Mediocre Samurai Describes Real Life in Historical Japan

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Extracts taken from: Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai by Katsu Kokichi (Author), Teruko Craig (Translator, Introduction)
University of Arizona Press (July 1, 1991)

Edited by Douglas Baker and David Kelly
Narration by David Kelly
Thumbnail Art by Ettore Mazza

[VoicesofthePast]

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[thehelldoicallthis]

Bro just casually explains how at 7 years old he lost a fight over some kites and decided he must commit ritual suicide on the spot

[theicepickthatkilledtrotsk]

Hey man not everyone can be a Miyamoto Musashi.

[Kozo-Sushi]

For those that don't know Katsu's background before he started his story. He's a LEGENDARY slacker. He was adopted into his family so his "sister" could marry him without giving up her independence. His "brother" Otani by the time he was 25 was a famous calligrapher and philosopher. His father was a shogunate official. Katsu more or less survived on NEET allowance (43 koku = 43 x $800) for his entire life as a death benefit from his adopted father. Katsu was so notoriously inept that he begged his son at FIFTEEN to take over the entire household because the family was falling apart and Otani couldn't handle it anymore. His son Rintaro would go on to become one of the best naval commanders in Japanese history, driven by his fear of turning into his father and the wise guidance of Otani making him so charismatic he talked the legendarily hardcore ronin rebel Sakamoto Ryoma into quitting his terror campaign and becoming his assistant.

[journeyman]

His son, Rintaro, better known as Kaishū, would later go on to be the Shōgun's army minister and is considered to be the father of the Japanese Navy. He also negotiated the surrender of Edo castle and the safety of the last Shōgun Yoshinobu (Keiki). While he may have been mediocre, his son became a national hero. Good thing his testicular infection healed.

[tabby]

The dude managed to have kids and an active sex life after rolling off a cliff in his sleep and smashing his nuts so bad they got infected. He didn't even seek medical help for them out of sheer embarrassment. This dude has all his stats in luck

[GustafUNL]

The craziest part of this story is how he had a serious infected untreated testicular injury that lasted months or years, and he was still able to have children just fine. Man is strong.

[atimidbirb]

I am WHEEZING at that part where as kids his classmates tied him up and strung him above them to eat his lunchbox, so he PISSED ALL OVER THEM AND THE FOOD

[Brandon-mlzw]

This is what real life feels like. There’s not always a solid beginning, middle and end. Just things happening, things being left undone or unsaid, and finally a bit of reflection and maybe even regret before death. We’re just so used to only “outstanding” people having their histories recorded for us, never the common guy.

[maxsmith]

This is so cool because it's actually the story of someone's life, open ends and unfinished business, plans that didn't work out, just a mess of ideas and experiences.

[drumpower]

"My body has no scars"

BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR BALLS

[bnnyyy]

i bet he’d never imagine that people hundreds of years later would be watching a video about him. crazy how life and history works

[eddiehopper]

“I got up my courage, and spend my whole day begging” I can only imagine what one must be going thru when they make this mental calculus. Yet I hardly ever consider the lives of the panhandlers on my daily commute. What adventures and misfortunes they must’ve endured up to the decision to start begging on the side of the highway

[John-isnj]

It's interesting that the son of this samurai was Katsu Kaishu who was one of the foremost and most interesting figures in the Meiji restoration that brought Japan into the western 'modern' era. He helped save Tokyo from destruction in the civil war that ensued among many other accomplishments.

[BobyChanMan]

The story about the innkeeper helping him after his things are stolen is really wholesome, one man's kindness has survived hundreds of years.

[alexandercarder]

I’m gonna be 42 at the end of this year and I can say that this story has been just like my life until now. I’ve done every evil vice this world has to offer and it reduced me to a homeless wretch of a man but bit by bit I’ve clawed my way out of the life of destruction and now I want to live a life worth while and love my family and be the husband my fiancé deserves.

[CheddarbobOriginal]

"Ever since my father died I've had no one to turn to"... I toally felt that part. Miss you pops.

[mercster]

No man is mediocre who, after a life filled with wretched failure and strife, comes to terms with his own foolishness and leaves a word to the wise for those who come after him.

[jacksonhodge]

Plain journals like this from average cowboys and samurai are in my opinion the best way to look into history accurately. They don’t dwell on significant events like historians or record keepers do, and I think that makes their perspective less prone to corruption or censorship.

[derpnerpwerp]

Honestly I have to imagine this guy was pretty charismatic even if he is not emphasizing it much in his writing. There seems to be an implication that he charmed most people he met and was able to get by living a fairly idle life off of his personality alone