THE SLEEPING CAT

THE SLEEPING CAT

A wood carving, “Sleeping Cat” by Jingoro Hidari in Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, is designated as a national treasure. Surprisingly, there was another sleeping cat in the shrine, according to “Meisho Ihachiro Jitsuden” (Carpenter Ihachiro Biography). The woodcarver of the cat was a master carpenter named Ihachiro Kora. He was head of the 350 temple carpenters from Edo (Tokyo) and Oshu (Northern Japan).

About 400 years ago, in February in 11^th year of Kan-ei (1634), the third Shogun, Iemitsu Tokugawa decided to remodel the old shrine that enshrined the first Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa. He called a government official, Yasutomo Akimoto, and ordered him to be in charge of the construction. Akimoto then summoned Ihachiro Kora immediately.

The Koras was a family of temple carpenters. Ihachiro Kora had directed the construction of Fushimi Castle, the five-story pagoda of Kan-eiji Temple, and the donjon of Edo Castle.

Ihachiro went to Akimmoto’s office and waited for him in the Ichino-ma waiting room. Soon Akimoto appeared, took a seat of honor, and said:

“Ihachiro, the shogun has decided to renew Toshogu Shrine. I am in charge of the construction. I order you to be the construction director.”

“It’s my honor, sir,” Ihachiro said.

“Then do your best. This is a draft version of the bird-watching view of the renewed shrine. In principle, follow the draft, but you may improve it with my consent. I hope your construction will please the shogun.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best, sir.”

Ihachiro received the draft and looked at it. There were roughly two parts: the exterior and the interior buildings. The former included a stone tori gate, a five-story pagoda, the main entrance gate, god’s storehouse shrines, a hand-washing shrine, a god-stable shrine; the latter included Yomei Gate and Sakashita Gate, corridors, a potable-shrine building, the front shrine, the main shrine, the rogation shrine, and the inner shrine. There were all together 58 shrines and buildings.

When Ihachiro finished browsing the draft. Akimoto said to him:

“You shall be in charge of the interior part. As for the exterior, Jingoro Hidari shall take on the job. I hope both of you will compete with each other and build unprecedented shrines. The construction deadline date is March 17 of the year after next. You have two full years until the deadline. A month later, on April 17, the shogun will visit the new shrines and pray for the first shogun’s soul. So, be sure that you finish your job by that time.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll complete the construction by the deadline in the name of Buddha.”

When Ihachiro heard the name of Jingoro Hidari, he became nervous, because Jingoro was a well-known temple carpenter from Hida, Gifu Prefecture. He had directed the construction of Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine, Chion-in Temple, and Izumo Grand Shrine. He was the head of about 300 temple carpenters from Osaka and western Japan. According to the rumors about him, the wooden daffodil he carved bloomed in the morning; and the wooden mouse he made ran round in a tarai-basin. The rumors had reached Edo and Ihachiro had heard about it.

Ihachicho himself was no less skillful a wood carver than Jingoro. When he was young, he stayed in an inn, but he had lost his wallet and unable to pay the room charge. So, carved a Daikoku rice god statue and had the inn owner put it in front of the inn. Soon it so happened that Lord Hosokawa passed the inn and passed the statue for ten ryo, worth a million yen today.

The difference between the two carpenters were: while Ihachiro was emulous, bellicose, and bossy, Jingoro was patient, generous, and a devoted virtuoso.

Soon Ihachiro came to Nikko leading 350 Edo carpenters and Jingoro also reached Nikko leading 300 carpenters from Osaka area. And they started their work.

Time flies like an arrow. A year and nine months passed. There were only three months of January, February, and March till the deadline. 650 carpenters worked hard from morning till evening, tiling and thatching the roofs, lacquering pillars, and setting wood carvings in place. Everyone of them was busy adding the last touch.

One day in February, the construction minister, Yasutomo, came to the construction site accompanied by Ihachiro and jingoro, and looked at each building one by one carefully. Soon they reached the inner courtyard surrounded by the cloister. Standing in the yard, Yasutomo looked at the overhead transom of the east cloister.

