el.the miko-第45部分

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　What　this　cabal　of　leaders　arranged　was　the　kind　of　government　similar　to　that　in　Bismarck's　Germany。　That　many　of　these　leaders　had　strong　ties　into　that　German　government　seems　partly　the　answer　as　to　why　they　chose　that　particular　system。　The　other　reason　was　that　they　wished　to　clandestinely　retain　their　control　of　a　government　which；　on　the　surface　at　least；　would　appear　responsive　to　the　needs　of　the　public　at　large。
　Toward　this　end　they　set　about　creating　what　they　termed　a　non…political　civil　bureaucracy。　It　seems　ironic　that　the　Meiji　oligarchs；　so　fearful　of　the　traditional　samurai　that　they　officially　abolished　the　class；　were　obliged　to　seek　out　for　administrators　of　their　newly　coined　bureaucracy　the　remnants　of　the　very　class　they　hated。
　But　it　was　their　determination　to　have　this　vast　and　powerful　buffer　unit　of　bureaucrats　in　place　before　1890　when　the　National　Diet；　the　new　parliament；　would　open　and　candidates　from　political　parties　began　campaigning　for　public　support　and　power。
　The　Bismarckian　system　of　〃monarchic　constitutionalism〃　also　served　the　Meiji　oligarchs　well　since　it　made　the　prime　minister　and　the　army　responsible　not　to　parliament　but　to　the　monarch。　The　interim　result　was　a　relatively　weak　and　ineffectual　Diet　and　a　powerful　bureaucracy　laced　with　supporters　of　the　Meiji　oligarchs。　Thus　was　the　will　of　the　people　carried　out。
　And　yet　for　all　its　subterfuge　and　illicit　lines　of　power；　the　growth　of　the　non…political　bureaucracy　as　the　center　of　the　government　found　great　favor　among　the　Japanese；　for　the　corrosive　memory　of　the　privilege　accorded　the　two　families；　Satsuma　and　Choshu；　still　burned　like　a　fire　within　them。　What　they　appreciated　about　the　formation　of　the　bureaucracy　was　that　it　was　open　to　all　men　who　had　trained　diligently　and　well　and　who　displayed　the　proper　aptitude　and　fortitude　in　scoring　highly　in　examinations　which　could　not　be　more　impersonal　and　thus　impartial。
　And　yet　the　ultimate　result　was　never　perhaps　anticipated　by　the　Meiji　oligarchs。　For　with　the　solidification　of　the　bureaucracy's　power　as　the　center　of　the　new　government；　and　with；　at　last；　the　passing　of　the　last　of　the　oligarchs；　the　true　power　within　the　government　devolved　entirely　into　bureaucratic　hands　both　civilian　and；　just　as　importantly；　military。
　And　all　this；　truly；　was　the　legacy　of　the　Tokugawa。　An　important　lesson；　especially　for　a　young　man　wandering　the　land　of　a　soon…to…be…defeated　country　who　must　think　toward　the　highly　uncertain　and　volatile　future。
　Change　was　ing；　and　the　sight　of　the　Tokugawa　mausoleum　breaking　through　the　stairway　of　trees　between　which　he　had　been　walking　brought　home　to　Nangi　just　how　much　he　wanted　to　be　part　of　that　change。　Because　the　alternative　was　too　horrendous　to　contemplate：　to　be　swallowed　whole　in　the　inevitable　war　crimes　tribunal　of　the　occupation　forces。
　Nangi　paused；　looked　quickly　around　him。　He　appeared　to　be　alone。　He　turned　and　stepped　off　the　path；　moving　quietly　into　the　protection　of　the；trees。　In　a　tiny　clearing　he　knelt　down　and；　removing　his　army　uniform　from　the　small　bag　he　was　carrying　that　contained　all　his　possessions；　he　rolled　it　into　a　rough　ball　and　lit　a　match　to　it。　It　took　some　time　until　it　was　all　gone。　At　last　he　stood　creakily　and　ground　the　ashes　into　gray　dust。
　That　done；　he　returned　to　the　path　to　search　out　Seiichi　Sato　and　bring　him　home。
