The Samurai - Everyday Life in Traditional Japan - page 34

(21) Samurai view flower-arrangement. A senior samurai, with two of less exalted rank,
gaze at a flower-arrangement in a toko-no-ma (see p. 147 ) . The figure on the right, with
shaven head and fan in hand, is a Buddhist priest.
A more active sport for senior samurai was hunting. The taking of life was against the
tenets of Buddhism, according to which the killing of animals might bring punishment in
the next world; nevertheless, many hunted game for food, and the use of the matchlock
was common, although it is unlikely that shooting was considered a sport. Quite different
from this practical hunting were the large-scale expeditions by great lords. Indeed, some
of the earlier Sho-guns indulged in these from time to time, until they were brought to a
halt by the fifth Shogun, Tsunayoshi (1680-1709). He is remembered as the “dog” Sho-
gun, because of his protection for these animals, occasioned by the advice received from a
Buddhist priest that his childlessness was a punishment for having taken life in a previous
existence: he chose the dog for his particular favor because it was the calendar sign of the
year of his birth. The power of the Shogun is demonstrated by the effect that this idiosyn-
crasy had on the country. Some persons were even banished for killing dogs, a vast dog-
poundwasestablished inEdoforthecareofstrays,paidforbyaspecial dog-tax,whilethe
general ban on animal-killing made it difficult for the farmer to protect his crops. All this
didnotbringTsunayoshiason,however,andhewassucceededbyanephew,whoimmedi-