| Monjiro |
December 19, 2019
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| When he was reading the newspaper, he happened to read an article about this particular guy. He used to be a famous actor, then a popular TV news anchor. The article said that he was now performing a 'solo' play, a reading performance. He had performed about 90 times all over this country. It was a play about the nuclear reactor accident in Fukushima. He had lived there when he was a child. After the accident, he researched and wrote about the scenario for 3 years, then he started his performance. Now, he was in his late seventies. He remembered the actor for his guts and determination, that he portraited in his first TV role, then as a news anchor. When he was a junior high school student, the actor starred in a popular samurai drama that he and his friends liked very much. It wasn't precise to call it a "samurai" drama because the protagonist's role wasn't a samurai, it was an outlaw who sometimes fought against samurai. The protagonist's name was Kogarashi Monjiro.  Monjiro was his first name and Kogarashi was a nickname, it means, "a strong wind which blows at the beginning of winter". This was a one hour drama series, and at the beginning of the drama, there was the same narration, "He was born in a small village in XXX. There had been a series of famines in this era. He left his village when he was 10 years old and started to wander all over this country. ... People call him Kogarashi Monjiro." Then the theme song started:Somewhere, somebody Is surely waiting for me The cloud burns, the road gets dry The sun doesn't set for long My mind died a long time ago I've never met a smile I've never known of yesterday I'm alone in the journey today But somewhere You are waiting for me You are surely waiting In the wind It was a great song. Even now when he listened to that song, some excitement appeared in his mind. Monjiro was a lonely outlaw who lived from journey to journey. He didn't have a regular job and earned his living by temporary jobs, like being a bodyguard. He was an outlaw, but it didn't mean that he committed crimes like stealing or murdering. In this era, leaving from their hometown was a crime. He was a nihilistic outlaw. He avoided becoming a standout because if he was investigated by the police, he would be arrested. So his regular answer to any person who asked him for help was, "It is something I have nothing to do with." But he was a person who couldn't ignore it. A typical situation was that a poor young woman from a poor farming family was going to be sold by her stepmother, or a bad samurai boss asked his subordinates to deceive a poor family and take their daughter. Every time the victims were poor, weak people, and maybe sometimes young cute women were targeted. Monjiro would fight against powerful people and authorities. He would never leave the weak, poor people who asked for his help. It was a big reason why young people liked this drama. It was like the gunmen of "Spaghetti Western" movies, in which Clint Eastwood appeared in. He really liked Spaghetti Western movies. In the drama, Monjiro had some special features or routines. He always had a long toothpick in his mouth. He sometimes spit it out, and it would hit something. It was cool, and many kids mimicked it. Another typical scene was a gambling scene. In this country, in that period, there were many gambling spots called 'toba'. He didn't know whether they were legal or not. But, the rules were very simple. The host would pick up two dice in a bamboo woven cup and shake it, then he would put the cup upside down with the dice on the floor. Then the gamblers would start to bet whether the sum of the dice was odd or even. The betting wages of the losers would be paid out to the winners. Monjiro's unique part was that he would bet all of his money on only one bet. And, after one bet, whether he won or lost, he would leave. If he won, he would enjoy life for a few days; and, if he lost, it would be a hard life for a few days. It was graceful. It was the essence of this country's people to feel this type of simplicity. On the internet it mentioned that the actor was a fan of cycling races. He wondered how a human being could be so mysterious. With his nostalgic thoughts, he really wanted to watch his performance about the reactor accident. |
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*outlaw :ならずもの
*temporary :一時的
*nihilistic :ニヒルな
*standout :目立つ
*mimic :まねる
*simplicity :簡明さ