Book Review: Constantine Vaporis' Tour of Duty

[Shisendo]

[vaporis]

Greetings. I am not sure that there is a problem with the availability of Tour of Duty. I typed "Tour of Duty Vaporis" in the search box and the paperback edition came right up, with several new and several used copies for sale.

Best regards,

Constantine Vaporis

[Shisendo]

[lordameth]

I can't seem to find the review that I thought I had written, but I just wanted to pop by and mention that I did finally end up reading Tour of Duty over the summer, and found it a fascinating and excellent read.

It is wonderful to find a book so rich in information, one which can truly serve as a go-to source for information about sankin kôtai, and not just about one scholar's arguments about or interpretations of the topic.

Vaporis covers not just the processions themselves, or the political ramifications and impacts of the sankin kotai system, but goes into wonderfully vivid detail about planning and preparation, life in the Edo mansions, and many other aspects of the missions.

Tour of Duty has become one of my top books on Edo period history, and I cannot recommend it enough. Thanks again to those who recommended it a year ago (i.e. earlier in this thread).
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紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[vaporis]

Thank you Shisendo and Lordameth.

[Tornadoes28]

I have wanted to read this but unfortunately due to my budgetary situation have not been justified in purchasing it and it was not carried by the Los Angeles Public Library. However it now is carried at the library so I will add this to my list to be read next. I look forward to it based on the above reviews.
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[Shisendo]

Really enjoyed Tour of Duty. It shared some nice myth busting research, e.g. about how much more meat was a part of Edo period diets than is generally believed. I also liked the look into quotidian life of the samurai. I noted a few questions while reading. If any members can address them, please do.

1) On page 73, it was noted that a piece of metal was placed under a travelling daimyo's futon. I'm assuming this was done to protect against a spear attack through the floor if sleeping on the second floor or a sword if someone snuck into the crawl space under the first floor. I can't decide if this was overly cautious, a holdover from the Sengoku period where an assassination like this was attempted, or a symbolic gesture to show the daimyo just how much his retainers were concerned about his safety. At any rate, this practice raised two questions for me:
a. Was it also customary to take a precaution like this at the home castle?
b. Is there any record of an assassination attempt on a daimyo while travelling to or from Edo for alternate attendance?

2) One of the major points made early in the book is how expensive was the journey to and from Edo. Were the daimyo in neighbouring provinces like Shimosa envied for their money saving proximity or did they have to make up for their good fortune with extra spending on security in Edo or gifts to the Shogun?

3) I'm curious to learn more about the forced loan system mentioned on page 113. Were these loans ever paid back by the domain to its retainers or was it simply a tax by another name?

4) More an observation than a question, but it's interesting to note on page 119 how impoverished samurai would move out of the castle city to rural areas to save money on expenses. It sounds almost like an early equivalent of the suburbs.

5) The section on page 152-154 describes the extensive network of underground chambers that have been excavated on the sites of the former compounds. Many of them contained garbage like discarded bottles and chopsticks. Vaporis raises the question about the recycling to garbage ratio in Edo. There seems to be enough evidence to show that claims from a link discussed elsewhere on the forum http://forums.samurai-archives.com/viewtopic.php?t=4362 that suggest “there was pretty much no garbage in Japan’s Edo Period because almost everything got recycled” are a tad optimistic. Either way, you still might enjoy this link to a free translation of Eisuke Ishikawa's Japan in the Edo Period - An Ecologically-Conscious Society http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/009397.html

6) On page 198, curfews of 6 and 8 o'clock for retainers of varying ranks is mentioned, and yet many were great fans of performances of such arts as bunraku (199). Does this help explain the tradition of afternoon performance times for kabuki that continues to this day?

7) On page 207, a retainer describes a side trip to Konpira-san to see temple treasures displayed “once every thousand years.” I've read about a few other temple exhibitions of this type in our time that are described as “once every hundred years” or “once every thousand years.” It makes me wonder, is this true, or is this just a generally accepted hyperbole to get visitors out to see treasures that are hauled out every few years or so.

There. I realize that's a lot of questions, but if even one or two more extend the discussion of this book, it's worth it.
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[kitsuno]

For #2, an assumption off the top of my head is that they were the more trusted families/clans anyway, so the "burden" didn't need to be as hefty as on the Tozama Daimyo.

For #7, it must be hyperbole - I don't think during the Edo period 1000 years would have allowed for more than a single showing of anything - a track record of one time is hardly a track record
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[vaporis]

I'll try to tackle a few here.

The paybacks (honorable loans) were never paid back and the amount could vary from 10-50% from year to year.

The tozama lords were "taxed" considerably more since they had to come from further away than the fudai daimyo.

Yes, the 1000 or 10,000 was hyperbole; they just meant "many"

Kabuki wasn't meant for samurai so I doubt the afternoon performance time had anything to do with curfews.

Not sure how widely practiced the sheet of metal under the futon was, even in early Tokugawa. Seems like a sengoku holdover.

No record of an assassination attempt on a daimyo on the road, at least none that I have heard of. There were occasional conflicts between daimyo. See Beatrice Bodart Bailey, The Dog Shogun, p. 81, for an account of a fight between two at Zojoji temple in Edo.

Sorry for the short answers--many papers to grade! Thanks for your interest.

