The Heiké Story

Eiji Yoshikawa (Translated by Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu)

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956; Pages: 627

As of this writing, THE HEIKÉ STORY is the third (and last, not counting his autobiography) of Eiji Yoshikawa's novels to appear in English. The 1956 edition has long been out of print and may be hard to find. To add further grief, it is an incomplete translation of a work in progress, so compared to MUSASHI or TAIKO, the novel appears somewhat below par. Still, it is a worthwhile read, as the author's deeply engaging style now takes us back to the 12th century, when the declining power of the Fujiwara clan caused the central government in Kyoto to rely more and more on the warrior clans of the Heiké and the Genji. Nothing good has ever come out of warriors mixing with idle aristocrats, and soon the two "lower" clans find themselves deep in political intrigue as ex-Emperors plot against Emperors, and courtiers plot against each other. Inevitably, the Heiké and the Genji come to overt hostilities, as each clan backs a different contender for the Imperial throne. Under the somewhat hesitant leadership of Kiyomori, the Heiké prevail, and almost completely destroy their rivals. The few that escape destruction owing to the mercy of the victors would be the ones to bring the downfall of their enemies, who come to enjoy a brief, but resplendent, ascent to the highest ranks of political power and prestige. The domination of the warrior class begun in this fateful period would determine the fate of Japan for the next eight centuries.

The author introduces many personages, some fictional, but most historical realities. If one wants to properly "get the feel" of the times, which is necessary to enjoy the work to its fullest, I suggest reading Ivan Morris' THE WORLD OF THE SHINING PRICE, which is the best description of court life in ancient Japan that is available in English. For the story itself, there is Helen McCullough's translation of THE TALE OF THE HEIKE, the original story created shortly after the fall of that clan. Some familiarity with Japan's history in general would be helpful, and I must recommend George Sansom's classic HISTORY OF JAPAN TO 1334, which is especially good for the system of cloistered government. However, none of these is strictly necessary, for Yoshikawa's novel stands on its own through the vigor of the narrative, and the convoluted, but eminently readable, storyline.

However, it is difficult to evaluate this book properly. The most glaring problem is the translator's fervent desire to accommodate what he perceives as the deficient Western tastes. Putting aside the matter of condescension conveniently wrapped in excuses about keeping the narrative "interesting," the novel appears butchered beyond comprehension. I have only read two other (fully translated) works by Yoshikawa and the complexity of the storyline, the richness of characters, and the meticulous attention to historical detail have always been his strong points with me. I don't know that many would gloss over unfamiliar aspects of the Japanese culture, but to cut them out entirely is unpardonable. The impatient can skip, the truly interested must be able to follow the story as the author intended it. I speak no Japanese, but as one who deeply admires the culture, I feel I've been shortchanged. Further attempts to "Westernize" the novel result in patchy continuity, curious shallowness, rambling (as some characters come and go without purpose at all), and finally to the overtly ridiculous (e.g. sake becomes "wine"). The other problem is that at the time of translation, the novel was still unfinished, so it ends abruptly with Genji Ushiwaka's escape from the monastery and flight to the East. As the entire novel is based around the inexorable march of history, when all the signs of the eventual demise of the Heiké clan come to nothing, the entire book seems to end without fulfilling its promise. I hope that the completed version gets a full decent translation, which THE HEIKÉ STORY surely deserves.

May 15, 2001. BLS

@BOOK{yoshikawa-56:heike,
    TITLE     = {The Heik\'{e} Story},
    AUTHOR    = {Eiji Yoshikawa},
    YEAR      = {1956},
    PUBLISHER = {Alfred A. Knopf},
    ADDRESS   = {New York},
    NOTE      = {Pp. 627, translated by Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu}
}