“How are you going to decorate that transom, Ihachiro,” Yasutomo said.

“I’m planning to set a kara-jishi lion wood carving there,” Ihachito said.

“A kara-jishi?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I see a lot of kara-jishi carvings. It is rather boring. Isn’t there any other animal besides a kara-jishi?”

Ihachiro and Jingoro glanced at each other and began to mention the names of the animals scheduled to decorate various parts of the shrines. Some were imaginary animals such as dragons, dragon-like horses, elephant-like tigers, pig-like dragons, godly giraffes, Chinese phoenixes. Others were twelve Chinese zodiac animals, deer, elephants, rhinoceros, pheasants, peacocks, sparrows, and carp.

Listening to the names, Yasutomo suddenly uttered:

   “Oh, how about a cat? The shogun is very fond of cats. A cat is the best. Set a wooden carving cat over there, all right?”

   “Certainly, sir.”

   Ihachiro got confused. A mere cat and a dignified lion are quite different.

   “I will carve a cat as you say, but what kind of cat do you want me to carve?” Ihachico said.

   “A good question. What do you think, Ihachiro?”

   Ihachiro was embarrassed to be asked in return.

   “Let me see. Since the transom of the cloister is just in front of Omotemon Gate, which leads to the Innermost Shrine of the first shogun, the carving cat should look fierce so that it would threaten his enemy.”

   “A good idea,” Yasutomo said and turned to Jingoro.

   “What do you think, Jingoro?”

   “I would carve a sleeping cat.”

   “A sleeping cat? How come?”

   “Because the world has been enjoying peace since the first shogun conquered the whole of Japan. There couldn’t be any enemy against the shogun. So, the cat doesn’t have to look fierce. It should feel content with the peaceful world. It should feel sleepy in Nikko (Sunshine).”

   “Well said. I think so, too. Carve a sleeping cat.”

   Ihachiro felt vexed because his idea was ignored, but he held his temper; after all, he had to follow whatever Yasutomo said.

   “Oh, I have a good idea,” Yasutomo suddenly said. “Both of you shall curve a sleeping cat. I’ll compare the two cats, and decide the one that would decorate the transom.”

   “Mr. Yasutomo, let me humbly say,” Ihachiro said. “The cloister belongs to the interior part, which is under Edo carpenters charge. So, I’ll carve the cat.”

   “You are right. The cloister is under your charge, but it’s a mere cat. It’s not a big deal. To tell you the truth, since both of you are well-known wood carvers, I would like to see how both of you carve a cat. Ihachiro, I don’t think you are less skillful than Jingoro, are you?”

   “No, I don’t think so,” Ihachiro said.

   “Then, accept my request and carve a cat, will you?” Yasutomo said.

   “As you say, sir.”

   Ihachiro reluctantly obeyed his order. He got vexed again. Yasutomo gave Jingoro a chance to carve a cat for the cloister, which Ihachiro’s group was in charge. He directed his anger toward Jingoro even though it should be vent at Yasutomo.

From the next day on, both Ihachiro and Jingoro entrusted most of the master carpenter’s work to their sub-masters and began carving a sleeping cat. Ihachito desperately wanted to get the better of Jingoro to pay for the grudge against him.

   Around the end of February, both of them had almost finished carving the cat. Since Ihachiro wanted to beat Jingoro, he was anxious to know how well Jingoro had carved his cat. So, he brought one of the construction officials to his side and asked him to investigate how Jingoro was doing. The official went to Jingoro’s workshop.

   “Jingoro, I’ve come here on behalf of the Construction Minister Yasutomo. He wanted me to report how your work is going,” the official said.

   “Thank you for the trouble,” Jingoro said.

   “Well,” the official said looking at his cat. “You’ve almost finished it, haven’t you?”

   “Yes, sir. What remains is the final job of carving the eyes.”

   “Is that so? Since the cat is supposed to be sleeping, carving closed eyes must be easy,” the official said.

