In a Grove
Encyclopedia
is a short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
, first appearing in the January 1922 edition of the Japanese literature monthly Shinchō
. Akira Kurosawa
used this story as the basis for his award-winning movie Rashōmon
.
"In a Grove" is a blending of the modernist search for identity with themes from historic Japanese literature and as such is perhaps the iconic work of Akutagawa's career. It presents seven varying accounts of the murder of a samurai, Kanazawa no Takehiro, whose corpse has been found in a bamboo forest near Kyoto
. Each section simultaneously clarifies and obfuscates what the reader knows about the murder, eventually creating a complex and contradictory vision of events that brings into question humanity's ability or willingness to perceive and transmit objective truth
.
The story is often praised as being among the greatest in Japanese literature
.
The next account is delivered by a traveling Buddhist priest. He says that he met the man, who was accompanied by a woman on horseback, on the road, around noon the day before the murder. The man was carrying a sword, a bow and a black quiver. All of these, along with the woman's horse, a tall, short-maned palomino
, were missing when the woodcutter discovered the body.
The next person to testify is a hōmen (放免, a released prisoner working under contract to the police, similar to a bounty hunter
). He has captured an infamous criminal named Tajōmaru. Tajōmaru was injured when thrown from a horse (a tall, short-maned palomino), and he was carrying a bow and a black quiver, which did not belong in his usual arsenal. This proves, he says, that Tajōmaru was the perpetrator. Tajōmaru was not carrying the dead man's sword, however.
The next testimony is from an old woman, who identifies herself as the mother of the missing girl. Her daughter is a beautiful, strong-willed 19-year-old named Masago, married to Kanazawa no Takehiro—a 26-year-old samurai from Wakasa
. Her daughter, she says, has never been with a man other than Takehiro. She begs the police to find her daughter.
Next, Tajōmaru confesses. He says that he met them on the road in the forest, and upon first seeing Masago, decided that he was going to rape her. In order to rape Masago unhindered, he separated the couple, luring Takehiro into the woods with the promise of buried treasure. He then stuffed his mouth full of leaves, tied him to a tree and fetched Masago. When Masago saw her husband tied to the tree, she pulled a dagger from her bosom and tried to stab Tajōmaru, but he knocked the knife out of her hand, and he had his way with her. Originally, he had no intention of killing the man, he claims, but after the rape, she begged him to either kill her husband or kill himself—she could not live if two men knew her shame. She would leave with the last man standing. Tajōmaru did not wish to kill Takehiro in a cowardly manner, so he untied him and they had a swordfight. During the duel, Masago fled. Tajōmaru dispatched the man and took the man's sword, bow, and quiver, as well as the woman's horse. He says that he sold the sword before he was captured by the bounty hunter.
The second-to-last account is that of Masago. According to her, after the rape, Tajōmaru fled, and her husband, still tied to the tree, looked at her with great disdain. She was ashamed that she had been raped, and no longer wished to live, but she wanted him to die with her. He agreed, or so she believed—he couldn't actually say anything because his mouth was still stuffed full of leaves—and she plunged her dagger into his chest. She then cut the rope that bound Takehiro, and ran into the forest, whereupon she attempted to commit suicide numerous times, she said, but her spirit was too strong to die. At the end of her confession, she weeps.
The final account comes from Takehiro's ghost, as delivered through a spirit medium. The ghost says that after the rape, Tajōmaru persuaded Masago to leave her husband and become his own wife, which she agreed to do under one condition: He would have to kill Takehiro. Tajōmaru became enraged at the suggestion, kicked her to the ground, and asked Takehiro if he should kill the dishonorable woman. Hearing this, Masago fled into the forest. Tajōmaru then cut Takehiro's bonds and ran away. Takehiro grabbed Masago's fallen dagger and plunged it into his chest. Shortly before he died, he sensed someone creep up to him and steal the dagger from his chest. Throughout, it is obvious that he is furious at his wife.
Comic Rendering of "In A Bamboo Grove" created by a Japanese Fiction Undergraduate College Class (click link to view image): http://img197.imageshack.us/i/prestiinabamboogrovecom.jpg/
The differences between the characters' stories range from the trivial to the fundamental. What follows is a list of discrepancies between the characters' testimonies.
In short, every character says at least one thing that is refuted by another.
