Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 1: Great Spirit of Tokyo
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 5: A Preposterous Proposal
Chapter 24: The Spiritual Defense of the Nation
The shrine of the spiritual capital that Mr. Terada had proposed set the room's imagination alight, brimming with a kind of practical fantasy.
"Is that right?" Mr. Oda asked, leaning forward again. "Wouldn't a star well serve as our Kantō standard? Both the Chiba clan and the Satomi clan, who occupy most of Bōsō, use stars as their family crests—seven stars, eight stars, and the like. That is because they believe in Myōken Bosatsu, the god of warriors. And Myōken, of course, refers to the Big Dipper. It would make a truly fitting guardian shrine for our Kantō region utopia. Mr. Terada, you are not merely a physicist. You are a man of science who has imagination and dreams for the future. I rather like that."
Mr. Shibusawa, who had been standing with his arms folded, spoke at last. "Actually building a star well would be no simple matter. But I believe we should try to build this underground city you describe. Important government agencies and factories would be below ground. On the surface would be a green paradise in bloom. That would be something to see."
"With all due respect, sir," Tatsumiya cut in. "Even if we wished to carry out that plan, it is impossible. The roads alone—the high-rise buildings, the railways—how could we relocate them all?"
"Wait, wait. This is all hypothetical." Mr. Shibusawa waved his hand dismissively. "There is still the question of how we are to deal with the gods, the Bodhisattvas, and the spirits who will be charged with guarding the imperial capital. The central issue is where to place a star well. The star well as a symbol of the imperial capital's protection."
Tatsumiya's face contorted. "We do not have the leeway for such wasteful spending."
Lieutenant Katō laughed briefly.
Mr. Kamo of the Tsuchimikado family rose to his feet and glared at the military man. "The star well may be fine. However, for the remodeling of the imperial capital to be completed safely, it is necessary to secure guardian deities and also to invite auspicious omens—spirits of good fortune—into the city. Consider era names. The reason an era name was established in China traces back to an old tale in which a white qilin was captured and rejoiced over as an auspicious omen of national peace.1 Thereafter, whenever an auspicious omen appeared, the era name was changed, and people prayed that the prosperity of the realm would increase. If that precedent holds, then alongside the completion of the first phase of remodeling work in 1911 (Meiji 44), I believe it would be fitting to change the era name to something auspicious. We should place auspicious omens around the planned site of the new Central Station and the new Nihonbashi."
"What kind of auspicious omens?" asked Mr. Shibusawa.
"Hmm... Following ancient precedent: at new Nihonbashi, we should place a pair of white qilin. In the plaza before the Central Station, we should place a single phoenix. These would be enormous bronze statues, erected with our wish for the peace of the imperial capital to continue into the future."
"A white qilin on the bridge girder of new Nihonbashi..." Mr. Shibusawa turned the idea over in his mind. "Interesting. I had been thinking of lion statues, imitating England, but perhaps here we ought to display the majesty of an Eastern auspicious beast instead."
Mr. Oda stood and offered his opinion. "Mr. Shibusawa, I've been thinking. Mitarashi Pond is within the Ministry of Finance's grounds. Let's put up a great bronze statue of Lord Taira no Masakado there. And at the entrance to Edo, somewhere around the lower reaches of the Sumida River, in a place that looks down over Kabutochō, how about a gigantic Kannon statue?2 America has its famous Statue of Liberty, after all. We should build a stone statue of the same scale at the mouth of the bay. Now that would be a sight. If our Tokyo stands under the aegis of Kannon's compassion, the hearts of the citizens will surely be put at ease."
Mr. Shibusawa looked at his old friend with an expression of patient exasperation. "Enough of your grand lies, Mr. Oda. A few years ago, you announced that you would place a statue of Sontoku as a boy—studying hard, carrying firewood on his back—at every school in the country.3 And before the spittle on that tongue has even dried, now you propose a gigantic Kannon."
"Hahaha. My idea's extravagance doesn't make it bad in and of itself, you know."
"The question is how to build a sacred city genuinely protected by spiritual power," Mr. Kamo said. "There is no such thing as too many sacred objects. The overall blessings will not diminish."
"That's right," said Mr. Oda.
"And yet, if we gather Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, and Daoist images all at once, won't that be a problem? Not all such blessed objects will resonate with one another," Mr. Terada said.
"But this is all ridiculous!" Mr. Kodachi blurted out.
"I think so, too," Lieutenant Katō said, his voice quiet but as precise as a pin. "If Tokyo is already blessed with heavenly favor, then introducing more gods and Buddhas to disturb the peace would be a bad move. Might not these spiritual powers grow stronger through the force of tradition and the fervor of faith, without our interference? I believe it is enough to maintain the status quo. As for the Kannon statue at the bay entrance—that can only be judged as a tourist trap, not as a divine image."
Mr. Oda grinned wryly.
At that moment, tea arrived. The timing was considerate to the point of artistry, and it doused the war of tongues entirely. The mood of the gathering softened. Small talk grew lively; even Lieutenant Katō smiled.
Mr. Shibusawa judged that this was the moment to adjourn. When Mr. Tatsumiya suggested it, he agreed.
Before the meeting ended, Mr. Shibusawa brought up the star well again casually, as if the thought had only just returned to him. After that, stars and fortune-telling and astronomy monopolized the gathering's interest.
Baron Shibusawa promised to deliver a document detailing the secret plans of this committee to the Emperor. He was already thinking about what he would write down.
Tokyo was truly a divinely blessed city.
Translator's Notes
1
The qilin (or kirin)
is a benevolent, chimerical creature in Chinese mythology, symbolizing
prosperity, serenity, and the imminent arrival of a sage or illustrious
ruler. Often depicted as a hooved beast with dragon-like features, antlers,
and scales, it possesses the ability to perceive a person's purity of heart,
walking on grass without harming it due to its gentle nature. ↩
2 Kannon is a Japanese goddess of mercy. ↩
3 Ninomiya Sontoku (1787–1856) was a renowned Japanese agricultural reformer,
economist, and philosopher who modernized rural villages. He rose from
poverty to successfully rebuild over 600 villages through economic planning,
sustainable agriculture, and cooperative efforts. ↩
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