The Record of Shadowy Lawyers Carved into the Face of a Mountain: The Landscape of Sanka Case Files (Showa Period)
In Japan from the mid to late Showa period, settlement was considered a modern and stable way of life, while in rural and mountainous areas, there were still artisans who made their living by moving from place to place. It was where these two values clashed that the incident described by the Sanka was born. At a time when barter was the norm, bamboo craftsmen would sometimes have small disagreements with villagers over such things as the amount of rice or miso they would receive or the price they would receive for repairing farming tools. The differences in values reflected the differences in lifestyle and culture.
Conflicts with the police are also described. Until around the 1960s, non-settled people were subjected to harsh scrutiny, and were sometimes arrested for having inadequate identification. In many cases, thefts in farming villages were blamed on drifters, and when chickens went missing, drifters took care of it. If the fields were destroyed, the mountain folk would enter. The burden of these unfounded suspicions was placed on those living on the periphery.
However, these records are not mere narratives of the damage. Wisdom for survival is engraved in them. The time to enter the village is set at dawn and leave before nightfall. Check exchanges on the spot to avoid misunderstandings. They greet the village leaders and do not extend their stay longer than necessary. These were the manners of the castaways to protect themselves and the quiet strategies of those who walked the boundaries of society.
The Sanka Casebook is a record that reflects the atmosphere of a time when prejudice was strong and at the same time conveys the pride and ingenuity of those living on the periphery. In an era when one's position changed with the direction of the wind, the Sanka lived their lives while reading the wind.
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