Dear hypothetical readers,Your hapless author has been occupied with cramming Japanese into a pitiably sieve-like noggin for the last few weeks here where the sun don't shine, i.e. Hokkaido. Updating because my so-called "independent study" project draws to a close (or at least is being forced to come to some kind of closure, as the presentation looms like the Sword of Damocles over next Tuesday) and it attempts to express, very poorly, some observations made in these parts about historifandom as well as Modern East Asia*, which I will relate with greater detail and eloquence below.**
These observations concern mostly the life and demise of one Hijikata Toshizo, "The Demon Vice-Leader of the Shinsengumi." If that line made little sense to you, Mr. W. Pedia could probably explain things much better. But, briefly, Hijikata was the close friend and right-hand-man of the leader of a semi-official police force fighting for the dying Shogunate in the 1860s. As Imperial supporters increasingly gained in power and finally erected the new Meiji government, the remnant Shogunate loyalists broke away and tried to form their own country in Hokkaido, the Ezo Republic, with its capital located in the little town where I am currently making my abode. In perhaps one of the more pathetic civil wars in East Asian history, Hijikata and fellows staged a desperate last stand in Hakodate, centering their energies on holding a new-style pentagonal fort, Goryoukaku, only to be totally wiped out by summer 1869. Hijikata, who had become Vice-Minister of the Army for the Republic, was supposedly killed in a spot about 10 minutes by foot from where I type this post.
Anyway, what's more exciting than modified copy-paste from Mr. Pedia is that Hijikata fandom is extremely active. Photos from the big souvenir shop near the Goryoukaku Park:
Exhibit A, Hello Kitty cosplaying as Hijikata. (Expresses one of the central tenets of fandom, namely "sacrilege is an measure of total worship"...) 315 Yen.
Exhibit B, Hijikata piggy bank. 682 Yen.
Exhibit C, Hijikata T-Shirt. About 3000 Yen.
I could go on with the random Hijikata memorabilia, but that could be a very long post indeed. Instead let me cut to the chase: I find these tokens curious because of their mingling of the life of a historical figure (and from not even that long ago) with fan-mythos, tourism, and consumption. More than simply creating a legend and maintaining/expanding it through free-for-all fan channels like scanlation groups or fanfiction writers, these items create an (capitalist) economy of historifandom. It is nothing as simple as "well, I like him because he was a cool dude" or "he was the last real samurai." If such were the case, how could one bear to buy a (probably made in China) cell phone strap of the last samurai
Thus Hijikata has been remodeled into a mascot of sorts, a stand-in for Hakodate or for whatever bushido is supposed to mean, more than for himself.*** It would be interesting to interview tourists and find out how much they know of Hijikata's background and of the period in general, and how much of that knowledge might be derived from what might be considered "illegitimate" sources, like NHK Taiga Drama, manga, or novelizations. If I were really good at this accursedly difficult language **** or about 50 times more diligent a student I would have probably done so. But for the purposes of the manga, I felt it sufficient to document atrocities/awesomeness like the "Hijikata Hotate [Scallop] Burger" buyable at the local burger joint, Lucky Pierrot.***** Witness the mayonnaisey horror:
And the "Shinsengumi" coin laundry (a pun on the word "sen", 撰/洗, the first of which means "organized," as in "Newly Organized Group," the latter of which means "washing,", as in laundry...):
Abominations or amazing testaments to a view of history that celebrates losers sometimes more than it celebrates winners? As to that, I wonder how much of the so-called "mono no aware" sentiment suposedly so native to Japan has been retroactively emphasized after 1945.
This monument located in a quiet corner in the moutain, for instance, is dedicated to the fallen Shogunate warriors, but its delayed installation (and rather out-of-the-way placement) could imply that there was considerable resistance to recognizing the losers of the Bakumatsu in the early Meiji. I would not be surprised if militarization also led to a certain interpretation of Hijikata and his colleagues. Sure, they were romantic and dashing and doomed, etc., but surely not much room for that by the 1930s? Ditto for the Chunshingura. I am sure that someone could answer this question, especially as I recall hearing from somewhere this spring that there's a collection or monograph on the transmutation of the text and its various adaptations (aka fanfic spinoffs!11!!!). Where does heroism end and plain old failure begin?
This monument located in a quiet corner in the moutain, for instance, is dedicated to the fallen Shogunate warriors, but its delayed installation (and rather out-of-the-way placement) could imply that there was considerable resistance to recognizing the losers of the Bakumatsu in the early Meiji. I would not be surprised if militarization also led to a certain interpretation of Hijikata and his colleagues. Sure, they were romantic and dashing and doomed, etc., but surely not much room for that by the 1930s? Ditto for the Chunshingura. I am sure that someone could answer this question, especially as I recall hearing from somewhere this spring that there's a collection or monograph on the transmutation of the text and its various adaptations (aka fanfic spinoffs!11!!!). Where does heroism end and plain old failure begin?
Before signing off, the Mona Lisa-like photo of unknown date (probably in 1868) that is plastered over every imaginable household item and surface in the souvenir stores:
A statue version of him from Shinsengumi days:
Some recent anime versions:
From Gintama, I believe.
From Peace Maker Kurogane.
And with that, to all a good night.*Phrase used with a mild twitch of the eyebrow.
**Not saying much.***Other Hakodate mascots include squids, squids, and also squids. These folk really appreciate their 名物, so much that there's a whole dance routine reciting some popular squid dishes, like squid somen and squid shiokara...
****Gratifyingly or maybe terrifyingly, our most recent reading selection, by Dr. Donald Keene, has him writing that Japanese is "uncountably many more times more difficult than Chinese." If even Dr. Keene thinks so, then...well...
*****Apparently, founded by a Chinese man...
