hirosaki Castle lies at the center of the history of the Tsugaru clan. The founder of the Tsugaru clan, Oura Tamenobu, supported the Tokugawa clan in the Battle of Sekigahara. In Keicho year 8 (1603), by proclamation of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, he became a noble with forty-seven thousand koku under the Tokugawa shogunate and immediately began to plot the boundary of the castle moat in Hirosaki-Takaoka. Hirosaki Castle was finally completed at the start of the reign of the second generation daimyo Tsugaru Nobuhira. Successive generations of daimyo were based in Hirosaki Castle. At the time of the fourth generation Nobumasa, Nobuhide was made to form a branch family in Kuroishi. The family was split into the two clans of Hirosaki and Kuroishi, and ruled Tsugaru. Despite Hidemasa's reputation gained in Tsugaru of the good governance and his being a star among the seven wise rulers of the Genroku era, which has been sung about, great famines during Houreki and Tenmei during the seventh generation Nobuyasu transformed all of Tsugaru into a gruesome hell. And the clan's finances plunged into extreme poverty. In the midst of dire prospects, the eight generation Nobuaki and the ninth generation Yasuchika desperately planned the restoration of the clan's power. At the time of the eleventh generation Yukitsugu, catastrophe had been narrowly avoided. In the age of the twelfth generation of Tsuguakira, the daimyo's fief was auspiciously restored to the emperor and gave birth to the present-day Aomori Prefecture. That is a brief overview of the circumstances of the history of Hirosaki Castle and the history of Tsugaru. I intend to describe more about Tsugaru's history later. For now, I will write a bit about my recollections of Hirosaki and tie them to this introduction of Tsugaru.
I spent three years in the castle town of Hirosaki. During those years, I studied the literature course at Hirosaki High School. At the time, I suspected the course mainly consisted of gidayu recitations for puppet theater. It was very strange. On the way home from school, I'd stop by the home of a woman teacher of gidayu. The first time, the puppet theater play was probably The Diary of the Morning Glory or something like that, I can't remember. Other plays like The Village of Nozaki, Tsubozaka, and Kamiji are burned into my memory. Why do I begin with something so strange and out of character? I don't think the full responsibility lies with the city of Hirosaki, but I'd like Hirosaki to accept a speck of responsibility.
Gidayu was mysteriously popular in this town. Sometimes amateurs held gidayu recitals in the town's theaters. Once, I went to listen, but the town patrons wore kamishimo ceremonial samurai dress and gave solemn recitations of the gidayu. Not one of them was adept but they spoke from their hearts without being the least bit pretentious and gave thoughtful recitations. From long ago, few men of refined taste seemed to inhabit Aomori City. However, they were cunning men who practiced the short love songs only to elicit, "Oh, you are so good," from the geisha or to use their refined behaviors as weapons of government and business policies. I think these pitiful patrons, who easily broke into heavy perspiration to study a vapid traditional art, often appear in Hirosaki City.
In other words, true dummies still live in Hirosaki. The following words are written in the ancient writings of war chronicles called Eiki Gunki.
The hearts of the people of the two provinces of Mutsu and Dewa are foolish and do not know how to submit to a strongman. He becomes an enemy of the ancestors. He becomes vulgar. His strength simply came from the fortunes of war at the time. He boasts of power and influence but will not be obeyed.
The people of Hirosaki possess this truly foolish willpower and do not know how to bow to strongmen despite being defeated over and over. A defense of conceited aloofness tends to transform into a joke to the rest of the world.
Thanks to my three years there, I am struck by nostalgia and zealously watch gidayu. I express my romantic nature below. The following passages are from an old novel of mine but, I confess with a wry smile, they are only quirky fabrications.
I have fond memories of drinking wine in a coffee shop. One time, I brazenly went to eat at a restaurant with a geisha. My younger self did not consider that to be particularly bad. I always believed behaving like a stylish yakuza was a lofty hobby. By going to eat two or three times at the quiet, old restaurant in the castle town, my instinct for style made heads snap up. Then I found my purpose. I wanted to dress in the clothes of the fireman seen in the play The Quarrels of Megumi, sit cross-legged in a tatami room overlooking the inner garden of the restaurant, and say things like, "My, my, you are too pretty today." Still enthused, I started to prepare my outfit.
