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USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
Send comments to: Usagi Yojimbo ~ Letters Column c/o Dark Horse Comics
10956 S.E. Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
[E-MAIL] jamier@dhorse.com [www]
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[UsagiYojimbo Dojo]
http://heart.engr.csulb.edu/~tbustill/usagi.html
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The
Kanji Reads |
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Art by Stan Sakai |
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STORY NOTES Usagi's adventures take place at the turn of the 17th century Japan. I've deliberately kept exact dates vague to give myself more latitude in storytelling; however, I'm making an exception in this issue with the retirement of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1603, Ieyasu (1542-1616), the first of the Tokugawa Shogun, received the title Sei-i-tai Shogun, or "supreme military dictator," from Emperor Go-Yozei. Two years later, he abdicated in favor of his son, Hidetada, then 26 years old. He did this to guarantee the succession of the position to his family. Ieyasu retired to Shizuoka but still maintained an active role in politics. And, after almost a lifetime on the battlefield, he now devoted his leisure time to literature and poetry. Hidetada ruled until 1622 when he abdicated in favor of his son, Iemitsu. The Tokugawa Shogunate endured for fifteen successions and came to an end in 1868 with the Meiji Restoration, which gave power back to the emperor. Jishin-Uwo (pg. 17 [of UY Vol. 3, #15] ) is a giant catfish that lives under Shimofusa and Hitachi Provinces. Its movements are responsible for Japan's many earthquakes. A stone in the temple of Kashima is the exposed part of a sword that the gods used to pin the fish in place. The Kanji characters on page one read "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi," literally "The Grasscutting Sword." |
I've been complimented on the research I do, but now it's time for you readers to do some of your own because it's CONTEST TIME! The Japanese people call their country "Nihon" or "Nippon." But how did westerners come to call it "Japan"?
The first to give me a satisfactory explanation will receive an original drawing of Usagi. Submissions must be sent by regular mail. The correct answer with the earliest postmark wins. Be sure to include your name and address on your entry! [Winner announced in UY Vol 3, #17 Letters Column]
Dear Mr. Sakai and Mr. Rich,
I have not previously written you a letter and thought now would be an appropriate time. I wish to congratulate you on a truly outstanding comic. It has been several years since I have collected comics and buying Usagi Yojimbo has brought me back into a hobby I greatly enjoy. I have been collecting your comics for a few months and thanks to a great local comics shop and a lucky day in Oklahoma, I have been able to pick up most of Usagi's appearances. Your art is rich and joy to look at, but it is your fascinating stories which keep me coming back. It is absolutely wonderful how you are able to convey so much Japanese history and culture in only a few pages. Even glimpses into the lives of Japanese peasants is refreshing and entertaining. I'm a college student majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and it is great to have historically and culturally accurate representations of Japan available to the American public. I particularly enjoy your stories which feature creatures from the Japanese supernatural. In [Vol. 3] #3 you mentioned the book Japanese Ghosts and Demons, edited by Stephen Addiss, as a source for your research. As it happens, I took a class by the same name last semester from two of the contributing authors of the Addiss book! If you ever need more sources on the supernatural of Japan, the University of Kansas has two walking encyclopedias. Hopefully, if all goes well, I will be able to write my honor's thesis using your books as a source. Once again, thank you so much for the great stories and the wonderful representation of the Japanese people and their cultural history.
Jesse R. Hodges
Wichita, KS
Japan has such a rich heritage of myths and folklore. Unfortunately, except for a few, they are virtually unknown to westerners. Japanese Ghosts and Demons, edited by Stephen Addiss (New York: George Braziller, Inc, in association with Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, 1985), is a wonderful resource. I wish there were more books like this one.
Dear Stan Sakai,
I have enjoyed reading your epic comic Usagi Yojimbo over the many years. It has been the one comic that has never disappointed me, while always coming up with twists of other Japanese stories and folk tales. I am very impressed with all of the research that you must put into producing Usagi although reading the comic takes only a fraction of the time. I hope that you never get tired of producing Usagi Yojimbo since for the past seven years of following the story I have always looked forward to the next issue. I did have a question about the possibility of Usagi re-encountering The Lone Goat and Kid. I really enjoyed the story, but I think that it still has potential for being a great adventure for Usagi.
Colin Rothrock
Kalamazoo, MI
The Lone Goat and Kid will return (I love that little guy). However, I've got quite a few stories lined up before that reunion.
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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.