Byakkotai

I've been to Japan for almost one whole week, and the experience has already been special.

I tackled the huge monster called Tokyo for one week. Let me tell, it was chaos! Tokyo is one of the most dense cities in the entire world, so everywhere was just an onrush of humanity. Good thing my new travel partner Dave and I stayed in a hostel on the outskirts of the city, because it was absolute madness. My first hostel experience was awesome. Very friendly staff, and the travellers come from all parts of the world who are friendly and very open-minded to new cultures. Obviously you sort of have to be or else you will have a hard time travelling. So staying in Tokyo was really great because I got to sight-see during the day, and come back to a very friendly hostel that has great people you can meet and share your adventures with. I met people from Europe, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Korea. What was even more neater was to listen and learn about some of these people's hopes and ambitions for life. Some want to study Japanese, some want to live here in Japan, and some just want to see the world. We all have a story to share.

Tokyo has so much to offer, something will have to click according to your hobbies or interests. For me its the history and the cultural relics. For others it could be the international flavor in the Roppongi district, Japanese youth culture in Shibuya (and the awesome crosswalk that you see on TV where there are four crosswalks filled with people, while surrounded by huge, neon-lit buildings), the entertainment districts in Shinjuku, and the quiet parks in Ueno. So it had something for everybody. Dave and I were really keen in the Akihabara District, which offers girl and boy geeks their fantasies in the form of manga, or Japanese comics, or anime, Japanese animation, or other major stores containing all their electronic needs. There were videogames galore, which was very tempting and fun for my hands to press the buttons of a Japanese Nintendo DS.

We spent a few days in some cities in Northern Japan, thanks to our train pass that allows us unlimited rides on the Shinkansen, or bullet train, in the northern areas of Japan. Getting out of Tokyo was so tight just because you can see what the "burbs" are like. The town we stayed at last night, Aizu-Wakamatsu, reminds of a small midwestern town in Illinois. Very quaint and low key, and the mountains surrounding the city just made it seem like Colorado-like. Even Japanese style fast-food restaurants seemed to resemble their American counterparts as they lined up the small streets. People seemed more friendly and more laid-back compared to the city folk, as a I met two Japanese ajumma who helped us with directions, but proceeded to ask me questions about my background...in Japanese! With whatever Japanese skills that I derived from my textbook, I managed my first basic converastion in Japanese...that was a riot!

Aizu-Wakamatsu is a famous samurai castle town. It has an awesome samurai villa (we couldn't see it due to time contraints), a huge castle called Tsuruga, and a shrine on Imori Mountain. One of the most famous of samurai stories in all of Japan took place in Aizu-Wakamatsu, which tells the story of the "Byakkotai," or the White Tigers. The Byakottai were a group of 20 teenage samurai warriors who fought in the Boshin Wars of 1868. They were all just a mere 15 or 16 years old as they were recruited and trained to fight against the newly formed Meiji Imperial Government. In a tragic twist of fate, after fighting against the government near Tsuruga Castle (which we saw today), they retreated to nearby Imori Mountain, which we also saw today. There, as they rested, believed to have saw their castle and feudal kingdom being burned to the ground. In anguish and in honor, the warriors, all teenage boys, killed themselves through "seppuku," or ritual disembowelment. They did this as an honor and to remain loyal to the Aizu clan to whom they served. However, in a tragic twist of fate, the castle was not destroyed by the government, it was just the surrounding countryside that was on fire. The fall of Aizu would not come for weeks.

Basically, they killed themselves for nothing. Only one teen survived, a 14-year old who lied to get into the Byakottai unit, and he went on to tell what happened. As I went through the castle, I saw portraits of these young guys who killed themselves to keep their honor, all young faces eager for battle. It hit home for some odd reason.

In one part of my mind, I was like, "why did you waste your life like that?" Then, despite what seemed to be a waste of life, there is a method to their madness. Jesus says, "those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life will save it." These boys were headstrong, energetic, but so ready to fight and die for their lord.

I think about all the missionaries and Christians in the world who go to dangerous situations and give up their livelihood to spread the Gospel. Many have paid with their lives with it. I saw sometimes wonder about their bravery and their willingness to go the distance with Jesus. Its a fascinating thing to read, for example, North Koreans going back to their country just to share the Gospel. That's bravery, honor, and loyalty to our Lord.

So through this historical tour of Aizu-Wakamatsu, Tsuruga-jo ("Jo" means castle in Japanese), and the Byakkotai Memorial on Imori Mountain...I learned about one major aspect about samurai life that shows how dedicated some of these warriors are...to loyal and to serve their Lord to the end.

Do I have enough faith and gusto to serve my Lord and Master till the end? Looks like I need more training now...

For now, I am a Samurai who needs more training.