Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 1: Great Spirit of Tokyo
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 5: A Preposterous Proposal
Chapter 23: Star Well
The second meeting at Baron Shibusawa’s residence was held as scheduled. The attendees were the same as last time, but the lineup of speakers had changed greatly. That was only natural. The second meeting chiefly concerned spiritual means of defending the imperial capital.
The first guest who requested to speak was Oda Kanshi. Mr. Oda wore a black jacket and was as energetic as a man half his age.
“There is only one thing I want to say, and is that the guardian deity of Edo city should once again be considered as we remold the imperial capital into a new shape. As you all know, our Tokyo has Ueno Kan’ei Temple in the northeast and Shiba Zōjō Temple to the southwest. At Tsukudo there is Tsukudo Hachiman, and in Asakusa, there is Sensō Temple. The spiritual provisions that protect the imperial capital are truly perfect.
"But we must not merely rely on the Bodhisattvas who watch over us. The guardian spirit that protects the imperial capital is no longer a vengeful spirit, but Taira no Masakado, our spiritual savior. He manifests his power in various places, originating in Kanda, and protects Tokyo from all enemies.
"Another august spirit whose power is no less than Taira no Masakado's is Sugawara no Michizane, otherwise known as Tenjin.1 Yushima Tenjin is the shrine of scholars everywhere.
"Is all this clear, gentlemen? Our imperial capital is a city perfectly safeguarded by spirits. Our aspiration is for an imperishable Edo, from Lord Dōkan's founding to Tokugawa Ieyasu's reforms to now. Our undertaking in the Meiji era is worthy of praise; yet I, the unworthy Oda Kanshi, wish us not to neglect our city's spiritual protection. I seek the vindication of Taira no Masakado, our guardian spirit. There must be no mistake."
Baron Shibusawa cut in at this point. "That's quite enough of that, Mr. Oda. Such speeches are old-fashioned and difficult to understand."
Far from chastened, Mr. Oda appeared thoroughly pleased with himself. He flicked his sleeves and dropped gracelessly into a chair.
"As Mr. Oda has just said, our city's spiritual health is the point at issue today. Looking at the plans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, there is a tendency to rush toward the construction of broad roads and to disregard not only canals but also the presence of temples, mausoleums, and green spaces.
"It would be short-sighted to plow over these edifices as if they were not there. Our current arrangement of guardian spirits may make our city safe, but they alone are no guarantee. Taira no Masakado and Tenjin have, since ancient times, enjoyed the reverence and affection of the people of Edo, and have become a great force in securing peace of mind. It is precisely because these spirits protect us that Edo has endured repeated fires and earthquakes. I think their role is extremely important. What is your view, Staff Officer Kudō?”
Kudō folded his arms. "For problems like that, hat we have Yasukuni Shrine at Chiyoda. I believe that Yasukuni must remain the foundation of our approach."2
Katō Yasunori, who had kept silent until now, raised his hand. He glanced at Tatsumiya Yōichirō and then said, "Allow me to offer my own foolish view. I study Qimen Dunjia, and I find myself concerned about this plan to fill in the moats— Tatsunokuchi among them—on the approach to the Imperial Palace. Filling in swampland is not a thing to be done recklessly. By filling in Tatsunokuchi, the inauspicious Demon Gate loses the path leading to the Life Gate.3 Should the enemy pass through that Demon Gate, the Imperial Capital will be spiritually defeated. As for the canal route from Edo Bay to the Imperial Palace, including the Edo River and the Sumida River: I think it would be wise to place shrines of divine protection at every bridge along that route, so that its passage can be spiritually sealed off in an emergency. At Nihonbashi in particular, where a new bridge is planned, we should enshrine the divine spirit of Taira no Masakado."
"Wait." Mr. Kamo, representing the Tsuchimikado family, raised his voice. "At each bridge, what ought to be enshrined are the twelve divine generals of yin-yang sorcery, and Taishakuten as well.4 Kongōrikishi statues would also serve well.5 But Lord Masakado's spirit—is he not a vengeful god?"
Lieutenant Katō turned a cool gaze toward Mr. Kamo. After a moment, he glanced across the table at Terada Torahiko. "Mr. Terada, let's hear your thoughts."
Terada Torahiko lowered his eyes briefly, then stood up. He swallowed a visible lump in his throat.
"If it were me," said Mr. Oda, leaning forward on his knees before Mr. Terada could speak, "I would build a star well."
"Yes." Mr. Terada seemed to find this a natural starting point. "As you know, Japan has deep wells in many places. Among them are star wells or moon wells. As the names suggest, even in the daytime, the moon or stars are reflected on the dark water's surface far below. I would install such a well at the center of the Imperial Capital—which ought, I think, to become an underground city. Somewhere around Ginza or Hibiya would work. We would cover the mouth of the well with a semicircle of glass and place café tables around it. People could freely look down into it and see the stars and the moon in the daytime. The depth would be one hundred feet. The diameter of the well should be about five feet. The casing should be silver." He paused. "This, I believe, is fitting as the spiritual center of a holy city—one protected not only by the sun but by the moon and the stars."
"A star well," someone murmured.
The room was silent for a long while. Then Mr. Kodachi of the Meteorological Observatory leaned back and cut in, his irritation obvious beneath his mild tone. "Mr. Terada, that sounds like nonsense. There's no such thing as a well where the sun and moon are visible in the daytime."
"With respect, many stars are visible during the day. The intense sunlight, diffusely reflected by atmospheric dust, produces the blue of the sky. Weak starlight is entirely absorbed into it. But suppose we dig a vertical shaft several hundred feet deep? The light that reaches the bottom of such a shaft is not scattered by diffuse reflection. It comes straight down, vertically, from far above. In short, starlight is reflected on the surface of the water at the bottom of a deep well."
Translator's Notes
1
Sugawara no Michizane
(菅原 道真) (August 1, 845 – March 26, 903), was a scholar, poet, and
politician of the Heian period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent
poet, particularly in waka and kanshi poetry, and is today revered in Shinto
as the god of learning, Tenman-Tenjin (天満天神; often shortened to
Tenjin). ↩
2 The Yasukuni Shrine, located in Tokyo, was
created to honor the dead who served Japan during times of war. ↩
3 Gates that face northeast are called Demon Gates due to
ancient Chinese divination practices. A gate that faces southwest would
counter a Demon Gate, and is referred to in the text as a Life Gate. ↩
4 Taishakuten is the
Japanese Buddhist name for the Hindu deity Indra, a protector deity of
Buddhism and king of the Trayastrimsha Heaven. As one of the Twelve Devas,
he is considered a guardian of the Buddha and the world, often depicted as a
warrior holding a thunderbolt or riding an elephant. ↩
5 Kongōrikishi, also known as Benevolent Kings, are a
pair of fierce, muscular guardian deities in Japanese Buddhism who protect
the Buddha and temple entrances from evil. They are typically stationed on
either side of the temple gate, with one having an open mouth and the other
closed. ↩
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