el.the miko-第50部分

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rously　fought　to　have　the　facts　in　the　scandal　made　public　knowledge。〃
　〃Just　like　a　gaijin。〃
　〃On　the　contrary；　Nangi…san。　Just　like　a　Japanese。〃
　Nangi　shifted　position　to　ease　the　stiffness　ing　into　his　muscles。　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃Unlike　most　of　the　iteki　in　SCAP；　who　had　no　concept　of　the　lethal　consequences　of　their　planned　public　humiliation…for　they　saw　it　only　as　a　revealing　of　the　truth…Colonel　Linnear　knew　what　Shimada　must　do。　Oh；　yes；　Nangi…san；　he　wanted　Shimada　dead　almost　as　badly　as　I　did。〃
　〃What　is　another　Japanese　life　to　an　itekf！〃
　Makita　heard　the　bitterness　in　his　friend's　voice　and　wondered　at　the　innumerable　kinds　of　rationalization　the　human　mind　could　unearth　in　order　to　protect　itself　from　psychic　trauma。　It　was　apparently　easy　for　Nangi　to　believe　someone　like　Colonel　Linnear　would　engineer　the　death　of　a　Japanese　merely　because　he　was　a　barbarian。　Did　it　occur　to　Nangi　that　he　himself　was　the　minister　of　justice　in　this　case；　meting　out　Shimada's　death　sentence　in　order　to　help　speed　Japan's　high　growth　through　the　direct　control　of　MITI。　Now　who　is　rationalizing？　Makita　asked　himself。
　He　had　no　doubt　about　Nangi's　brilliance；　however。　The　man　had　been　dead　right　with　his　prediction　of　the　Korean　War。　America　had　put　Japan　on　a　war…materiel　manufacturing　blitz；　and　many　of　the　nascent　panies　dragooned　into　gearing　up　were　helplessly　undercapitalized。
　SCAP　saw　this　immediately　and　allowed　the　Bank　of　Japan　to　step　up　its　loan　rate　to　the　twelve　city　banks；　who　then　passed　the　money　on　to　the　panies　in　need。　For　weeks　Makita　had　been　thinking　of　a　way　to　capitalize　on　this　development；　for　he　saw　that　a　lack　of　adequate　financing　would　leave　many　panies　open　to　foreign　takeover。　This　he　felt　quite　strongly　must　never　be　allowed　to　occur；　and　he　was　in　the　process　of　extending　MITI's　power　in　this　area　so　that　all　foreign　investors　would　have　to　e　to　MITI　to　seek　permission　to　approach　a　pany。
　〃How　is　our　friend　Sato…san　making　out？〃　he　asked。
　〃Quite　well；〃　Nangi　said；　reaching　for　one　of　the　mochi；　concentrated　rice　cakes　that　Oba…chama　had　baked　for　them。　They　were　three　days　into　1951　and　these　were　traditional　new　year's　fare。　〃He　has　managed　to　rise　to　the　vice　presidency　of　his　mining　konzern；　overseeing　all　coal　operations。〃
　Makita　grunted。　〃Take　care　you　drink　plenty　of　water　with　those；〃　he　observed。　〃My　brother　was　a　doctor　and　he　used　to　dread　the　first　two　weeks　of　every　new　year　because　he　was　constantly　running　from　patient　to　patient；　trying　to　unblock　intestines　clogged　with　indigestible　mochi。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　let　Oba…chama　hear　you　say　that；〃　Nangi　said；　taking　another　bite。　〃But　just　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　I　think　I'll　have　some　more　tea。〃　He　leaned　forward。
　〃She　misses　him；　you　know；〃　Makita　said　after　they　had　drained　their　cups。　〃Sato…san。　He's　making　a　great　deal　of　money　and　a　solid　name　for　himself。　But　he's　up　north　and　he　rarely　gets　a　chance　to　see　Oba…chama。　Now　if　only　his　konzern　had　an　office　here　in　Tokyo。　But　they're　much　too　small　on　their　own。　It　wouldn't　be　profitable。　Only　the　city　bank　that　subsidizes　them　is　located　here。〃
　A　warning　bell　went　off　in　Nangi's　mind。　On　the　surface　there　seemed　no　relation　to　what　Makita　had　just　said　and　the　problem　he　had　been　working　on。　And　yet　he　trusted　his　senses　enough　to　know　that　if　he　took　the　time　to　probe　beneath　the　surface；　he　would　find　the　link。
