Geisha and the Samurai Warrior

Kogoro Katsura was a Samurai who lived in the mid 19th century. He supported the Emperor in Kyoto versus the Shogun and the feudal lords in Tokyo. The dispute is Japan was political but also over isolation from foreigners. Kogoro favored trade with foreigners and returning the land to the people. Kogoro was aligned with two powerful Samurai, both of whom were killed by forces of the Shogun. There were many attempts to kill him on the streets of Kyoto. He was forced to hide when the Shogun’s warriors came looking. His life was saved many times by the geisha, Matsuko Ikumatsu. Ikumatsu performed as a geisha at Kyoto’s Sanbongi. She was born to a samurai family. Her father, Kizaki, served the Obama clan in Wakasa.

When Kogoro needed a hiding place he went to a special room at the geisha house where he sometimes hid in a very large trunk. Ikumatsu was very brave and loved Kogoro and would lie to the warriors looking for Kogoro. When the warriors would not leave she took them to the special room and served them Saki. She could pull a rope when needed and a ceiling loaded with heavy rocks would fall from above killing the warriors. In 1867 the Shogun relinquished power to the Emperor. Ikumatsu, age 25, married Kogoro Katsura who was ten years older.

Andy, Jerry, and Hitoshi heard this story told in Japanese by our lovely Kimono clad hostess with translation by Hitoshi. We were seated at the table at the traditional Japanese restaurant, Ikumatsu, in the special room under the ceiling used to save the life of Kogoro.

I am dedicating this story to Tane Sakura who saved my life at least once and who has been married to me for nearly 35 years. Tane is the “seed” in Japanese and Sakura is a common girls name in Japan, with the literal meaning “flowering cherry”. Sakuranbo is actually the fruit of a different cherry tree and is sometimes used for names of young girls.