Mishima's Sword

On November 25, 1970, the world renowned Japanese writer Yukio Mishima committed seppuku with his own antique sword. Mishimas spectacular suicide has been called many things: a hankering for heroism; a beautiful, perverse drama; a political protest against Japans emasculated postwar constitution; t [...]
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On November 25, 1970, the world renowned Japanese writer Yukio Mishima committed seppuku with his own antique sword. Mishimas spectacular suicide has been called many things: a hankering for heroism; a beautiful, perverse drama; a political protest against Japans emasculated postwar constitution; the epitaph of a mad genius. Part travelogue, part biography, and part philosophical treatise, Mishimas Sword is the story of Christopher Rosss journey to find a sword and maybe an understanding of Mishimas country. The cold trail the author follows inspires a tale of the most engaging-and occasionally bizarre-sort, with glimpses of the real Japan that is not seen by tourists, with digressions on, among other things, bushido and socks, mutineers and Noh ghosts, nosebleeds and metallurgy-and even how to dress for suicide.