　Seiichi　was　not　at　all　like　his　fallen　brother。　For　one　thing；　he　lacked　the　wild　sense　of　of　humor　that　made　Gotaro　so　easy　to　be　with。　For　another；　he　was　not　a　Christian。　Seiichi　was　a　swiftly　maturing　boy　with　a　serious　outlook　on　life。
　On　the　other　hand；　Nangi　found　him　to　be　supremely　quick　witted　and　a　man…it　was　impossible　to　think　of　him　as　a　boy…　open　to　new　and　unusual　ways　of　thinking。　Primarily　because　of　this　quality…fully　as　unusual　as　wild；　gusting　humor…the　two　formed　a　solid　core　of　confidence　and　trust　in　and　for　one　another。
　As　for　Seiichi；　he　took　the　news　of　his　older　brother's　death　well。　Nangi　had　first　caught　sight　of　him　as　a　black　silhouette　within　the　gloom　of　the　mausoleum　doorway。　He　had　introduced　himself　and　they　had　spoken　for　a　long　time。
　Then；　in　the　intuitive　way　some　younger　people　have；　Seiichi's　eyes　shifted　and　he　said；　〃You　have　e　to　tell　me　Gotaro…san　has　been　killed。〃
　〃He　died　a　samurai's　death；〃　Nangi　said。
　Seiichi　looked　at　him　peculiarly。　〃That　might　not　have　made　him　as　happy　as　it　makes　me。〃
　〃He　was　Japanese；　after　all；〃　Nangi　said。　〃His。。。　faith　in　another　God　did　not　enter　into　it　at　all。〃　He　turned　as　if　changing　the　subject。　〃He　saved　my　life；　you　know。〃
　Ultimately　what　bound　them　was　their　mutual　desire　not　to　die　at　war's　end。　Neither　were　soldiers　of　the　Emperor；　they　certainly　did　not　think　of　themselves　as　kamikaze；　falling　like　cherry　petals　on　the　third　day　of　their　brief　bloom。　Yet；　for　all　that；　they　were　patriots。　And　it　was　this　very　love　of　country　which　spurred　them　on。　Nangi　was　farsighted　enough　to　want　to　see　Japan　rise　from　the　rubble　this　stupid　and　ineptly　fought　war　had　reduced　it　to；　Seiichi　was　young　enough　to　still　believe　in　the　idealism　of　the　world。　Together；　Nangi　thought；　they　just　might　be　unbeatable。
　To　this　end；　he　began　Seiichi's　education　in　kanryddo；　the　modern　Japanese's　bushido；　the　way　of　the　bureaucrat；　while　Seiichi　was　finishing　his　last　year　at　Kyoto　University。　Nangi　thought　that　he　would　need　a　particularly　salient　example　to　hook　Seiichi　into　this　new　way　of　thinking。　He　asked　Seiichi　if　he　knew　the　best　route　to　political　power　in　Japan。
　Seiichi　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃The　National　Diet；　of　course；〃　he　said　with　the　absolute　surety　of　youth。　〃Isn't　that　where　all　politicians　gain　their　experience？〃
　Nangi　shook　his　head。　〃Listen　to　me；　Seiichi…san：　not　one　of　Tojo's　cabinet　ministers　ever　served　in　the　parliament。　All　were　former　bureaucrats。　Any　time　you　feel　your　interest　flagging；　I　urge　you　to　remember　that。〃
　〃But　I　have　no　desire　to　bee　a　civil　servant；〃　Seiichi　plained。　〃And　I　can't　understand　your　desire　to　bee　one。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　heard　the　phrase　tenno　no　kanri？　No？　It　is　the　definition　of　the　Japanese　bureaucrat；　an　official　of　the　Emperor。　Imperial　appointment　gives　to　them　the　status　of　kan；　a　word　of　Chinese　origin　that　meant；　in　those　faraway　days；　the　home　of　a　mandarin　who　presided　over　a　city。　Kan　is　power；　Seiichi；　believe　me。　And　no　matter　what　the　American　occupation　forces　do　to　us；　in　the　end；　kan　will　rule　Japan　and　make　it　great　once　again。〃
　Of　course　history　proved　the　veracity　of　Nangi's　words。　Though　General　MacArthur's　SCAP；　the　occupation　authorities；　changed　the　bureaucracy　drastically　from　1945　onward　for　seven　years；　they　did　not　and　indeed　could　not　eliminate　it。　In　fact；　they　unwittingly　strengthened　one　area：　the　economic　ministries。