   “No, it’s the most difficult part.”

   “Really? The most difficult? I can’t believe it.”

   “Other carvers may finish them in an hour or so, but I need a whole day,” Jingoro said.

    After the official left his workshop, Jingoro began to perform a ritual before carving the eyes. First he cleansed himself with clean water, put his chisels on the altar of a Buddha statue, and concentrated his mind on prayer. Then he took the chisels from the altar and began to carve the eyes, paying the utmost attention to the movement of his chisel. Even a mistake of one-hundredth of an inch would damage the cat. He carved the eyes all through the night and finished them at dawn.

   The officer returned to Ihachiro’s workshop.

   “Master, I’ve seen his cat,” he said.

   “Thank you. And how’s his cat?” Ihachiro said.

   “That’s a poorly-carved cat. I don’t know anything about carving, but I can say this: his cat is crude, its fur does not look soft or smooth. It looked coarse. On the other hand, your cat looks real. It looks so real that I want to touch and stroke it. Even its whiskers and hairs are finely curved. Your cat is far better than his, I am sure.”

   “Is that so? That’s good news. I’m greatly relieved,” Ihachiro said.

   The day of the competition came. A long desk covered with white cloth was set in the inner garden in front of Sakashita Gate. The two carved cats were set on the desk. Ihachiro’s cat looked real. It was sleeping peacefully. It made everybody feel like stroking it, while Jingoro’s had an unusually large head. The cat’s body looked rough and unfinished. Its eyes looked magical, because they looked both closed and at the same time open. The most incomprehensible part was the front paws. They were stretched forward leisurely supporting its head, but at the same time looked ready to jump at any moment.

   Yasutomo looked at each of the cats alternatively for a minute or so.

   “The game is over. Ihachiro’s cat is much better. I’ll choose Ihachiro’s,” he said.

   Ihachiro’s face slightly beamed.

   “Wait a moment, please!” Jingoro said sharply. “The cat is supposed to be set in that transom. So, please set both of the cats there and look at them again.”

   “Again? There won’t be any difference, I suppose,” Yasutomo said.

   “There will be a great difference,” Jingoro said.

   “OK, then. Set them up there,” Yasutomo said.

   Several carpenters set the two cats side by side in the transom about 2.7 meters high.

   Yasutomo stood under the transom and looked at the cats.

   “What a surprise! They look quite different. Jingoro’s cat is alive but Ihachiro’s is dead. What’s happened to them? Explain, Jingoro,” Yasutomo said.

   “Certainly. Ihachiro’s cat looks real in front of your eyes, but the cat is not supposed to decorate an alcove, but decorate that transom, and to be looked up at from 2.7 meters below. The head of my cat looks too large in front of your nose, but it looks modestly-sized there. Furthermore, it looks like it is sleeping, enjoying the peaceful world, but actually its inner eyes are open as wide as Temple Guardian’s eyes and watching out for anything disturbing,” Jingoro said.

“How admirable!” Yasutomo said.

   As a matter of fact, Jingoro had a chance to compete with Ohkei, the most skillful wood carver in Nara, in carving of an egg when he was young. When they finished the eggs, the judges looked at them carefully. All of them said, “Ohkei’s egg is far better than Jingoro’s.” Jingoro protested at this judgment.

“Please release a chicken and see which egg it will sit on?” Jingoro said.

The judges did not understand him, but since Jingoro insisted firmly, they released a hen. Then it immediately rushed to Jingoro’s egg and sat on it. Everyone was surprised and wondered why it ran straight to his egg. Jingoro said that he had put a chick inside the egg. Similarly with the case of his cat, Jingoro had put the Temple Guardian’s eyes behind his cat’s eyes.

   Completely defeated by Jingoro, Ihachiro felt frustrated all the more because he had thought he would surely win.

   When he returned to the Edo carpenters’ house he began to drink sake with his sub-master carpenter, Seijiro. The more he drank, the more frustrated he became, until finally his anger burst.