Perhaps more significant than the literal contradictions in the testimony of the characters are the moral contradictions. While the reader cannot say denotatively who is objectively right, it is clear that all of the characters are morally compromised and have slanted their testimony in an effort to conceal their own immorality. At the conclusion the reader is forced to the realization that, while they do not have enough evidence to decide who is right on a literal level, they almost always believe one character over the others on an emotional level. This realization requires the reader to admit that they too are morally compromised and decide what is true based not on fact but on preconception and the need for self justification.
.
The seventh episode of R.O.D the TV
, titled "In a Grove", deals with a similarly confusing mix of truth and lies, reality and pretense.
The plot of the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "A Matter of Perspective" concerns similarly conflicting testimonies from characters involved in a homicide investigation. However, in contrast to the thesis of "In a Grove", an objectively true account of what happened is eventually discovered.
The name of the story has become an idiom in Japan, used to signify a situation where no conclusion can be drawn, because evidence is insufficient or contradictory. Similar terms include and .
Jay Rubin translated the title to "Penitent Confession of a Woman in the Kiyomizu Temple".
Another minor translation mistake in the Giles version of the text is the use of the word "sorrel
" to refer to the woman's horse. The Japanese word in question is 月毛 (tsukige, lit. "moon hair"). This word is better translated as "palomino
".
Often omitted from translations is the proper translation of the word 征矢 (soya). Often translated merely as "arrow", the word actually has a slightly different denotation
. "Soya" were extremely sharp arrows used for penetrating armor. Thus, as the samurai is carrying "soya", we are to assume that he is not only an experienced swordsman, but also an experienced archer. Without knowing this, we might be led to assume that the arrows were used for hunting, which was clearly not the author's intention.
Jay Rubin translated the title as In a Bamboo Grove.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story". He committed suicide at age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.-Early life:...
, first appearing in the January 1922 edition of the Japanese literature monthly Shinchō
Shincho
is a Japanese literary magazine published monthly by Shinchosha. Since its launching in 1904, it has published the works of many of Japan's leading writers....
. Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
used this story as the basis for his award-winning movie Rashōmon
Rashomon (film)
The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
.
"In a Grove" is a blending of the modernist search for identity with themes from historic Japanese literature and as such is perhaps the iconic work of Akutagawa's career. It presents seven varying accounts of the murder of a samurai, Kanazawa no Takehiro, whose corpse has been found in a bamboo forest near Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Each section simultaneously clarifies and obfuscates what the reader knows about the murder, eventually creating a complex and contradictory vision of events that brings into question humanity's ability or willingness to perceive and transmit objective truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
.
The story is often praised as being among the greatest in Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
.
Plot summary
The story opens with the account of a woodcutter who has found a man's body in the woods. The woodcutter reports that man died of a single sword slash to the chest, and that the trampled leaves around the body showed there had been a violent struggle, but otherwise lacked any significant evidence as to what actually happened. There were no weapons nearby, and no horses—only a single piece of rope, a comb and a lot of blood.The next account is delivered by a traveling Buddhist priest. He says that he met the man, who was accompanied by a woman on horseback, on the road, around noon the day before the murder. The man was carrying a sword, a bow and a black quiver. All of these, along with the woman's horse, a tall, short-maned palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
, were missing when the woodcutter discovered the body.
The next person to testify is a hōmen (放免, a released prisoner working under contract to the police, similar to a bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
). He has captured an infamous criminal named Tajōmaru. Tajōmaru was injured when thrown from a horse (a tall, short-maned palomino), and he was carrying a bow and a black quiver, which did not belong in his usual arsenal. This proves, he says, that Tajōmaru was the perpetrator. Tajōmaru was not carrying the dead man's sword, however.
The next testimony is from an old woman, who identifies herself as the mother of the missing girl. Her daughter is a beautiful, strong-willed 19-year-old named Masago, married to Kanazawa no Takehiro—a 26-year-old samurai from Wakasa
Wakasa Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today southern Fukui Prefecture. It is also known as or .The province's ancient capital was at Obama, which continued to be the main castle town through the Edo period.-Neighboring Provinces:...
. Her daughter, she says, has never been with a man other than Takehiro. She begs the police to find her daughter.
