Living Righteously and Leaving Righteously: Masahiro Suetsugu's Chivalry and Ordained Life (Showa to 1988)

Living Righteously and Leaving Righteously: Masahiro Suetsugu's Chivalry and Ordained Life (Showa to 1988)

Masahiro Suetsugu was a prominent figure in the world of Japanese chivalry, serving as the head of the Isshigumi disciples of the Yamaguchigumi (Yamaguchigumi III) and as the secretary general of the Ichiwakai. His conviction and respect for righteousness are reflected in a poem by the right-wing thinker Taku Mikami.

> "In a world protected by guns, I will be righteous.

This phrase symbolizes Suetsugu's stance of "righteousness" even in a world confronted with violence. Although Mikami was a thinker who evaluated people based on nationalistic values, it is said that he strongly resonated with Suetsugu's righteous attitude and presented him with this phrase.

In 1988, Masahiro Suetsugu was ordained and received the Buddhist name "Gishin. It is said that the reason behind his ordination was his strong desire to put an end to his long life of chivalry and sublimate his belief in "righteousness" to the Buddhist path.

It should be noted that this ordination took place in the midst of the so-called "Yamaichi War," a blood feud between the Yamaguchigumi and the Ichiwakai. At the time, Suetsugu was in a very central position as the head of the Ichiwakai's secretariat, and he was also a person at the forefront of the conflict. His decision to step out of the public eye and enter Buddhism at such a time sent shockwaves throughout Japan and abroad.

At the time of his ordination, an unusually grand ceremony was held in which people from all over Japan involved in chivalry and right-wing thinkers gathered. It is said that his comrades from the Ichi-wakai era and even his enemies came to the ceremony to pay their respects to Suetsugu.

This ordination was not a mere retirement, but an expression of his determination to "show the world through righteousness, without resorting to violence," an event that could be seen as the culmination of his outlook on life. It is said that Suetsugu continued to preach what chivalry is and what righteousness means through religious activities and lectures, while dressed in vestments.