Junshi

The Act of Following One’s Master in Death.

In the days of old, long before the Warring States and early Edo periods, when one’s lord died, many of his closest vassals would commit junshi, an act of self-immolation in order to follow one’s master in death. It was a practice known to have existed as early as the third century. Over 100 servants are said to have followed the shamaness queen, Himiko (c 170AD- 247/48) in death.

When a lord was killed in battle or committed seppuku after defeat, his retainers would follow him, either by dying in battle or by committing seppuku, but the custom of junshi in cases where a lord died of natural causes such as illness did not exist during the Warring States period. However, in the Edo period, there were fewer opportunities to die in battle, and it became difficult to show loyalty to one's lord, so vassals began to commit suicide even in cases of natural death.

Junshi was divided into  three categories. Gibara (righteous stomach), was done out of true loyalty to the lord. Ronbara (argumentary stomach), was based on the idea that one should commit junshi following the example of others, or in order for someone else to junshi, and Akinaibara (literally merchant's stomach), which was junshi done to advance the prosperity of one's descendants. However, there are almost no cases in which the family of a junshi practitioner received additional land or was promoted. Even if the family of a junshi had no male heir, the mother was never supported, and the younger brother or nephew was never given the family headship. For this reason, there are no signs that akinaibara was ever practiced.

During the peaceful years of the Edo period it was seen as an act of the utmost loyalty. When Ieyasu’s fourth son, Lord of Owari, Matsudaira Tadayoshi died in April of 1607, seven of his closest vassals followed him in death. Two months later, Ieyasu’s second born son, Yuki Hideyasu also died, and another seven retainers followed suit. In 1636, 15 samurai cut themselves open when the great warlord Date Masamune died, while 26 of Lord Nabeshima Katsushige’s men cut themselves open when he passed away in 1657.

In my book, The Samurai Castle Master, Warlord Todo Takatora, (available from all booksellers, faster and cheaper direct from the publishers https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Samurai-Castle-Master-Hardback/p/21669) Takatora realized that the majority of those that followed such practices were important figures in the clans, usually councillors, elders and others of foremost importance. He had noted that the deaths of these talented people often caused a vacuum or a swing in political balance, leading to a weakening of the clan order. With this in mind, Takatora had a special box be placed in the main audience chamber of his primary residence and instructed his staff that any one of his retainers or servants considering committing junshi upon his death were to leave their full names in the box. Over 40 names were dropped in the wooden container. When the same command was given at his elegant mansion in Sumpu, over 30 came forward.

Deeply touched by the dedication of his followers, Takatora took the list of 73 names to Ieyasu in Sunpu Castle and showed him, telling Ieyasu, “There are so many willing to die on my passing. These people are loyal servants to my family, highly experienced in matters of war, peace and administration, and as such are an asset to the Tokugawa administration. Please, use your executive powers to ban the practice of junshi and end the risk of losing so many important and loyal lives.” Ieyasu quicky grasped the situation and readily agreed, and in accepting the wise Takatora’s advice once again issued a decree. This was accepted by many other daimyo, but not officially put into effect until the fourth Shogun, Ietsuna made it so. Even then, in the years following there were known cases of violation.

With Ieyasu’s consent, Takatora strictly prohibited the act of martyrdom within the Todo clan, believing it to be a waste of loyal human life. He gathered together those who had offered to follow him in death, and in thanking them for their devotion, explained his reasons and then forbid any of them to commit junshi, and encouraged them instead to be of even greater service to the Todo and the Tokugawa clans should he, Takatora, die. Of those 73, only one man refused to obey the order. He had lost his right arm in battle, and even though he survived, considered himself useless and a burden on Takatora, and so he prayed that he be allowed to martyr himself to at least be able serve Takatora properly in the afterlife. Takatora had expected such a reaction, and so he showed them a proclamation written by Ieyasu. In it, Ieyasu had written;

 “The loyal Todo clan is the Advance Guard of the Tokugawa. If anyone refuses to obey Lord Takatora’s orders and commits junshi on his death, I will be forced to rescind the Todo clan’s position. I command you to live!”

On seeing this, the man agreed, promising not to compromise the Todo clans’ standing.

Although the practice was unofficially banned, it didn’t stop.

The second Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada died in 1632 and so one of his Roju, senior councilors, took his own life. Thirteen of the third Shogun, Iemitsu’s closest aids committed junshi in 1651. That so many top administrators were lost, Iemitsu’s heir, Ietsuna banned the practice officially, but it never truly ended. To enforce the rule, it has been claimed that when the daimyo Okudaira Masayoshi of Utsunomiya domain died in 1668, one of his loyal vassals committed junshi. The Tokugawa Bakufu then ordered the vassal’s children be executed, his other family members banished, and had the Okudaira clan relocated to a smaller domain. Despite such draconian measures, junshi continued to occur.

In 1676, Hotta Masanobu committed suicide upon hearing the news of Shogun Ietsuna's death, and this is generally considered to be the last junshi of the Edo period.

On the passing of Emperor Meiji in 1912, loyal war hero General Nogi Maresuke and his wife both committed junshi via seppuku. For a nation having just emerged from being a feudal society, it caused great social impact. Some saw it as a throwback to the days of the samurai, a last hurrah, and a longed for display of what is now known as Bushido. For others, it was an embarrassing display of recently abandoned feudalism.

When Emperor Showa died in 1989, several people were confirmed to have committed a form of junshi suicide. On the same day as Emperor Showa's death, an 87-year-old man in Wakayama Prefecture, and a 76-year-old former naval lieutenant in Ibaraki Prefecture both committed suicide. A few days later, a 38-year-old man in Fukuoka Prefecture committed suicide by disembowelment, and about two months later, a 66-year-old former army lieutenant in Tokyo committed suicide to accompany the late Emperor.

Few cultures possess the courage and spiritual power to follow, accept and understand the ways of death like the samurai. The courage of the samurai is legendary, and the first prerequisite of courage is not being afraid to die. Through Zen, the samurai believed that death is not an absolute end, but an illusory transition of states. Life is eternal. Were they right?