Miscellaneous Notes (2)

Last year marked fifty years since Yukio Mishima's storming of the Self-Defense Forces headquarters and his subsequent ritual suicide, a milestone that generated significant buzz in both television and publishing. Given that the February 26 Incident occurred in 1936, Mishima's death in 1970, and last year was 2020, it is striking that the fifty years from Mishima's death to the present have become a much longer span of time than the thirty-four years between the February 26 Incident and his death. I cannot help but be surprised by this. Perhaps because so much time has passed, I had the impression that there was a lack of critical perspectives among the many projects surrounding Mishima last year.

Watching the play 'A Certain Yaeko Story' last December, I was struck by the character played by Yasuhisa Shioda, a student who had been researching the history of onnagata (male actors playing female roles) at Kyoto Imperial University. It was amusing to see him get so absorbed in the art of the onnagata that he would tie his own hair, apply white makeup, and go out wearing women's kimono, but his transition from research to practice was also intriguing. It reminded me of Mishima's short story 'Onnagata'.

The story begins: 'Masuyama is devoted to the art of Mankiku Sanogawa. The reason a student of Japanese literature became a member of the playwrights' room was, in the final analysis, because he was captivated by Mankiku's stage performances.' The motivation is explained in more detail in the next section: 'That Masuyama became a member of the playwrights' room was, of course, due to the allure of Kabuki, and especially of Mankiku, but at the same time, he felt that he could not escape the shackles of this fascination without becoming thoroughly familiar with the backstage world. He knew of the disillusionment of the backstage world by reputation, and on the other hand, he wanted to immerse himself in it and experience the genuine disillusionment for himself.'

The theater troupe to which Masuyama belongs decides to perform a new work by a modern playwright, and under the conditions set by that playwright, a young director named Kawasaki is tasked with directing a Kabuki play for the first time, despite it being a script in modern language. Thus, a relationship that could be called a love triangle unfolds between the actor Mankiku, the playwright Masuyama, and the director Kawasaki. Masuyama is enamored with Mankiku, and Mankiku, seemingly seeing through this, wears an expression that toys with Masuyama, yet Mankiku is secretly harboring feelings for Kawasaki. Among the actors who are indifferent to Kawasaki's direction, Mankiku alone silently follows Kawasaki's instructions. However, to Kawasaki's eyes, Mankiku's attitude appears instead to be ironic and arrogant. After rehearsal, Kawasaki invites Masuyama to a bar and says:

'I don't get that angry at actors who are stubborn and won't listen during rehearsals, or who act threateningly or sabotage things, but what is Mankiku-san's deal? He is the one looking at me most mockingly. He is uncompromising from the bottom of his heart, and he has decided that I am just an ignorant kid. Sure, he does everything I say, down to the last detail. He is the only one who does exactly as I say. And that, in turn, makes me incredibly angry. It's as if he is constantly declaring to me in silence, "Fine. If that's what you want to do, I'll do it. But I won't take any responsibility for the stage." You can't imagine any sabotage worse than that. I think he is the most black-hearted of them all.'

The way each of them slightly misunderstands or sees through the feelings of others—that delicate balance and adjustment—is surely a testament to Mishima's sharp skill. The final scene at the stage door in the snow, where all three are gathered, is also beautiful.