   “Hey, Seijiro, do you understand how frustrated I am? I was disgraced in public. I hear people saying, “Jingoro is a genius; Ihachiro is all show and no substance. Damn it! You see, I was supposed to carve the cat because the cloister belongs to us, the Edo carpenters, but Jingoro interfered. He boasted to the Minister how well he had carved his cat. He has grated my nerves. He has disgraced my family name. I can’t face my ancestors after I die. Just imagine! My cat will be discarded in a filthy ditch and his cat will be praised forever. I can’t stand it. I would be No. 1 carver without him. Seijiro, I’ve decided to kill him and destroy his cat,” Ihachiro said and was about to stand up.

   “Master, wait a moment, please. I understand you, but you don’t have to do it; I will do it for you. You should just stay here and wait, please,” Seijiro said.

   “What? Are you going to kill him? Quit kidding, you don’t have the guts. You are a damn coward,” Ihachiro said.

   “Don’t belittle me. I am not a chicken. I’ll prove it. So, please don’t make a move.”

   The next day after dark, Jingoro and Denji, his sub-master, was walking back to the carpenters’ house. It was dark and cold; the moon was covered with clouds. The paper lantern Denji held was swaying as he was walking down the dark road, illuminating the pine trees and bamboo leaves swaying in the wind.

   “A cold night, isn’t it, Master? I want to go back as quickly as possible and warm myself with….” Denji said.

   Suddenly several masked men appeared from behind the trees and surrounded them. One of them had a sword.

   “What do you want? Don’t confuse us with someone else. This is the Master Carpenter Jingoro Hidari,” Denji said standing before Jingoro.

   “We want Jingoro. Get him!” the man with the sword said.

   Two men jumped at Denji. The paper lantern was thrown down on the ground and caught fire. It lighted up the dark bushes. Meanwhie, Denji was brought down to the ground.

“Master, run away! I’ll….” Denji said struggling.

The lantern was burnt out and it became pitch dark. Then, the moon appeared from behind the clouds.

   “What do you want with me?” Jingoro said sharply. The next moment, one of the men thrust his fist into Jingoro’s stomach. “Ugh,” Jingoro groaned wobbling, when the man got behind him and held him in a full nelson. Another man pulled his arm. That instant, the sword flashed and his arm was cut off.

   When the sword-man picked up the arm and said, “Let’s bug off,” the ruffians ran away in the dark.

   “Master! Master!” Denji cried holding Jingoro’s body in his arms.

   “Denji…,” Jingoro said feebly.

   Blood was spurting from the cut edge. Denji pressed his hands on the cut, but blood was flowing from between his fingers.

   “Tie here,” Jingoro said pointing at his upper arm.

   Denji took out a tenugui handkerchief and tied it as firmly as possible, but he could not stop the bleeding.

   “Master, Isn’t that our Master?” one of the two carpenters who coincidentally walked by said.

   “Oh, you’re just in time,” Denji looked up at them and said. “Master’s arm has been cut off.”

   Jingoro was carried to the carpenters’ house. The doctor was called for. Soon, the doctor came, applied blood stanching drug plant, and covered the cut with oil paper and a bandage, until finally the bleeding stopped.

   Jingoro’s room was crowded with angry excited carpenters.

   “Who on earth has done such a thing to Master?”

   “Someone did out of malice.”

   “Damn it! I will kill the thug.”

   “The thug must be the master carpenter from Edo.”

   “Yes, Ihachito must have done it.”

   “He was disgraced in public.”

   “Yah, with that poorly-made cat.”

   “That’s why he did it.”

   Denjiro stood up determinedly.

   “Hey, everyone, listen,” his voice was sharp and strong. “Let’s go to the Edo carpenters’ house and kill them all!”

   “Yes!”

   “Let’s kill them!”

   Every carpenter stood up excitedly.

   At that moment, a thunderous voice vibrated the whole room.