Constantine

[Shisendo]

Thanks for taking the time out to answer. I know how all consuming marking can become when buried under a pile of work. Can't repeat enough how fortunate we are to have access to the author here.
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Over a Hedge

[Tornadoes28]

I just finished reading this book and found it very interesting. I particularly liked the information that detailed the everyday simple aspects of life related to Sankin Kotai. For example, on page 156, the domain regulations regarding the exterior of the compounds. There were regulations prohibiting retainers from exposing "unsightly" things to the outside world such as hanging laundry (such a common thing in modern-day Japan), buying merchandise through the outer windows, throwing water out of the windows, or making loud music. I generally had the impression of domains and the control of their retainers as being strict and offenders severely punished and yet the book revealed that enforcing these simple regulations at the domain compounds were often difficult.

It was also interesting to learn how much free time the retainers on Sankin Kotai duty actually had while in Edo. I knew that retainers in general had a fair amount of free time, even in the domains, but the book revealed that many retainers only worked a handful of days per month and often for only a few hours per day. Also, I was very surprised that certain retainers also had the privilege to leave the procession to sightsee when they were not on duty.

Page 200 gives a great example of the free time activities of the retainers. Wakayama retainer Sakai Banshiro kept a diary of his activities. Banshiro's duties were light, no more than half a day about every 3rd day. This left him with plenty of time for eating out, drinking at the barracks and in town, sightseeing, going to public baths, and taking music lessons. Banshiro often ate inexpensive meals of soba in conjunction with sake, sushi, or nabe. Sometimes he enjoyed boar or pig. His days often ended with shopping or going to shrines and temples as well as visiting famous tourist stops. Banshiro visited Sengakuji, the final resting place of the 47 Ronin which was a popular destination for retainers on duty in Edo. In the pleasure quarters, Banshiro and his friends viewed a procession of courtesans and in the Ryogoku area, they saw various freak shows, young women's sumo (Tokugawa version of female mud wrestling), and several sex shows.

Women's sumo and sex shows? That I never expected.

In spite of all this leisure time and activities, apparently retainers often would volunteer for Sankin Kotai duty for the extra stipends which helped them in times of financial difficulty. Therefore many retainers were still able to return home with extra money above their regular stipend.

If you are interested in the Edo period and specifically the aspects of Sankin Kotai, this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
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[onnamusha]

This is one of my bedside books, although I haven't opened it in awhile. The part that always sticks with me is the elucidation of what they used to call "samurai economics" with the example of Tani Tannai, who just couldn't seem to balance his budget! That poor fellow would have a heck of a time if he had a modern credit card, and yet, his situation somehow reminds me of just that.

Tornadoes, your example points out one real-life problem with using sankin-kotai duty to make extra money to support the family back in the domain--all those distractions! I imagine many of those samurai piddled away their extra funds taking in those vaunted sights of Edo and points along the way. This also explains in a concrete way why the townsman economy of Edo would've gone in the toilet when sankin-kotai was pretty much done away with in 1862. Those bored samurai probably were a fair customer base!

Just an offhand question: I wonder if Tani Tannai was an ancestor of the Bakumatsu and Meiji period soldier and statesman Tani Kanjo(Tani Tateki)?
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[Tornadoes28]

You bring up a very good point Onnamusha that I also was thinking of when reading the book about some samurai using sankin kotai duty to supplement their income. But as the book reveals, many samurai spent much of their income while in Edo. My guess is it depended on the individual. Some samurai were able to restrain themselves to a certain degree and return with extra money. I am curious what the "average" samurai spent while in Edo and what percentage of their Edo stipend they spent before returning home to their domain. Did the majority of samurai spend most or all of their Edo stipend on sightseeing, shopping, eating, and other entertainment?

Tani Tannai's story was very interesting. It reminded me of people with credit problems today, specifically in the United States. Such a common problem of people spending beyond their means and making excuses as to why they are in debt. To me Tannai had many excuses for his fiscal problems.
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[Owarikenshi]

Another question might be to what extent the townsmen of Edo, particularly the proprietors of inns, purposely padded the bill depending on the reputed wealth of their patrons; imagine the temptation to jack up prices the minute Lord Maeda's entourage hailed in sight!

The $8.00 beer in New York City comes to mind . . .

Owarikenshi

[Bethetsu]

The book refers to the view of Edo from Mt. Atago as being famous. I could not find Mt. Atago on maps. It seems to have been practically in the city. Does anyone know where it is?

[OishiYoshio]

This sounds like a must-read book. Only just noticed this thread... oops.

Some boxes that I have collected over the years have elaborate iron or brass fittings for poles to slide through. The covers for swords and guns that I have were also probably used on the sankin-kotai journey.

If anyone is visiting Yakage in Okayama to see the Daimyo Gyoretsu, please visit the Honjin Inn which is preserved almost exactly as it was when the Daimyo stopped there. Much of the original equipment is still fitted in the kitchens, storerooms etc. On one mud wall is even an original list of all the Daimyo trains and the dates as they came through and stopped there.

[Shisendo]

[Bethetsu]

Bethetsu: Where is Mt. Atago?

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

It's a just a big hill--the "mount" is a misnomer. The shrine at the top is quite famous and worth a visit. It is also where the conspirators who assassinated Ii Naosuke gathered before they carried out the deed. Also next to the shrine is NHK's museum.
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[Shisendo]

I'm impressed the hill is still there. The usual fate of hills in Edo was to level them and put the fill into the bay for land reclamation wasn't it? Perhaps the existence of the shrine saved it from this fate.
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[Tornadoes28]

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

[Shisendo]

[Tornadoes28]

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]