TV keeps tradition of Samurai alive

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 11

TV keeps tradition of Samurai alive

The Japanese are a proud race and in Ms heart every man in this crowded but dynamic nation likes to imagine he is something of a samurai.

The professional warriors who stalked through the land only about 100 years ago were called samurai, and the tradition is kept alive , by Japanese television by innumerable dramas featuring their deeds, loves and valour. The. old-time samurai was something like the knight of

Europe in the Middle Ages. He wore two swords—one short and one long. He was above money, and never handled it He had supreme authority—even to the extent of lopping off the head of anyone who dared to cross his path. In the feudal society of old Japan, he was bound in loyalty to defend his lord, earl or baron. And each daimyo, as the lord was known, kept a corps of elite warriors ready for the bloody struggles that often broke out between them. When there was no fighting, the samurai had little to do but practise the arts of war, make love and amuse himself. The life of a samurai was governed by loyalty—and ideally he was supposed to give up Ms life for the noble he served. Many did, even to the extent of committing suicide, if he failed in an important task. All this makes wonderful material for television drama series, and Japanese channels, all in colour, are constantly featuring samurai serials. The samurai had colourful costumes, and at various times in Japan’s history he shaved his head in various ways. Sometimes ridges or top-knots were left, and on formal occasions he wore a kind of jacket with huge stiffened shoulder pieces. He strutted around in a curious split skirt and he also wore a silk obi around his kimono. His two swords were signs of his rank as well as weapons. Watching the filming of a samurai television production is an entertainment in itself for a Westerner. And it seems that the film industry, some sections of which are struggling against the competition of TV, is trying to cash in on the popularity of samurai programmes. It is said that the ghosts of samurai still haunt modern industrial Japan, and that the code and ambitions of the old-time warriors have an unconscious influence on the philosophy of Japanese men. It’s doubtful whether the glowing tales of gallant samurai as depicted on today’s television screens up and down modern Japan really happened.

But like filmed stories of the great Wild West, there is a certain glamour and appeal in them for the Japanese.

To the busy housewife with half an eye on the TV set and the husband home from a day full of tensions and sheer hard work, there’s nothing like a samurai thriller to lighten the end of the day.