Next, Tajōmaru confesses. He says that he met them on the road in the forest, and upon first seeing Masago, decided that he was going to rape her. In order to rape Masago unhindered, he separated the couple, luring Takehiro into the woods with the promise of buried treasure. He then stuffed his mouth full of leaves, tied him to a tree and fetched Masago. When Masago saw her husband tied to the tree, she pulled a dagger from her bosom and tried to stab Tajōmaru, but he knocked the knife out of her hand, and he had his way with her. Originally, he had no intention of killing the man, he claims, but after the rape, she begged him to either kill her husband or kill himself—she could not live if two men knew her shame. She would leave with the last man standing. Tajōmaru did not wish to kill Takehiro in a cowardly manner, so he untied him and they had a swordfight. During the duel, Masago fled. Tajōmaru dispatched the man and took the man's sword, bow, and quiver, as well as the woman's horse. He says that he sold the sword before he was captured by the bounty hunter.
The second-to-last account is that of Masago. According to her, after the rape, Tajōmaru fled, and her husband, still tied to the tree, looked at her with great disdain. She was ashamed that she had been raped, and no longer wished to live, but she wanted him to die with her. He agreed, or so she believed—he couldn't actually say anything because his mouth was still stuffed full of leaves—and she plunged her dagger into his chest. She then cut the rope that bound Takehiro, and ran into the forest, whereupon she attempted to commit suicide numerous times, she said, but her spirit was too strong to die. At the end of her confession, she weeps.
The final account comes from Takehiro's ghost, as delivered through a spirit medium. The ghost says that after the rape, Tajōmaru persuaded Masago to leave her husband and become his own wife, which she agreed to do under one condition: He would have to kill Takehiro. Tajōmaru became enraged at the suggestion, kicked her to the ground, and asked Takehiro if he should kill the dishonorable woman. Hearing this, Masago fled into the forest. Tajōmaru then cut Takehiro's bonds and ran away. Takehiro grabbed Masago's fallen dagger and plunged it into his chest. Shortly before he died, he sensed someone creep up to him and steal the dagger from his chest. Throughout, it is obvious that he is furious at his wife.
Comic Rendering of "In A Bamboo Grove" created by a Japanese Fiction Undergraduate College Class (click link to view image): http://img197.imageshack.us/i/prestiinabamboogrovecom.jpg/
Analysis
These facts remain undisputed:- Tajōmaru led the couple into the forest as he said.
- Takehiro is dead.
- Tajōmaru raped Masago.
- Tajōmaru stole Takehiro's bow and quiver, as well as the woman's horse.
- In each of the accounts, Masago wishes Takehiro dead, although the details vary.
- Masago and Tajōmaru did not leave together.
The differences between the characters' stories range from the trivial to the fundamental. What follows is a list of discrepancies between the characters' testimonies.
- The comb mentioned by the woodcutter is not mentioned by any of the other characters.
- The "violent struggle" that trampled the leaves, mentioned by the woodcutter, seems to occur only in Tajōmaru's version of the story—the swordfight.
- The woodcutter also claims that the man was killed by a single sword slash across the chest, but in both Masago's and Takehiro's versions of the story, he was killed by a dagger thrust to the chest.
- The woodcutter claims that Takehiro was wearing a Kyōto-style hat called a "sabi-eboshi", however Masago's mother says that he was not from Kyōto. We know that the author wanted to draw significance to this fact, because he specifically had the police investigator ask her if Takehiro was from Kyōto.
- The traveling priest says that he "clearly remember[s] that there were more than 20 arrows" in the man's quiver. The bounty hunter says that there were only 17.
- The woodcutter says that Takehiro was wearing a blue kimono and the Buddhist priest says Masago was wearing a lilac kimono. In Masago's account, Takehiro is wearing a lilac kimono.
- Tajōmaru does not mention how Masago's dagger disappeared from the crime scene.
- In Tajōmaru's and Takehiro's accounts, Masago and Tajōmaru have a long conversation after the rape, after which, she is willing to leave with Tajōmaru, so long as her husband is dead. Masago's account omits this completely.
- Masago does not mention how Takehiro's sword disappeared from the crime scene.
- It seems unlikely that Masago would fail at suicide so many times, particularly considering the first method she supposedly tried: driving her dagger into her neck.