I shoved my hands in the big pocket of my dark blue workman's apron. An old-fashioned wallet was inside. When I walk with my arms folded in my kimono, I looked like a full-fledged yakuza. I also bought an obi sash. This sash made from Hakata cloth squeaked when tightened. I ordered an unlined kimono made of tozan cloth from the kimono shop. Unfortunately, these clothes were indecipherable. Was I a fireman? A professional gambler? A shop boy? They lacked a unifying theme. However, if my clothes gave the impression of a man who frequented the theater, I was satisfied. Summer began and I wore hemp sandals on my bare feet.
That was good, but a strange thought flashed through my mind. It was long underwear. I considered wearing long, formfitting, dark blue work pants like the fireman in the play. I was called, "Clown," and I rolled up the hem of my kimono ready to fight. At that time, the dark blue work pants looked so much better, like they pierced my eyes. Short underpants were forbidden. I tried to buy the work pants and ran around from one end of the castle town to the other but found none.
I'd breathlessly explain, "You know, what plasterers wear. Do you have those tight, dark blue work pants?" I asked at dry goods shops and tabi sock shops, but the shop workers smiled and shook their heads no. It was already hot, and sweat poured out of me as I ran around on my quest. Finally, the proprietor of one shop said, "We don't carry them, but there's a specialty shop for firefighters in the alley around the corner. Go ask there. They may have them." Of course. Firefighting never crossed my mind.
A shop for firefighters made sense, and I sped to that shop in the alley. Large and small firefighting pumps were lined up in the shop. Clothes were displayed, too. I felt helpless, but my courage was inspired. I asked if they had work pants, the prompt response was yes. They were dark blue, cotton work pants, but thick, red stripes ran down both sides of the pants to indicate a fireman. I didn't have the courage to walk around in them and, sadly, had to abandon the work pants.
Even at the home of stupidity, there is little of this level of stupidity. As I copied this passage, I sunk into a little melancholy. The red-light district where the restaurant I dined with the geisha stood was probably Enoki Alley. This event happened nearly twenty years ago and has faded from memory. I do remember Enoki Alley at the foot of Omiyasaka Hill. The area I walked around drenched in sweat to buy dark blue work pants was the most lively shopping district of the castle town and called Dote-machi. In comparison, the red-light district in Aomori is called Hama-machi. That name is missing a personality. The shopping district in Aomori corresponding to Dote-machi in Hirosaki is Oo-machi. I feel the same about that name. Next, I will list the names of towns in Hirosaki beside those in Aomori. The differences in the personalities of these two small cities become stark. The names of towns in Hirosaki are Hon-cho, Zaifu-cho, Dote-machi, Sumiyoshi-cho, Okeya-machi, Douya-machi, Chabatake-cho, Daikan-cho, Kaya-cho, Hyakkoku-machi, Kamisayashi-machi, Shimosayashi-machi, Teppou-machi, Wakadou-cho, Kobito-cho, Takajou-machi, Gojitsukoku-machi, and Konya-machi [Capital Town, Government Town, Embankment Town, Good Living Town, Cooper Town, Coppersmith Town, Tea Field Town, Locally Administrated Town, Silvergrass Town, One Hundred Stones Town, Upper Sword Sheather Town, Lower Sword Sheather Town, Gun Town, Foot Soldier Town, Dwarf Town, Falconer Town, Fifty Stones Town, and Dyer Town]. In contrast, the names of the towns in Aomori are Hama-machi, Shin Hama-machi, Oo-machi, Kome-machi, Shin-machi, Yanagi-machi, Tera-machi, Tsutsumi-machi, Shio-machi, Shijimi-machi, Shin Shijimi-machi, Ura-machi, Namiuchi, and Sakae-machi
[Beach Town, New Beach Town, Big Town, Rice Town, New Town, Willow Town, Shrine Town, Embankment Town, Salt Town, Clam Town, New Clam Town, Inlet Town, Shoreline Town, and Prosperous Town].
