Folklore: Meiji falcons

Subject: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 12:36 PM

I understand that during the Meiji restoration, samurai were required to deposit their swords before the Emperor. These were melted and then returned to the warlords as the statue of a falcon.

This was my understanding -- can anyone tell me more about this? Or suggest a place to get more information?

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 01:22 PM

Who were the samurai? Following the 12th c., the court decided that all those among the rich peasants who had capacity, and were skilled in archery and horsemanship, should compose the military class, and that the remainder should continue to till the soil and apply themselves to agriculture. "It lifted up one part of the people to a plane of life on which travel, adventure, the profession and the pursuit of arms, letters and the cultivation of honor and chivalry were possible."
Even as late as 1876, Griffis wrote: "To the samurai Japan looks today for safety in war, and progress in peace."
A Japanese friend of mine has a formal photographic portrait (about 1890) of his grandfather in samurai dress of the highest class, the class to which he and his family proudly belonged.

The census of Japan for the Fifth year of Meiji (A. D. 1872) shows the following:
Shizoku (samurai of the highest rank) - 258,939 (only 13 females)
Sotsu (samurai of lower grade) - 166,873 (2 females)
Chishi (retired samurai) - 646
Common people - 6,326,571
Priests, nuns, etc. - 102,000 approx.

The story is nonsense, but it might have application to a particular individual or family group, or exist in one of the Japanese novels.

Reference- W. E. Griffis, 1876, "The Mikado's Empire," 625 pp., Harper & Brothers, NY

Subject: RE: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 03:09 PM

The population figures given in the preceeding post are for males; adding families brings the total to 33,110,825, of which 30,857,271 are common people.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 07:45 PM

It is true that many samurai (it means to serve)were disenfranchised during the Meiji Restoration. This caused many internal conflicts.

They had sworn allegiance to their Daimyo (warlords) who in turn swore allegiance to the Emporer. Many found they could not allow their top knot to cut off. This was a form of rebellion and led to some areas of Japan experiencing civil war.

The Emporer Meiji formed a regular uniformed standing army, many of whom were taken from so called peasant classes, this too was felt to be an insult to the samurai, and caused further conflicts. The samurai were totally skilled in the use of their swords and that came from training from an earry childhood.

Prior to the Meiji restoration there were many sword schools (ryu) in Japan. Their teaching was purely aural. Sword v sword, short sword v long swonrd, sword v spear and halberd, archery and so on.

After the resptration the old swords schools (today knwn as ko-ryu) almost dissapeared. Today only about four genuine ones are left. The most famous outside of Japan is the Katori Shoden Shinto Ryu near Narita airport.

It has not changed is curriculum of teaching for 900 years!

The samurai would never destroy their own swords of surrender them willingly.

The T Cruise film 'Last Samurai' is loosley based on actual event follwoing the Meiji Restoration.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: GUEST,katlaughing coming in through the backdoor
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 06:03 AM

Rapaire, I found a lot of sites on google, one of which, from Penn State,click here, had this to say (emphasis is mine):

Hideyoshi reunified Japan after over a century of civil war and political instability. As ruler he enacted several important policies that helped shape the structure of society and government for centuries after his death. Hideyoshi was himself of peasant origin, but he took steps to make sure that no peasant would again rise to fame and power as a general. He decreed a formal, rigid division between warriors (commonly known by the Japanese term samurai) and everyone else ("commoners"). This decree was the origin of the samurai class as a clearly defined, legal entity. Those who were part-time warriors and part-time farmers or merchants had to choose between military or civilian life. After separating the warriors from the rest of society, Hideyoshi then collected all offensive weapons (e.g., long swords, certain types of firearms) from the commoners in what is called the "Sword Hunt" Ostensibly, he had the weapons collected to be melted down and made into a huge Buddha image. Religious piety, however, was not the real reason. As you can imagine, it is much easier to collect taxes from a disarmed populace.

There's some other fascinating reading about that whole period HERE.

Interesting topic, thanks!

kat

Subject: RE: Folklore: Meiji falcons
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 01:59 PM

None of this has anything to do with the falcons, but Japanese history is interesting and a change from the North American-, British-, Spanish- or German-centered material fed to most of us when we were in school.
Hid&@233;yoshi had nothing to do with the origin of the samurai class, which took place in the 12th c., or its shift away from feudalism in Meiji times.
In the 16th c, Japanese frequently changed names. Hidéyoshi received that name by royal patent in 1586; Toyotomi Hidéyoshi, after he attained the rank of Kuambaku. Until that time, only nobles of Fujiwara blood had filled that position. He invented a royal lineage for his mother. Hidéyoshi was a first-class soldier and a genius at organization, first militarily and then as an administrator; a peasant soldier with a brilliant mind and great leadership abilities. He built the Japanese navy into a force to be reckoned with. His armies successfully invaded Korea, but when he died, the armies returned home, with Korean envoys, and a truce was made. The invasion was a mistake and a blot on his legacy.
He built up the towns of Osaka and Kyoto, and took the booming port of Nagasaki for the crown. He followed his predecessor in destroying the power of the monasteries and their claim to large land areas (sounds like English history?). He married eight wives, but didn't kill any of them. Although ruthless towards his enemies, he became very popular with the people.
The succeeding Tokugawa Family originated with Iyéyasu, who was of Genji stock with noble blood. They controlled Japan until the Meiji restoration.