- Masago says that Takehiro was repulsed by her after the rape. This is not true according to the other accounts. From Takehiro's story, it is clear that he is furious at her, but he claims that this is because she asked Tajōmaru to kill him. In Tajōmaru's version, he still loves her so much that he is willing to fight to the death for her.
- Takehiro introduces a new and unlikely character: the person who stole the dagger from his chest, conveniently, mere seconds before his death. (The film RashomonRashomon (film)The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
explains this by having the Woodcutter later admit to stealing the dagger, but this confession is not present in the original story. This actually isn't what the woodcutter's testimony shows, because he mentioned that all the blood had dried up and Takehiro claims that as the small sword was retrieved from his chest, "more blood flowed into my mouth".) - Masago and Takehiro claim that Tajōmaru violently kicked her after the rape. Tajōmaru does not mention this.
In short, every character says at least one thing that is refuted by another.
Perhaps more significant than the literal contradictions in the testimony of the characters are the moral contradictions. While the reader cannot say denotatively who is objectively right, it is clear that all of the characters are morally compromised and have slanted their testimony in an effort to conceal their own immorality. At the conclusion the reader is forced to the realization that, while they do not have enough evidence to decide who is right on a literal level, they almost always believe one character over the others on an emotional level. This realization requires the reader to admit that they too are morally compromised and decide what is true based not on fact but on preconception and the need for self justification.
In movies
The following movies have been based on the story of "In a Grove":- RashōmonRashomon (film)The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
- 1950, Japan; Director: Akira KurosawaAkira Kurosawawas a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
; Starring: Toshirō MifuneToshiro MifuneToshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
, Machiko KyōMachiko Kyois a Japanese actress whose film work occurred primarily during the 1950s. She rose to extraordinary domestic praise in Japan for her work in two of the greatest Japanese films of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa's Rashōmon and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu.Machiko trained to be a dancer before...
, Masayuki Mori, Takashi ShimuraTakashi Shimurawas a Japanese actor.He was born in Ikuno, Hyogo, Japan.His debut as actor was the film Akanishi Kakita and cast in the Kenji Mizoguchi's film Osaka Elegy .... - The OutrageThe OutrageThe Outrage is a remake of the 1950 Japanese film Rashomon, reformulated as a Western. Like the original Akira Kurosawa film, four people give contradictory accounts of a rape and murder. Kurosawa is credited with the screenplay. It was directed by Martin Ritt and is based on stories by Ryūnosuke...
- 1964, United States; Director: Martin RittMartin RittMartin Ritt was an American director, actor, and playwright who worked in both film and theater. He was born in New York City.-Early career and influences:...
; Starring: Paul NewmanPaul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast... - Iron Maze - 1991, United States; Director: Hiroaki Yoshida; Starring: Jeff FaheyJeff FaheyJeffrey David "Jeff" Fahey is an American film and television actor. He has portrayed Captain Frank Lapidus on the ABC series Lost and the title role of Deputy Marshal Winston MacBride on The Marshal.-Early life:...
, Bridget FondaBridget FondaBridget Jane Fonda is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in films such as The Godfather Part III, Single White Female, Point of No Return, It Could Happen to You, and Jackie Brown...
, Hiroaki MurakamiHiroaki Murakamiis a Japanese actor. He specializes in jidaigeki roles, and has also taken parts in tokusatsu and modern productions.Born in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, he enrolled in Hosei University but withdrew when he successfully auditioned for a part in Kamen Rider. He made his debut as Tsukuba Hiroshi... - In a Grove - 1996, Japan; Director: Hisayasu SatōHisayasu Satois a Japanese exploitation film director. He has worked prolifically in the pinku eiga genre. His best known works are the pink film The Bedroom , and the V-Cinema splatter film Splatter: Naked Blood . He is known for his "sledgehammer" filmmaking style, and using his exploitation career to tackle...
; Starring: Shunsuke Matsuoka, Kaori Sakagami, Shigeki Hosokawa, Hitomi ShiraishiHitomi Shiraishiis a former Japanese model, adult video actress, and a movie and TV actress from the 1990s who has been called "the eternal porn queen" and been described as "one of the most popular AV actresses of 1990s"... - Misty - 1997, Japan; Director: Kenki Saegusa; Starring: Yūki AmamiYuki Amamiis a Japanese actress.-Career:Amami joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1987 and retired in 1995. Amami was the youngest actress in the company's history to be cast in a top male role...