However, I never thought of Hirosaki City as the superior town and Aomori City as the inferior town. Old-fashioned names like Takajou-machi and Konya-machi are not unique to Hirosaki but towns bearing those kinds of names are found in castle towns throughout Japan. Of course, Mount Iwaki in Hirosaki is more beautiful than the Hakkoda Mountains in Aomori. But the master novelist from Tsugaru, Kasai Zenzou, gave this lesson to this junior author from his native land, "Don't be conceited. Mount Iwaki looks magnificent because no high mountains surround it. Go to other countries and look around. A mountain like that is commonplace. With no high mountains in the area, it appears blessed. Don't be vain."
Although countless historic castle towns are spread throughout Japan, for some reason, the inhabitants of the castle town of Hirosaki seem to take pride in the feudal nature of their stubbornness. This is not defiance, but compared to Kyushu, Shikoku, and Yamato, the Tsugaru region can be said to be almost entirely a frontier. What kind of history is there to be proud of throughout the province? During the recent Meiji Restoration, what kind of loyalists emerged from this clan? What was the clan's attitude? To be blunt, wasn't their course of action to merely follow the lead of the other clans? Exactly where is this proud tradition? What is the source of the stubborn swagger of the people of Hirosaki?
A man with power was no good. He had pride in power that came from very good luck. I heard when His Excellency Ichinohe Hyoe, the general who hailed from this region, returned home, he always wore serge hakama trousers when wearing Japanese clothes. If he returned home wearing military dress, the people of his hometown would glare at him in anger, square their elbows, and wonder aloud what he had turned into because, at best, he had a stroke of very good luck. Wisely, when he returned home, he wore serge hakama trousers with his Japanese-style clothes. While not entirely true, this fable is plausible because the inhabitants of the castle town of Hirosaki have a baffling vicious rebelliousness.
What is being hidden? The truth is I have a bone with that kind of bad behavior in my body, too. That's not the only reason, but thanks to that bad bone, I am unable to rise above living day and night in the attic of a tenement house. Several years ago, a magazine company solicited me to write for A Few Words to My Hometown. My answer was I love you, I hate you.
I have slandered Hirosaki. However, this does not arise from a hatred of Hirosaki but is a reflection of me, the author. I am a native of Tsugaru. Generations of my ancestors were farmers in the Tsugaru clan. In other words, I am a pureblood native of Tsugaru. Thus, I badmouth Tsugaru holding little back. If a native of another land heard my ridicule and was prompted to underestimate Tsugaru, of course, that would trouble me. No matter what I say, I love Tsugaru.
Today, Hirosaki has ten thousand households and a population exceeding fifty thousand. Hirosaki Castle and the Five-Storied Pagoda of Saishoin Temple are designated as national treasures. Tayama Katai praised Hirosaki Park as the finest in Japan when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The headquarters of the Hirosaki Division are located there. The mountain pilgrimage Oyama-sankei takes place every year over three days, July 28 to August 1. Tens of thousands make the pilgrimage to the festival held at the rear shrine on top of the sacred Mount Iwaki in Tsugaru and pass through this very prosperous town while dancing all the way there and back. That's pretty much what is written in travel guides. Nonetheless, I've limited my descriptions of Hirosaki City to complaints.
Therefore, I traced the memories of my youth and wanted to depict a Hirosaki that lived up to its reputation. But each and every memory was silly, and I didn't get far. Unexpected abuse escaped from me, and I didn't know what to do. I'm too particular about this castle town of the former Tsugaru clan. Although this place should be the foundation of the quintessential spirit of a Tsugaru native, the character of this castle town remains vague in my description.
A castle tower surrounded by cherry blossoms is not unique to Hirosaki Castle. Aren't most of the castles in Japan surrounded by cherry blossoms? Isn't Owani Hot Springs able to preserve the scent of Tsugaru because it faces a side of the castle tower surrounded by cherry blossoms? Earlier I intended to write with foolish elation that Owani Hot Springs will not slurp up the drippings of the city and fall into a drunken frenzy as long as it faces Hirosaki Castle. I had an assortment of thoughts, but I sensed they were the sloppy sentimentality of the author's ornate prose. With nothing to rely on, I lost heart. In the end, this castle town is lackadaisical. Despite being the castle of generations of feudal lords, its prefectural authority was stolen by another up-and-coming town.
