Review: Taiko, by Eiji Yoshikawa

It’s quite some years ago that I read Musashi, by the same author, and I’d wanted Taiko for a long time but (until recently) found it hard to get my hands on a copy. Was the wait worth it?

In short, yes. Which was a relief.

Taiko actually occurs at a very similar time to Musashi, but the two stories do not intersect (nor is there any reason for them to). It follows Hideyoshi (as he became known), one of the three titans of the later Warring States (Sengoku) period in Japan, in the late 16^th century. I was slightly familiar with much of this political/military story from having played Kessen III a lot, but there are of course differences and more detail with this historical novel. Unlike Musashi, Taiko looks at the big picture of Japan as warlords struggle for supremacy while the shogunate falters. It’s a tale of war, treachery, plots, betrayal, and diplomatic cunning.

We join Hideyoshi as a young boy, and his childhood is not idyllic. From little food to a frail father, things don’t get much better in his later childhood. But eventually our protagonist leaves home and flits from one thing to another, gradually learning more about the world.

Hideyoshi is renowned as one of the three major figures of the era, and it’s in the impulsive but brilliant Nobunaga’s service that he earns the right to advance on merit rather than a prestigious bloodline.

Being the star of the show does mean that some of his weaknesses (womanising, primarily) get somewhat light treatment, and I don’t know the history of the era well enough to judge if the demonisation of some of his opponents is justified (Ieyasu, another major figure, is treated with great regard). What’s fascinating is the very different culture to Europe either at the time or in the medieval era (which, in some ways, is more akin to the Warring States period due to the near constant warfare in the 14^th century). By the end of the book my mind was naturally leaping to lines such as “Well, he screwed that up. Time for him to commit ritual suicide.”

Personally, I found Taiko very easy to not only read but become engrossed in, and the long term, detailed little threads (the enmity then friendship with Inuchiyo, for example) added to the story’s depth. One complaint is that the story is abridged (not sure why or by how much) in the English translation.

Musashi seems to be the author’s biggest hit, in the West at least, but I found Taiko to be very enjoyable. It’s a little like a simpler version of Three Kingdoms, with a greater emphasis on taking the reader into the world. At 926 pages or thereabouts it’s a reasonably hefty read, even abridged.

 

Thaddeus

Review: Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa

Musashi is the tale of the eponymous historical figure’s early life, beginning with the aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. This was the tail end of the Warring States period in Japan, which saw the Ashikaga shogunate totter and fall beneath the widespread warfare between daimyo (powerful noblemen). Sekigahara saw the forces of two of these, the Houses of Tokugawa and Toyotomi, clash. Tokugawa won and claimed supremacy, although the remnant forces of Toyotomi holed up at Osaka and dreamt of returning to glory.

In this world, there were many masterless samurai, called ronin, and Musashi was one of them. Early on he’s little more than a strong and energetic fighter, but over the course of the book he dedicates himself to the Way of the Sword and mastering himself. His wandering takes him from place to place, and the book’s POV sometimes switches to other significant characters, such as Matahachi (his comrade-in-arms at Sekigahara), and Otsu (a childhood friend from the same village). Various places are visited, including Kyoto, Osaka, and the rapidly expanding city of Edo. Coupled with smaller villages, this presents the reader with an interesting cultural backdrop including schools of swordsmanship, pleasure houses, and temples.

The book is large at 970 pages, but I read it faster than most things because I found the plot intriguing and the writing style easy to read. It perhaps also helped that the world of early 17^th century Japan was interesting to read about.

The cast is not as large as might be expected of such a big book, but the author’s style of drawing together and then dispersing clusters of characters, interweaving their own personal stories so that every character has different relationships with one another was very well done. It led to natural conflicts, allies of convenience, and explains how Musashi, despite doing his best to act honourably, managed to accrue quite a number of enemies over the years.

Other characters are three-dimensional, not merely reacting to Musashi’s own doings as background to his tale, but striving to achieve their own goals, whether that’s revenge or achieving success for oneself.

I tried to think of downsides, but it wasn’t especially easy. The size may put some people off. There is occasional sexual content but it’s the haziest of hazy watercolours you can imagine. Violence is a feature, of course, but far less frequent or visceral than in, say, Outlaws of the Marsh.

It’s a very enjoyable book, in short.

Thaddeus