The Flower of Righteousness Blooms in Blood: Hatamoto and Machiyakko Conflict - Early Edo Period (Kan'ei era)

The Flower of Righteousness Blooms in Blood: Hatamoto and Machiyakko Conflict - Early Edo Period (Kan'ei era)

The Kanei era. In Edo, where the rule of the samurai families was strengthening, another order was taking root. Chivalrous men called "machiyakko" protected the town through fire extinguishing and gate guarding, and were trusted by the people. The leader of the Machiyakko was Chobei Hatazuin, a non-samurai who embodied the justice of the town.

On the other hand, under Shogun Iemitsu, Jurozaemon Mizuno, a bannerman of military dignity and prestige, strode through the town, carrying the prestige of the shogunate. The two are said to have been involved in a feud over a playhouse, but the real spark was the struggle between status and righteousness.

The rivalry intensified and blood was seen. The shogunate, however, ruled both sides as "fighting and losing," and imposed a cold balance on the righteousness of the machiyakko and the tyranny of the hatamoto. Hatazuin's death was a single flower that fell in the name of order.

This is a story of another kind of justice that takes root in the city of Edo, and of a pride that wavers within the status system.