Throughout Japan, most prefectural capitals are the castle towns of the former clans. However, the prefectural authority of Aomori Prefecture is not Hirosaki City but was moved to Aomori City. I believe even Aomori Prefecture was unhappy. I don't especially hate Aomori City. Witnessing the prosperity of a rising town is invigorating. While Hirosaki City was defeated, I lost patience with its apathy. The desire to support the loser is human nature.
Some way or another, I want to be on the side of Hirosaki City. Although my composition is poor, I struggled to devise different ways to write but was unable to describe the ultimate merits of Hirosaki and the power of Hirosaki Castle's uniqueness. I will say it again. This place is the foundation of the spirit of the people of Tsugaru. There should be something. There should be a brilliant tradition found nowhere else after a search of all Japan. I have an inkling of what it is, but in what form can I express it? I'm frustrated and annoyed by my inability to reveal this to the reader.
I was a literature student at Hirosaki High School and remember visiting Hirosaki Castle by myself at twilight one spring day. As I stood on the corner of the castle plot and gazed at Mount Iwaki, I was overcome with the horror of the realization that a land of dreams was silently expanding at my feet. Until then, I only thought that Hirosaki Castle was isolated from the town of Hirosaki. But right below the castle, a quaint town I never noticed before consisted of rows of small buildings, which kept the same form for a long time, for hundreds of years. I quieted my breath and squatted down.
Oh, so there's also a town here. The young me felt like I was looking at a dream and a deep sigh escaped. I sensed the hidden pool that often appears in the verses of the Man'yoshu. Why did I feel I understood Hirosaki and Tsugaru at that moment? I thought Hirosaki was no ordinary town as long as this town existed. The reader may not understand my conceited conclusion. Hirosaki Castle is a rare, famous castle because of this hidden pool. And now I have no choice but to push through.
When the flowers on the many branches open near the hidden pool, and the castle tower with white walls stands silently, the castle is, without a doubt, a famous castle of this world. For all eternity, the hot springs beside the famous castle may never lose their rustic, simple character. In today's words, I could try optimistic outlook as my parting words to my beloved Hirosaki Castle. Come to think of it, similar to the grueling task of describing my relatives, describing the heart of my hometown is no easy task.
I don't know whether to praise or to criticize. In this introduction to Tsugaru, as I developed the memories of my youth about Kanagi, Goshogawara, Aomori, Hirosaki, Asamushi, and Owani, my jumbled words are a collection of blasphemous criticisms by someone who doesn't know his place. As expected, I puzzled over how to accurately tell the stories of these six towns and, naturally, became depressed. I may spew violent words that deserve capital punishment.
These six towns were most dear to me in my past, fashioned my personality, and determined my destiny. On the other hand, I may have blind spots regarding them. I realized I am in no way the best person to tell the stories of these towns. In the main story, I will try to avoid writing about these six towns and write about other towns in Tsugaru.
Finally, I can return to the opening paragraph of this intr
oduction with "I spent three weeks one spring touring the Tsugaru Peninsula at the northern end of Honshu." By taking this trip, I saw other towns and villages of Tsugaru for the first time in my life. Until then, I knew nothing about any towns other than the six I mentioned. In grammar school, I went on several field trips near Kanagi. Today, those fond memories are lost to me.
During midsummer vacations while in middle school, I lay on a couch in the Western-style room on the second floor of my house and guzzle cider as I randomly read my way through my older brothers' book collections and never went on any trips. During my vacations while in high school, I always visited the home in Tokyo of my next oldest brother (he was studying sculpture, but died at twenty-seven years old). When I graduated from high school, I went to college in Tokyo. For the next ten years, I never returned to my hometown; therefore, I must say this trip to Tsugaru was a momentous event.
I want to avoid having the know-it-all opinions resembling an expert about the topology, geology, astronomy, politics, history, education, and hygiene of the towns and villages I saw on this trip. I say this, but in the end, I have an embarrassingly thin veneer of one night of study. Those of you interested in these topics should pay close attention to specialists in those fields. I have another specialty. For the time being, the world may call that subject love. This subject researches the touching of the heart of one person to the heart of another. On this trip, my investigation will focus on this subject. Regardless of the perspective taken in this investigation, if I'm able to convey life today in Tsugaru to the reader, I probably won't receive a passing grade as a record of the culture and geography of Tsugaru during the Showa era but will have found success.