   “Calm down! Denji, look at me. How dare you say such a thing? You are short tempered like Ihachiro. Do you have an evidence that Ihachiro did this? Are you going to kill him? No kidding. Be serious. If you kill him, Shogunate new shrines will be stained with blood. That’s a disrespectful act against the Shogun. You have to commit hara-kiri suicide for that. Do you have the gut to do hara-kiri? Are you prepared for that? I believe Ihachiro cut off my arm. He will not be satisfied with my arm. He’ll surely break my cat. But, listen. My cat is not an ordinary one. It has the Temple Guardian’s spirit. Although its eyes are closed, it has Temple Guardian’s eyes. Leave things to him. So, stay out of this!”

   Denji sat down dejectedly. The other carpenters looked at each other silently and sat down, too.

   One of the carpenters whispered to the one next to him.

   “What does it mean? ‘To leave things to the temple guardian.’”

   “I have no idea,” the carpenter said.

 

   Seijiro ran to Ihachiro with the cut-off arm.

   “Master,” he said out of breath upon reaching his house.

   “Oh, Seijiro, I’ve been waiting for you. So, you’ve done it?” Ihachiro said.

   “I’m sorry I haven’t, but instead, look at this,” Seijiro opened a wrapped furoshiki. A bloody arm was in it.

   “What’s this? Didn’t you kill him? Why? You said you had the guts to do it.”

   “Yes, I did, but he is as dead as a door nail now that his arm has been cut off. I understand your point, but Jingoro didn’t interrupt things. He just obeyed the construction minister’s order. The minister decided everything. So, Jingoro is not responsible. You’re going too far if you kill him.”

   “What? How dare you say that?” Ihachiro said frowning at him.

   “Master,” Seijiro said seriously. “It’s ridiculous to kill him. Don’t be unreasonable. Please, be patient and come to your senses.”

   Seijiro bowed his head deeply. Looking at Seijiro, Ihachiro kept silent for a while.

   “I understand. Raise your head,” he said.

   “Thank you, Master,” Seijiro said. “Then, I’ll go and break his cat tonight.”

   “Wait a moment. You stay here. I will break it,” Ihachiro said.

   “I see, but I’d like to accompany you, for it might be dangerous to do so alone during the dead of the night,” Seijiro said.

   “OK, then. Come with me.”

   It was around one o’clock at night. Ihachiro, accompanied by Seijiro, opened Yomeimon Gate with the key, entered the shrine site, passed the rogation shrine, and reached the inner garden. Seijiro was carrying an ax.

   The full moon was shining brightly casting dark shadows of the two men on the shrine ground. Soon the clouds covered the moon and it became dark. Nothing was heard except for the hooting of owls and the sound of their steps on the shrine gravel.

   Ihachiro and Seijiro walked across the garth eastward, and stood under the cloister in front of Sakashita Gate, and looked at the cat. Its eyes were closed and the front paws were stretched forward. Ihachiro got irritated.

   “Good God! I can’t stand the sight. Seijiro, hand the ax to me,” Ihachiro said.

   “Here,” he said.

   Holding the ax in his right hand, Ihachiro walked backward about three meters away from the cloister, and raised the ax to throw at the cat. The instant he was about to throw it, the moon appeared from behind the clouds. The cat’s eyes flashed, and at the same time the creature jumped at Ihachiro with a horrible shriek.

   “Ahhhh…” Ihachiro gasped in horror and fell on his ass.

   “Master, what’s the matter?” Seijiro said, sitting down beside Jingoro.

   “Did you, did you see the cat’s eyes flash?” Ihachiro said.

   “No. Did they?” Seijiro said wondering.

   “Yes, they flashed and the cat jumped at me,” Seijiro said as if he had been spellbound.

   “I don’t believe you.”

   “I’m not telling a lie. The cat’s face looked scary. It was like the Temple Guardian’s. Jingoro is not an ordinary wood carver. His skill is far better than mine. He has a consummate skill. I’ve done a terrible thing to him.”

   Ihachiro looked at the sleeping cat in the transom. It looked as if nothing had happened. He closed his eyes and pondered how to compensate for what he had done to him. He failed to think of a good way. Since he cut off his arm, there would be nothing to make up for the deed.