　SCAP　did　away　with　the　military　pletely。　This　they　were　pelled　to　do；　but　not　understanding　the　fundamental　nature　of　Japanese　government；　they　failed　to　see　the　ramifications　of　their　action。　For　the　military　had　been　the　chief　rival　of　the　economic　ministries。
　But　now　the　war　crimes　tribunal　set　in　sights　further　afield　and　began　calling　in　certain　influential　members　of　the　zaibatsu；　the　great　family…run　industrial　bines　whose　might　had　propelled　Japan　into　the　war　in　the　first　place。
　With　the　transformation　of　the　zaibatsu　and　the　inevitable　weakening　of　their　influence　as　the　tribunal's　dedicated　officers　sifted　through　the　rosters　seeking　out　more　war　criminals　in　hiding；　a　power　vacuum　was　created；　into　which　the　economic　ministries　again　stepped。
　Shortly　after　the　Ministry　of　merce　and　Industry　was　purged　of　forty…two　members…among　the　lowest　percentage　found　within　the　government…Tanzan　Nangi　achieved　a　position　in　kosan　kyoku；　the　Minerals　Bureau。　This　was　in　June　of　1946　and　Shinzo　Okuda；　the　current　vice…minister；　was　glad　to　have　him。　Nangi　had　gone　to　the　right　schools　and；　just　as　importantly；　came　to　the　ministry　without　taint　as　far　as　the　war　was　concerned。　He　had　never　achieved　a　high　enough　rank　or　the　kind　of　notoriety　for　him　to　have　e　under　the　scrutiny　of　the　SCAP　tribunal。　He　had　also　worked　at　the　Industrial　Facilities　Corporation；　a　bureaucratic　management　foundation　or　eidan；　shortly　before　the　war　broke　out　and　he　was　called　into　service。
　It　did　not　take　him　long　to　catch　on。　Because　MacArthur　had　been　advised　to　choose　an　indirect　occupation…that　is；　working　through　the　existing　Japanese　government　instead　of　doing　away　with　it　entirely…the　shrewd　ministers　of　the　bureaucracy　found　a　way　to　protect　themselves：　menju　fukuhai。　Okuda　explained　this　to　Nangi　soon　after　he　had　been　on　the　job　long　enough　to　have　impressed　his　superiors　with　his　skills　and　to　have　gained　their　trust。
　〃What　we　continue　to　do　each　day；〃　the　vice…minister　said；　standing　in　the　center　of　his　small　office；　〃is　to　follow　the　American　orders　so　long　as　they　are　looking；　then　reversing　them　in　the　belly　when　they　can　no　longer　see　what　we　do。〃
　And；　as　Okuda　told　Nangi；　the　bureaucracy　had　already　passed　its　first　crisis　point。　〃One　day　Minister　Hoshijima　called　me　into　his　office。　You　could　see　just　how　agitated　he　was。　He　was　pacing　back　and　forth；　back　and　forth。　'Okuda…san；'　he　said　to　me；　'MacArthur　is　threatening　to　go　to　the　people　and　have　them　ratify　this　new　foreign　document…what　the　Americans　call　a　constitution。'　He　turned　to　look　at　me。　'Do　you　know　what　that　would　mean？　We　cannot　allow　the　public　direct　participation　in　government　if　we　are　to　keep　our　absolute　power。　A　plebiscite　would　be　the　beginning　of　the　end　for　us。　We　must　all　gather　our　power　now　and　push　for　an　immediate　acceptance　of　the　MacArthur　constitution。'〃
　Okuda　was　smiling　now。　〃And　it　was　done；　Nangi…san；　in　just　this　way。〃
　In　the　months　ahead；　it　became　plain　to　Nangi　that　the　fate　of　Japanese　bureaucracy　had　been　set　forever。　For　one　thing；　the　country's　desperate　need　for　economic　recovery　made　it　imperative　that　the　legion　of　bureaucrats　be　expanded。　For　another；　the　political　leaders　who　filtered　through　SCAP's　erratic　and；　to　the　Japanese　anyway；　illogical　system　were　totally　inpetent。　The　occupation　forces　had　returned　to　power　many　politicians　who　had　not　work