''The Broken Commandment'' is a Japanese novel written by

Tōson Shimazaki was the pen-name of Haruki Shimazaki, a Japanese writer active in the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. He began his career as a Romantic poet, but went on to establish himself as a major proponent of Japanese Naturalism. The ...

published in 1906 (late

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

) under the title ''Hakai'' (破戒). The novel deals with the ''

burakumin The are a social grouping of Japanese people descended from members of the feudal class associated with , mainly those with occupations related to death such as executioners, gravediggers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, and tanners. Bura ...

'' (部落民, 'village people'), formerly known as ''eta''. This book enjoyed great popularity and influence in Japan.

Plot

The basic plot concerns a school teacher named Ushimatsu Segawa (family name written last) who struggles with a commandment given to him by his late father. He is never to reveal his ''burakumin'' background, which his father had tried so hard to conceal as well. Ushimatsu idolizes Rentarou Inoko, a ''burakumin'' rights' activist and successful writer (particularly considering the social position given to those considered ''burakumin''). Ushimatsu wishes to reveal his background to Rentarou, as his need to hide away part of himself in order to be accepted by society in general leads to his feeling constricted by this superficial identity, and to his desiring to form a more meaningful connection with Rentarou through their common experience. This novel also touches on the dangerous, destructive nature of gossip, and questions society's inability to accept what is not understood. It attempts to build understanding and empathy for this group of people at a time (the novel's publication's) when a great deal of prejudice still existed towards this group.

Writing

Toson's ''The Broken Commandment'' was completed under impecunious circumstances. After the idea of the novel was formulated, Toson approached his father-in-law, Hata Keiji, and a wealthy landlord, Kozu Takeshi, asking for their support in his full-time writing of the novel. They agreed, and Toson quit his job as a teacher. With his pregnant wife and three daughters Toson left Komoro and moved to Minami Toshima-gun in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

to complete his work. His three daughters died one after another, from

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

and intestinal catarrh, and Toson came to regard their deaths as "sacrifices" − their deaths were most likely triggered by

malnutrition Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...

which deprived them from "maintaining adequate physical resistance to the fatal diseases because of the tightly budgeted life Toson subjected his family to".

Film adaptations

''The Broken Commandment'' has been repeatedly adapted into films: * 1946: ''Hakai'', dir. Yutaka Abe * 1948: ''

Apostasy Apostasy (; ) is the formal religious disaffiliation, disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous re ...

'', dir.

Keisuke Kinoshita was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Ronald Berganbr>"A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita" ''The Guardian'', 5 January 1999. While lesser-known internationally than contemporaries such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and ...

* 1962: ''The Outcast'', dir.

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won t ...

* 2022: ''Hakai'', dir. Kazuo Maeda

Bibliography

* Title: The broken commandment, Japan Foundation translation series, Kokusai Kōryū Kikin, UNESCO collection of representative works: Japanese series * Author:

* Editor:

* Translated: Kenneth Strong * Collaborator: Kenneth Strong * Edition: reprinted * Editor: University of Tokyo Press, 1974 * , 9780860081913 * 249 pages

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broken Commandment, The 1906 novels Novels by Tōson Shimazaki Japanese novels adapted into films 1906 debut novels Novels set in Nagano Prefecture