　The　problem　revolved　around　money　and　who　had　money　other　than　banks。　For　a　moment　Nangi's　mind　was　blank；　and　then　the　meshing　of　ideas　hit　him　with　such　dazzling　force　that　he　was　rocked　back　on　his　buttocks。　Yes；　of　course！
　His　eyes　cleared。　〃Makita…san；〃　he　said　softly。　〃May　I　have　your　assistance？〃
　〃You　have　it　gladly。　You　have　only　to　ask。〃
　〃Here　is　what　we　must　do；　Makita…san。　MITI　must　resurrect　the　zaibatsu。〃
　〃But　they　were　our　enemy。　At　every　turn　they　sought　to　draw　power　away　from　the　ministries。　And　in　any　event　the　Occupation　Forces　have　banned　zaibatsu　forever。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Nangi　said　excitedly；　〃the　old　zaibatsu。　But　what　I　am　speaking　of　now　is　something　new；　kin…yu　keiretsu；　financial　linkages。　As　a　base；　we　will　take　a　bank　because　only　a　bank　has　enough　capital　to　finance　such　a　setup。　Its　capital　will　finance　several　industrial　firms；　oh；　say；　steel；　electronics；　and　mining；　and　a　general　trading　pany。　In　times　of　expansion；　as　we　have　now；　the　bank　will　be　able　to　underwrite　its　own　panies　and；　conversely；　during　times　of　economic　recession；　which　must　surely　hit　us；　Makita…san；　the　trading　pany　will　be　able　to　import　raw　materials　on　credit　and　promote　the　keiretsu's　products　overseas；　thus　avoiding　any　stockpiling　in　a　contracting　domestic　market。〃
　Makita's　eyes　were　shining　and　he　rubbed　the　palms　of　his　hands　together。　〃Call　Sato…san　immediately。　We'll　start　with　the　bank　underwriting　his　pany。　We'll　elevate　him　and　in　the　process　bring　him　home。
　〃Oh；　this　is　brilliant；　Nangi…san。　Brilliant！　By　next　year　SCAP　will　be　gone　and　MITI　can　do　whatever　it　feels　is　necessary　to　propel　Japan　to　the　forefront　of　international　trade。〃
　〃What　about　control？〃　Nangi　asked。　〃We　must　ensure　that　what　happened　with　the　zaibatsu　never　happens　with　these　new　keiretsu。　We　must　bind　them　to　the　ministries　as　part　of　their　charter。〃
　Makita　smiled。　〃And　so　we　shall；　Nangi…san。　Because　MITI　directs　policy；　because　we　can　issue　write…offs　in　certain　areas　and　not　in　others；　because　we　can　authorize　sizable　payouts　as　insurance　against　bad　debt　trade　contracts；　we　can　totally　control　the　trading　panies。　And　without　the　trading　panies　the　keiretsu　is　useless。　Any　bank　will　see　that　reasoning。〃
　〃Ah；　even　the　Prime　Minister　will　see　the　pureness　of　the　keiretsu；　since　it　is　a　perfect　way　to　direct　what　capital　is　available　into　the　right　economic　channels。〃　They　were　like　two　children　wonderingly　examining　a　marvelous　new　toy。　〃It's　the　perfect　long…range　plan。　Because　the　individual　panies　within　each　keiretsu　are　totally　financed　by　the　bank；　they　can　concentrate　on　market　penetration；　developing　the　best　possible　product；　and　not　on　shareholders'　demands　for　short…term　profitability。〃
　Makita　sprang　up。　〃This　calls　for　a　celebration；　my　young　friend！　Tomorrow　is　soon　enough　to　speak　to　Sato…san。　Tonight；　we　are　off　to　a　place　I　know　in　karyukai。　A　night　in　the　willow　world　will　do　us　both　a　great　deal　of　good。　e；　we　are　off　to　Fuyajo；　the　Castle　That　Knows　No　Night；　where　the　sake　flows　until　dawn　and　we　will　Ik　on　pillows　that　breathe　with　infinite　softness　and　create　patterns　of　eternal　delight！〃
　An　exaltation　of　larks　clung　to　the　flame…decorated　branches　of　the　stately　maple　that　grew　on　one　side　of　the　garden　that　had　originally　attracted　Nangi　and　Sato　to　this　house　near　Ueno　Park。　Brisk　October　winds　had　scoured　the　sky；　vaporizing　the　stringy　clouds　near　the　horizon　and　turning　the　air　to　crystal。
