■ [Detour-75] Japanese History Leading Up to the Age of Civil War: The Way of Life Called Basara
As I studied Japanese history while researching the family history of the Hasebe clan, my own surname, I realized that our fate had changed significantly during the Battle of Senjōsan in 1333 (the third year of Genkō) and the Kenmu Rebellion in 1336 (the first year of Engen).
However, I have yet to find any sign of my ancestors appearing in history after that, until the Battle of Funaokayama in 1511 (the eighth year of Eishō).
Therefore, based on the phrase 'Amago refugees' that remains as a family precept, I would like to trace history from the perspective of the Sasaki clan, who had ties to the Amago clan, and in particular, Sasaki Dōyo, who survived the turmoil from the end of the Kamakura period through the Northern and Southern Courts period.
■ The Way of Life Called Basara
The Sasaki clan, to which Sasaki Dōyo—also known as Kyōgoku Dōyo—belonged, was a branch of the Uda Genji that originated in Ōmi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture), with Sasaki Hideyoshi as its progenitor, who was among the first to join Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period.
During the Kamakura Shogunate, Sasaki Dōyo served as an attendant to the Tokusō, Hōjō Takatoki, a position that involved accompanying the Shogun to banquets and visits to other families. He was quick-witted and was regarded by Hōjō Takatoki as an interesting person.
He was also known for his flamboyant attire and his love for flower arrangement and sarugaku. In the fictionalized 'Taiheiki,' it is said that he introduced a shirabyōshi dancer named Fujiyasha from a traveling troupe to Ashikaga Takauji, the leader of the Minamoto clan, and that Ashikaga Tadafuyu was born as a result, but this story is surely too good to be true.
At the end of the Kamakura period, Sasaki Dōyo, who rarely revealed his true intentions, approached Ashikaga Takauji to probe his inner thoughts. I believe this reflects how power was concentrated in the Hōjō and Taira clans at the end of the Kamakura period, leaving the people in poverty.
In 1333 (the third year of Genkō), when Ashikaga Takauji raised an army from Kamakura on the orders of Hōjō Takatoki to suppress Emperor Go-Daigo, who was holed up in Mount Senjō, he passed through Ōmi Province. It is believed that Sasaki Dōyo and Ashikaga Takauji signaled something to each other there.
This is because the Hōjō-Taira clan, despite ordering the suppression of Emperor Go-Daigo, felt a risk in the Ashikaga clan gathering and raising an army. They feared that instead of heading for Mount Senjō, the Ashikaga might turn around and attack Kamakura once their forces were assembled. Therefore, the Hōjō-Taira clan seems to have secretly ordered Sasaki Dōyo to strike the Ashikaga army from the rear if they defected and turned their forces toward Kamakura.
As a result, the Ashikaga and Sasaki armies formed an alliance in Ōmi Province, together captured the Rokuhara Tandai in Kyoto, seized control of the capital, and welcomed Emperor Go-Daigo from Oki.
The head of the Sasaki clan at this time was the Sasaki Rokkaku clan. The Rokkaku clan fought as part of the shogunate army against the Ashikaga and Sasaki armies until the end under the instructions of the Rokuhara Tandai, but thanks to Sasaki Dōyo's efforts, they were spared any punishment.
Also, the Sasaki Oki clan, who had let Emperor Go-Daigo escape from Oki, was destroyed due to the betrayal of their kinsman, the Sasaki Enya clan. I believe the Sasaki clan was also divided between the shogunate and rebel armies, and somehow managed to keep up with the changing times.
Now, Sasaki Dōyo was called a 'Basara Daimyo.' When I look up the meaning of 'Basara,' it is described as 'flamboyant, self-indulgent, unreserved, and behaving in an unconventional manner,' but I cannot quite imagine what that looks like.
In Kenzo Kitakata's 'Dōyo Nari,' Basara was described as 'to destroy.' Certainly, Sasaki Dōyo was strong in battle and destroyed the Kamakura Shogunate, but if you put it that way, I think Ashikaga Takauji was also a Basara.
I wonder if Emperor Go-Daigo, Oda Nobunaga, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were also Basara.
However, I personally felt that a Basara is someone who 'performs,' much like in sarugaku. And someone who 'upholds the truth.' I feel that what was amazing about Sasaki Dōyo was that he was 'someone who thinks far ahead.'
Therefore, I decided to summarize some of Sasaki Dōyo's episodes, including fictional ones, and try to put my own imagination into words.