, Takeshi KaneshiroTakeshi KaneshiroTakeshi Kaneshiro , born October 11, 1973, is a Taiwan-born Japanese actor and singer.-Name:...
, Etsushi ToyokawaEtsushi Toyokawato pursue a career in acting. He began by joining the sho-gekijo theatrical troupe "Under Thirty," which was known for the membership of another famous actor, Watanabe Eriko, at the time... - A Tamil film Andha NaalAndha NaalAndha Naal is a 1954 Tamil crime mystery film directed by Veenai S. Balachander. It is arguably the first film-noir in Tamil cinema and is the first Tamil film to be made without songs. The film was inspired by the 1950 Akira Kurosawa film Rashômon...
(1954) was inspired by Rashomon starring the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan. However, the plot and the resolution starkly differs from Rashomon making the film a whodunnit murder mystery set in 1945.
In popular culture
"In a Grove" is the favorite story of "Ghost Dog", the main character from the movie Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American crime action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", a hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto...
.
The seventh episode of R.O.D the TV
R.O.D the TV
R.O.D -THE TV- is a 26-episode TV anime series, animated by J.C.Staff and produced by Aniplex, directed by Koji Masunari and scripted by Hideyuki Kurata, about the adventures of three paper-manipulating sisters, Michelle, Maggie and Anita, who become the bodyguards of Nenene Sumiregawa, a famous...
, titled "In a Grove", deals with a similarly confusing mix of truth and lies, reality and pretense.
The plot of the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "A Matter of Perspective" concerns similarly conflicting testimonies from characters involved in a homicide investigation. However, in contrast to the thesis of "In a Grove", an objectively true account of what happened is eventually discovered.
The name of the story has become an idiom in Japan, used to signify a situation where no conclusion can be drawn, because evidence is insufficient or contradictory. Similar terms include and .
Translation notes
Contrary to what some foreign-language versions of the story may imply, Masago does not confess to the police. This is clear in the Japanese version of the text. The title of this section is:「清水寺に来れる女の懺悔」(kiyomizu-dera ni kitareru onna no zange, translated in Giles as "The Confession of the Woman Visitor to Kiyomizudera Temple") The word 懺悔 (zange) is often translated as "confession", but the word also has heavy religious connotations, similar to "repentance" or "penitence". Although it can mean "to confess to other people", it almost always means "to confess to Buddha/God". Contrast this with Tajōmaru's confession to the police, referred to as 白状 (hakujō) in the text. This raises the question: The woman's story seems highly unlikely, but why would she lie to Buddha and ask him to forgive her for a crime that she didn't commit? Without this important detail, we could be led to believe that Masago was lying to the police in an effort to save face.Jay Rubin translated the title to "Penitent Confession of a Woman in the Kiyomizu Temple".
Another minor translation mistake in the Giles version of the text is the use of the word "sorrel
Sorrel (horse)
Sorrel is an alternative word for one of the most common equine coat colors in horses. While the term is usually used to refer to a copper-red shade of chestnut, in some places it is used generically in place of "chestnut" to refer to any reddish horse with a same-color or lighter mane and tail,...
" to refer to the woman's horse. The Japanese word in question is 月毛 (tsukige, lit. "moon hair"). This word is better translated as "palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
".
Often omitted from translations is the proper translation of the word 征矢 (soya). Often translated merely as "arrow", the word actually has a slightly different denotation
Denotation (semiotics)
In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier, and the definition most likely to appear in a dictionary.-Discussion :Drawing from the original word or definition proposed by Saussure , a sign has two parts:...
. "Soya" were extremely sharp arrows used for penetrating armor. Thus, as the samurai is carrying "soya", we are to assume that he is not only an experienced swordsman, but also an experienced archer. Without knowing this, we might be led to assume that the arrows were used for hunting, which was clearly not the author's intention.
Jay Rubin translated the title as In a Bamboo Grove.
External links and further reading
- Free e-book
- Free MP3s of the story, read by a professional Japanese actor
- Free e-book versions
- Free e-text of the story
- Konjaku Monogatarishū - 29th Volume, 23rd Story
- "The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce
- "The Ring and the Book" by Robert Browning