　As　Nangi　watched；　clad　in　a　padded　kimono；　a　black　field　with　a　pewter　design；　the　larks　burst　from　the　maple　in　a　fine　spray　as　if　he　were　on　the　bow　of　a　ship　churning　through　the　Pacific。　Then；　like　the　Occupation　Forces；　they　were　gone；　swallowed　up　in　the　enormous　cerulean　sky；　the　color　as　translucent　as　the　finest　Chinese　porcelain。
　Though　this　was　the　end　of　1952　and　Japan　was　once　again　a　free　country；　purged　of　iteki；　there　was　no　joy　in　Nangi's　heart。　He　knelt　by　the　open　fusuma；　his　hands　folded　in　his　lap；　gazing　with　blind　eyes　out　at　the　near…perfect　beauty　of　the　garden。　It　would　never　be　perfect；　of　course。　As　the　nature　of　Zen　dictated；　one　must　spend　one's　life　searching　for　that　perfection。
　Behind　him　Nangi　could　hear　the　soft　voices　of　Makita；　Sato；　and　his　new　wife；　Mariko；　a　gentle　doll…like　woman　with　a　core　of　courage　and　an　open　soul　Nangi　could　admire。　She　had　been　good　for　Sato；　fulfilling　a　void　in　him　that　had　been　apparent　to　Nangi　almost　since　the　two　had　first　met。
　It　was　Nangi　who　mourned　Oba…chama's　passing　the　longest。　Makita；　of　course；　knew　her　only　peripherally。　To　Sato；　she　had　been　mother　and　father　both；　and　he　had　been　unwell　for　almost　a　week　following　her　funeral。
　But　Oba…chama　had　died　more　than　a　month　ago　and　Nangi　still　felt　the　absence　of　her　spirit　like　a　void　in　his　own　soul。　She　had　been　more　than　mother　to　him；　she　had　been　his　confidant；　his　sensei　even　when　he　needed　it。　They　had　shared　the　joys　of　his　successes；　the　bitter　sorrows　of　disappointments。　She　had　counseled　him　wisely　in　perilous　times　and　had　had　enough　strength　to　kick　him　when　he　thought　he　had　no　more　stamina　to　press　onward。
　She　had　been　old；　ancient　even。　And　Nangi　knew　all　things　must　eventually　turn　to　dust　from　whence　they　first　came。　But　his　spirit　was　bitter　and　sere　without　Oba…chama's　bright　eyes　and　chirrupy　voice。
　Though　he　could　not　understand　it　fully　then；　Oba…chama's　death　sealed　his　fate；　or　a　good　part　of　it　at　least。　After　Gotaro's　death　Nangi　had　made　an　unconscious　pact　with　himself　never　to　allow　that　degree　of　openness…and　therefore　vulnerability…to　spring　up　between　him　and　anyone　else。　But　somehow　Oba…chama　had　charmed　him　out　of　that　pact；　with　this　inevitable　result。
　Though　Nangi　was　to　sleep　with　many　women　in　his　time；　he　would　feel　nothing　for　them　in　his　heart。　The　double　deaths　from　his　past　were　like　eternal　kami　hovering　in　his　mind；　reminding　him　of　how　evil　and　unfair　life　could　be。　These；　of　course；　were　very　Western　concepts；　but　Nangi　could　never　admit　such　anathema　to　himself。　Thus　his　karma　was　plete。　This　struggle　between　his　Japanese　nationalism　and　what　a　tiny　part　of　him　might　suspect　was　his　ultimate　reason　for　turning　to　Christianity　would　plague　him　to　the　end　of　his　days；　an　eternal　punishment　perhaps　for　submitting　to　Gotaro's　sacrifice；　for　lacking　the　courage　to　overe　his　terror　and　do　for　his　friend　what　Gotaro　had　finally　done　for　him。
　The　birds　were　gone　now；　but　the　splendor　of　the　autumnal　foliage　crowned　the　maple　with　a　mantle　of　searing　colors。　Voices　drifted　over　Nangi　like　kami。　Mariko　was　busy　preparing　the　traditional　gifts　of　foodstuff　for　tonight's　tsukimi…the　moon…viewing　ritual　of　contemplation　and　peace。
　Nangi's　gaze　moved　over　the　top　of　the　swaying　maple　to　the　brilliant　sky　swept　new　by　the　gatherin