"National Character"

     There are historians and other academics that claim there is such a thing as "national character," certain characteristics that are unique to that nations.  Whether that is true or not is debatable.  There are historical events, actual or fictional (folklore), that supposedly depict this national character.  Usually this is described in literature, ancient chronicles and sagas, and there are some traits that can be singled out as being unique to that particular culture, that nation.
     Take for example the act of disembowelment, more commonly referred to as hara-kiri or seppuku.  This act is almost immediately associated with Japanese and their Samurai culture.  There are countless accounts, both factual and fictional, of seppuku/hara-kiri being committed by individuals to demonstrate loyalty to a cause or individual.  Incidentally, hara-kiri means to "cut-stomach" - hara means stomach and kiri means cut.  Seppuku is the reading of the same kanji (Chinese characters) in reverse.
     To the Japanese, no event in their history depicts their "national character" better than the Ako Jiken (Ako Incident) which took place in the early 1700s.  This factual incident involved mass seppuku committed by 47 loyal retainers of Lord Asano. They had avenged the wrongful (as they perceived it) death of their master, Lord Asano.  But in doing so, they had broken the law of the land, so they had to pay a price, which was their life.  The story of the 47 Samurai or ronin (since they were unemployed at the time of their death!) is celebrated not only in Japan, but well known in the rest of the world.  Many books have been written about this incident and several movies were made in Japan.  Hollywood got into the act and made a movie called the 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves, a garbled version of the original story line.  Hollywood seems to do that (messing up the real story) all the time, as you will see.
     Then in the late 1800s, during the Meiji Restoration, another incident occurred that is often compared to the Ako Incident of the1700s.  This one was called the Shinpuren Jiken (Shinpuren Incident) and it involved a Samurai clan that refused to submit to modernization and hopelessly fought against the modern Japanese army armed rifles and machineguns, while they were armed only with swords, spears.  As with the Ako Incident, the survivors of this uprising committed seppuku in a traditional manner.  This incident is also celebrated in Japan as a depiction of Japanese "national character."  Hollywood made a movie of this incident as well, another garbled version called The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise.
     In the more modern times, in 1932 there was an incident known as the Ni Ni Roku Jiken (the February 24th Incident) which involved a coupe attempt that was carried out by a group of Japanese Imperial Army officers.  The officers were opposed to what they felt was the "weak" civilian government and wanted a more aggressive, militaristic government.  Although they managed to kill several government officials, including the Prime Minister of Japan at the time, the coupe failed.  Some of the rebels were forced to commit seppuku while others were "forgiven."  The outcome of this "failed" coupe was that the militarists took over control of the government and shortly Japan invaded Manchuria and then China, and of course, ultimately led to the disastrous World War Two.
     All of these three incidents are very important to Japanese history, since they not only defined the Japanese society at the time, but formed new attitudes and at the same time demonstrated that "national character" or trait.  All three incidents demonstrated the act of gekkokujo (literally to go against), a uniquely Japanese trait.  In a society where everything is tightly controlled, where behavioral patterns are ruled by what the society dictates, one does not step out of line.  As I have mentioned before in earlier blogs on kamikaze pilots, tokkotai (boy soldiers), you just do not go against the norm.  As the Japanese proverb says, "A nail that sticks out invites a hammer!"
     However, if you do go against the norm for a "good" cause, you are generally forgiven for your transgressions. After all, you did it for the good of all.  Gekkokujo is going against the law, the norm, for the good of all or for what you believe to be good.  Therefore, the act, although it could be bloody and violent, may be forgiven!  The 47 Ronin broke the law when they sought revenge against Lord Kira, the enemy of their master Lord Asano.  By invading Kira's castle and killing his soldiers and killing and beheading him, they had committed murder in the eyes of the law.  But, they had committed gekkokujo because they committed the act with pure hearts in the belief that they had to perform their duty to their lord.  So, although they had to take their own lives, they were forgiven for their crimes.  The same thing applies to those involved in Shinpuren Jiken and later in the Ni Ni Roku Jiken.
     After the Ni Ni Roku Jiken, there was nothing that took place in Japan that was thought of in the same way.  There may have been some incidents during World War Two, including possibly even some tokkotai pilots acts.  But World War Two was such a negative experience for Japanese that it has been cast aside as something they don't want to think about or bring back even if only in memory!
     There was only one more "incident" in the modern era that earned that title.  It took place in November of 1970 and it is called the Mishima Jiken, "Mishima Incident."  Yukio Mishima was a somewhat controversial novelist who wrote some fascinating pieces of literature during his relatively short lifetime.  Mishima, at one point was considered a strong candidate for a Nobel Prize for Literature.  His works were most widely read, translated into more languages than any other Japanese author of the period.  Throughout his literary career, he was strongly opposed to and distressed by Japan's abandonment of its traditional values and only concerned with earning the mighty dollar!  He constantly harped in his writings about returning to the traditional values.  He culminated his literary career by writing a tetralogy, a series of four novels connected through the theme of reincarnation.
     On the morning when the last chapter of the fourth book of the tetralogy was delivered to the publisher, Mishima went (along with three of his followers) to the Headquarters of Jietai, the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (Army), and attempted to incite the gathered troops to rebel against the system, to return to traditional values.  He was, of course, booed by the troops, called baka-yoro (fool), and worst!  He was no fool, and he knew damn well that no one was going to follow his plea for returning to the traditional values!  Mishima wanted to die! So, having failed to incite the troops to rebel, he committed seppuku!  That was the last known seppuku committed by anyone in Japan !  The Mishima Jiken, in its own twisted way, also demonstrated Japanese "national character."
     I started this blog on "national character" with Japan because Japan has the most easily identifiable three (discounting Mishima) historical incidents that can be classified in that category.  Others may not have as many, but each nation seems to have at least one work of literature or incident in history that is identifiable with "national character."