The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn

Judge Ooka is a character based on the real historical figure, Ōoka Tadasuke (See: Background). Like his namesake and inspiration, the judge is wise, merciful, and just. Unlike Seikei’s father, who has embraced his social status as a wealthy merchant, Ooka’s opinions of others are not determined by their rank, or by his. Unlike Lord Hakuseki or even other samurai judges, Ooka does not employ violence or torture prisoners to get confessions. He knows that “show[ing] [a prisoner] the instruments of torture” (60) is enough to compel them to speak the truth if they are willing and able to do so. Thus, he orders his men to leave the innkeeper in a room with these weapons, and this is enough for the innkeeper to commit death by seppuku—a choice that prompts Ooka’s realization that the innkeeper is protecting someone powerful.

Not only does Ooka avoid unnecessary force, he also wisely obtains information that develops his understanding and helps the investigation. Even the shogun admits that he won’t ban torture altogether because “Other judges are not so clever as [Ooka], and cannot do without it” (211). It is also Judge Ooka who explains why Tomomi does not commit death by seppuku but, rather, compels the shogun to order his execution: This is because Kirishitans do not die by suicide. Unlike the shogun, Ooka does not judge Tomomi for his unorthodox religion or his choice to die by another samurai’s hand, demonstrating his objectivity and empathy.

Moreover, when the shogun claims that there aren’t many “true samurai” left, the judge bravely suggests that “Takezaki Genji was a true samurai” (210). Though Ooka speaks boldly to the shogun, complimenting someone who disobeyed the shogun’s laws, he also speaks respectfully, striking a balance between truth-telling and respect for authority similar to the one Seikei manages when he tells Ooka the truth to defend Michiko. By adopting Seikei at the novel’s end, Ooka also shows his commitment to honoring people of merit regardless of their social origins, thereby giving Seikei the chance to become a true samurai.

Lord Hakuseki is samurai lord, or daimyo. He is the primary representative of Seikei’s real antagonist: The inflexible hierarchies of Edo society. Though very minor characters like Bunzo or Seikei’s father also reflect Edo society’s views of the caste system, Hakuseki proves that lineage does not confer honor or integrity and that the undeserving are often elevated to positions of power when society rewards birthright rather than merit. Just as Seikei proves that lower social status does not make a person base or weak, Hakuseki demonstrates that high rank does not automatically confer dignity or strength.

Hakuseki is vicious, vindictive, proud, and somewhat unintelligent. When Seikei observes Hakuseki’s interaction with an apparent beggar on the Tokaido Road, he sees the daimyo’s “harsh eyes and a mouth that was scowling cruelly” (7) even before Hakuseki attempts to trample the man under his horse’s powerful hooves. Hakuseki’s disregard for others’ lives is proven again and again, first with the beggar (who is really Tomomi), then with Seikei’s father, and then finally when his conduct toward Tomomi’s family is revealed. Egotistical and self-important, he is shocked when the woman he loves chooses to marry another daimyo, a Kirishitan, and takes his revenge when he kills her husband, steals her ruby, and disgraces her son. Then he lies to the shogun, saying that every member of the family is dead.

Even the shogun, who upholds the social rules that guarantee his own power, calls Hakuseki a “dishonorable man” who “didn’t even have the courage to commit seppuku properly” (208). Hakuseki is repeatedly tricked by Tomomi when the actor dresses as a geisha, and insulted by Michiko, the paper merchant’s daughter, who suggests that he is “clumsy and crude” (17) like his writing, without his realizing it. If Hakuseki weren’t so set on impressing the shogun and enhancing his social standing, the confrontation between Tomomi and himself might never have happened, which reveals how his foolish impulsivity seals his fate.