Soy Sauce 14

                          ‘The warrior doesn't care if he's
                           called a beast or a dog; 
                            the main thing is winning.’
                                               Asakura Norikage

                                                       

In Japan, health and enthusiasm and energy are all part of the single concept of Genki. The achievement of Genki comes through the discipline and ethics inherent in Geido. And the most important component of Geido is the determination. Greatness can come through willpower alone. Ganbatte is the ‘do your best’ obsession of giving your all: Akirame ga Warui, we don’t know how to quit, Akiramenai, do or die, Ashikiri, cutting off the legs, Bosai Pakku, preparing for survival, Bushidō, the fighting knight way, Chusei Shin, loyal to the last, Daikan, mind over matter, Gai Ju Nai Go, soft outside; hard inside, Gaman Kurabe, a test of wills, Gamanzuyoi, suffering the unbearable, Ippo Machigau To, one false step and the sword, Isshokenmei, putting one’s life on the line, Kangeiko, discipline the Japanese way, Karada de Obocru, matter over mind, Kato Kyoso, compete or die, Kokorogamae, attitude is everything, Kosho, coming out fighting, Memeshi, who’s a wimp, No miss, second best isn’t good enough, Shibutosa, fight to the death, Shobu, a fight to the finish, Suri-Awase, grinding off the rough edges…
Japanese martial arts and traditional arts are all about discipline, as were the proverbs that accompanied them. If eating poison, eat to the plate… If you don’t enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub. My dog-eared Hagakure was replete. Singlemindedness is all-powerful… A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm… I’ll give you the answer to the question “What is most important to the heart of a warrior?” The answer is, “To desire with one’s very soul every second of every day to accomplish one’s aim.” But the talented hawk hides its claws, and the Japanese strategy for winning has always included stealth and deception: Aiso Warai, beware of fake smiles, Akujunkan, the great runaround, Amai, spreading on the sugar, Anmoku no Ryokai, an unspoken understanding, Ashirau, the diplomatic brush-off, Dango, dividing up the spoils, En Maku wo Haru, laying a smoke screen, Homegoroshi, praising to death, Ihyo wo Tsuku, springing surprises, Ii Toko Tori, taking only the good, Ikki Nomi, playing to your peers, Ippiki Ookami, Japan’s lone wolves, Kakushi Aji, a secret ingredient, Kamaseru, sharing the spoils, Kao ga Hiroi, having a wide face, Kao wo Dasu, showing your true face, Kanson Minpi, bowing before officials, Kikkake, putting on an act, Kirei Goto, making pretty talk, Ki wo Yurusu, letting your guard down, Komawari ga Kiku, bypassing the bureaucracy, Konran, keeping things under control, Kuroko, the men in black, Kyoso, the ultimate competitors, Kyoso to Kyocho, doing business with enemies, Nigiritsubusu, crushing people’s projects, Odateru, applying soft soap, Odawara Hyojo, a delaying tactic, Saguru, probing your partners, Supai, industrial espionage, Sarakin, the loan shark business, Seken Shirazu, babes in the woods, Seken Zure Shita, too wise for the world, Sensei, polishing the apple, Shimei, picking your bed partner, Sha Chiku, a nation of corporate sheep, Shido, a word from big brother, Shikitari, the herd instinct, Shingi Kai, Japan’s shadow rulers, Shirankao, keeping a straight face, Shitofumeikin, company slush finds, Sodanyaku, the quiet advisors, Sonshite Tokutore, losing to win, Shushoku Shido, long arms of professors, Tateyaku Sha, finding the kingpin, Tesaki, putting up the front man, Uiuishii, the wiles of naivety, Uma ga Au, harmonizing your horses, Urakata, the hidden-person ploy, Urami wo Kau, buying into trouble, Sode no Shita, a little something up the sleeve, Yakutoku, a dangerous perk…
Like the lack of evil, and the absence of wrong, the Japanese have trouble with saying the word ‘no’ directly. Again, between the dog ears- Wrap your intentions in needles of pine… Tether even a roasted chicken… When meeting with the enemy, there is a way to determine his strength. If he has his head cast down, he will appear black and is strong. If he is looking upward, he will appear white and is weak.
A man has a false heart in his mouth for the world to see, another in his breast to show to his special friends and his family, and the real one, the true one, the secret one, which is never known to anyone except to himself alone, hidden…
One also senses a certain insecurity, and a deep desire to be respected, in Japanese behaviour. The phrase used to introduce oneself, Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, is best translated as ‘Please be nice to me,’ hardly a reflection of the strength of will and strategy surging through the rest of their cultural heritage. Nor does the concept of Kawaii, cuteness to a level of farcical absurdity, completely fit. Except that Japanese girls who dream of Anne of Green Gables, want to be Anne of Green Gables, with the heart of a warrior.