   Ihachiro kept silent for a while with his eyes closed. Suddenly he opened his eyes, extended his right arm forward on the ground, grasped the ax with his left hand, and raised it in the air aiming at his right arm.

   “Stop it!” Seijiro said, but it was too late. Ihachiro cut off his right arm.

   “Master!” Seijiro said in a shocked voice.

   “Ihachiro, this is the best way to compensate,” Ihachiro said.

   “Master, you’re too rash,” Seijiro said looking at his bloody arm.

   Seijiro tore off his sleeve, made a tourniquet, and tied tightly Ihachiro’s upper arm. After a while, the bleeding decreased.

   “Master, let’s go back home as soon as possible and call for the doctor. I’ll help you walk,” Seijiro said.

   “Thank you, but first, pick up the arm,” Ihachiro said.

   The Edo carpenters were surprised to see their master. The doctor was immediately called for.

   It was near the dawn when the bleeding stopped.

   Around 8 o’clock in the morning a few days later, Ihachiro went to Jingoro’s house with a wrapped furoshiki. Jingoro, his arm wrapped up in a bandage, was discussing the day’s plan with Denji and five other carpenters when Ihachiro visited him.

When Denji saw Ihachiro at the entrance, he stood up.

“Ah! Ihachiro, don’t surprise me. What has brought you here?”

   Ihachiro knelt down on the entrance ground with a deep bow.

   “I’ve come here to apologize,” he said.

   “How dare you apologize for cutting off our Master’s arm?” Denji said.

   The other carpenters also stood up and surrounded Ihachiro murderously.

   “Don’t be rude to him,” Jingoro said sharply. “Ihachiro, what do you want with me?”

   “Jingoro, I’m ashamed of myself. I ordered my men to cut off your arm. I’ve done an irreparable thing. I don’t know how to compensate. So, please forgive me with this.”

Ihachiro opened the furoshiki cloth. There was a cut-off arm in it.

   “Did you cut off your arm?” Jingoro said.

   “Yes,” Ihachiro said.

   Jingoro gazed at the arm for a moment, and then looked at Ihachiro.

   “The Temple Guardian attacked you, didn’t he?”

   “Yes, he did, but why do you know that?”

   “Because I carved the Temple Guardian’s eyes behind the cat’s. I’m glad they have worked,” Jingoro said and laughed.

   Ihachiro was stunned. Denji and the other carpenters understood Jingoro’s words: “it has Temple Guardian’s eyes. Leave things to him.”

   Ihachiro felt awe toward Jingoro.

   “Then, Jingoro. You’ll forgive me.”

   “Yes, I will. I was sorry to have been too proud of myself in front of the construction minister,” Jingoro said.

   “Thank you for your forgiveness,” Ihachiro said.

Ihachoro sighed with relief. He wanted to learn Jingoro’s superhuman wood curving skill. After a moment’s hesitation he looked at Jingoro intently.

“Jingoro, could I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes, this sounds rude, but I’d like to be your apprentice. I have been a foolish carver. Up until now I have been sitting on my ancestors’ laurels as the No. 1 wood carver family in Edo. I’d like to learn carving techniques from the very beginning,” Ihachiro said.

“Don’t say such a thing. You’re a skillful carver. I can’t take you as an apprentice, but how about becoming my sworn brother?” Jingoro said.

“You’re kidding me. I am too honored to be your brother,” Ihachiro said.

“I’m serious. I am your elder brother and you are my younger brother. Is it all right?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you.”

“Denji, prepare for the pledging ceremony. We will drink the ceremonial sake,” Jingoro said.

Ihachiro and Jingoro were both born carvers. They were able to use both hands with equal ease like Leonardo da Vinci and Hokisai Katsushika. What the right hand has learned is retained in the left hand. Even if one hand is lost, the carving skill is not lost. Thus, both Ihachiro and Jingoro continued to do their job as excellent carvers.

The end