Autobiography of samurai Katsu Kokichi (1802—1859) Musui Dokugen

The Tokugawa shogunate gave rise to numerous moralistic works based on Confucian and Buddhist ideas. Most of these works and biographies describe virtuous individuals, inviting the Japanese to emulate them. The most widely circulated text was 24 Examples of Filial Piety, based on Chinese precedents. In Japan itself, a similar largescale government project was undertaken: in 1801, the seminal work Kogiroku (Records of Filial Piety and Virtue) (8,614 stories) was compiled. The stories included in this compendium were collected by local authorities by order of the shogunate. Katsu Kokichi's autobiography, Musui Dokugen (1843), can also be considered a moralistic text, but it is unique in another respect: the author urges his descendants not to imitate their ancestor, who led a dissolute life. Katsu Kokichi's narrative reveals the dark side of Tokugawa society. In our minds, it often appears as the embodiment of strict order, and the samurai themselves as the embodiment of not only courage but also integrity. However, the autobiography paints a far from idealistic picture. Both Kokichi himself and many of his immediate circle were far from as blameless as portrayed in the normative texts of the Tokugawa era. Katsu Kokichi's autobiography vividly demonstrates that the severity of Tokugawa laws and moral codes could be offset by their violation and non-compliance. Katsu Kokichi was certainly not a “typical” samurai. However, we believe it is always useful to remember: not all samurai were “typical.” 
This article provides a translation of several excerpts from the Musui Dokugen. At the beginning and end of the autobiography, Katsu Kokichi urges his descendants not to imitate him under any circumstances. Further, several episodes are cited in which Kokichi candidly recounts his own unworthy actions. 

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