Story Of The Otokodate Of Yedo: Tales of Japan
Story Of The Otokodate Of Yedo is Japanese story about traditional Japanese hero. Otokodate doesn't have a handy English language translation - the anachronistic and unsatisfactory phrase 'street knight' is the commonly used definition and it no longer fits our phraseology nor is it very accurate. Otokodate is an archetype of kabuki more than anything else. In the popular imagination (especially of the nineteenth century) the early Yedo period was lawless and yet social class of Japan was strictly defined. Japanese peasants were without rights in the presence of samurai and the imbalance led to horrific abuses of privilege and great tragedy.
Above all, Otokodate in his own way, he should hold the key principles of Bushido ( traditional Japanese samurai code) very clearly - especially those of honour and duty. Nevertheless the otokodate made their living by gambling and were reckless both in love and in combat. It is important here to see how these qualities and their popularity with the burgeoning townsfolk and merchant class had political overtones in Japan.
It became popular to invent stories of retribution and justice where the hero was a rough and ready, yet brave and principled character who when witnessing samurai cruelty stepped in to defend the underdog. This class of popular hero became known as the Otokodate. This is Japanese story about hero of that times.
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