Kogarashi Monjirō
{{Infobox television
| image =
| alt_name = {{noitalic|{{lang|ja|木枯し紋次郎}}}}
| genre = Jidaigeki
| country = Japan
| language = Japanese
| num_series =
| num_episodes = 38
| runtime = 45 minutes (per episode)
| network = Fuji TV
| director = Kon Ichikawa
Kenji Misumi
Kazuo Ikehiro
Kimiyoshi Yasuda
| starring = Atsuo Nakamura
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| endtheme =
| first_aired = {{start date|1972}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1973}}
}}
{{nihongo|Kogarashi Monjirō|木枯し紋次郎|extra=lit. "Monjirō of the Cold Wind"}} is the main character and title of a Japanese novel by Saho Sasazawa, probably best known in the televised version broadcast during prime-time in 1972–1973, directed by Kon Ichikawa. In 1993, the drama was made into a film, titled Kaettekita Kogarashi Monjirō.
Monjirō is a drifter, iconic for his ragged straw hat and cape outfit and long toothpick in his mouth. His stock phrase was "It's nothing to do with me".
Plot
Kogarashi Monjirō or "Monjirō of the Wintry North Wind"{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|kogarashi, from ko 'tree' + karashi 'withering', literally "(something that) blows on trees and withers them". Defined as "strong cold wind that blows from autumn to early winter"."[https://books.google.com/books?id=8rAPAAAAYAAJ&q="木枯し" Tosei-nin こ‐がらし【木枯し・凩】]", Kojien, 4th ed., 1991. Glossed as "a cold [wintry] wind; a nipping [biting] winter wind" (Kenkyusha College Japanese-English, 6th ed., 1996.) }} (see §Characters below) is a toseinin (a profession-less gambler{{efn|Kojien's definition of toseinin does list "yakuza", but defines the latter only as a gambler (bakuchi-uchi), not as a member of an organized crime association, which is the contemporary common meaning.}}"[https://books.google.com/books?id=8rAPAAAAYAAJ&q="とせい" Tosei-nin とせい‐にん【渡世人】]", Kojien, 4th ed., 1991.) in the Edo period. He travels alone.{{sfnp|Nomura|1999|pp=183-184}}{{cite web|url=http://www.konichikawa.com/films_a10.html|title=Kaettekita Kogarashi Monjirō |script-title=ja:帰ってきた木枯し紋次郎 |website=www.konichikawa.com |access-date=10 August 2017}}
He is exiled to the island of Hachijō-jima taking blame for a crime committed by a friend, but when the friend breaches the vow of silence in order to protest Mojirō's innocence, it shatters his faith in people.
Characters
;Kogarashi Monjirō
The character is known for always having a long toothpick protruding from his mouth,{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|One source says he chews on a "long reed of grass".}} which sometimes served as a weapon. He wears a weather-beaten {{interlanguage link|sandogasa{{!}}sandogasa|ja|三度笠}} hat (type of kasa hat), and a dingy {{interlanguage link|kappa (cape){{!}}kappa|ja|合羽}} cloak.{{sfnp|Sasazawa|1986|p=73}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|A kasa is woven from strands of rush, sedge, or straw, or strips of bamboo..{{r|kodansha-headgear}}.}}
He also has a famous punch line, which was "Asshi ni wa kakawari no nei koto de gozansu "It's nothing to do with me"{{sfnp|Schreiber|2000|p=64}} or "It does not concern me", and characterized as a "nihilistic gambler" or "nihilistic wandering outlaw hero".{{sfnp|Schreiber|2000|p=64}}{{harvp|Nawata|1991|p=85|ps=: "ニヒルな渡世人"}}
He is a wanderer (watari-mono), and a skilled swordsman, who winds up aiding people he meets in his wayfaring journey, but he maintains he does not act out of altruism or sense of justice, but only retaliates against those who provoke his anger.
Television production
Film director Kon Ichikawa agreed to take the helm for the TV production partly for financial reasons, hoping to accrue enough capital to fund his cinematic works. The role of Monjirō was played by then-budding actor Atsuo Nakamura. Nakamura Atsuo himself directed episode 8, second season, {{nihongo|"Kemonomichi ni namida wo suteta"|獣道に涙を捨てた}}.{{cite book|last=Nakamura |first=Atsuo |author-link=Atsuo Nakamura |title=Haiyū jinsei: furikaeru hibi |script-title=ja:俳優人生: 振り返る日々 |publisher=Asahi Shinbun-sha |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DpovAQAAIAAJ&q="獣道に涙を捨てた" |page=162 |isbn=4-02-257551-4}}
Monjirō, especially the TV version, has achieved folk-hero status. The TV show reached 30% rating, and resulted in the opening of the Monjirō exhibit, and the sales of Monjirō manjū sweets and ramen noodles.{{sfnp|Nawata|1991|p=85}}
The production was plagued with problems. The lead actor Nakamura injured his Achilles tendon which disrupted filming, and the series had to go into recess and the hole filled by another program. The troubled production company, {{interlanguage link|Daiei Kyoto|ja|大映京都撮影所}} also fell into bankruptcy.
In 1977, Shin Kogarashi Monjirō was broadcast on TV Tokyo, airing for 26 episodes.{{IMDb title|tt8796242 |Shin Kogarashi Monjirô (TV Series 1977–1978)
}} Atsuo Nakamura himself directed in three episodes.
Other adaptations
Sadao Nakajima directed the 1972 film version in which the lead role was played by Bunta Sugawara.{{IMDb title|tt0322981 |Kogarashi Monjirô (1972)}}
It has also been adapted into manga by Goseki Kojima, famous for his samurai comic series Lone Wolf and Cub read not only in the United States but internationally.
Analysis
See also
Explanatory notes
{{notelist}}
References
;Citations
{{reflist|30em|refs=
{{citation|last1=Amano |first1=Masanao |last2=Wiedemann |first2=Julius |title=Manga Design |volume=1 |publisher=Taschen |date=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiZ-SXfp50cC&pg=RA4-PT28
|page=220|isbn=9783822825914}}
{{citation|last=Araki |first=Hiroyuko |title=The Wandering Infant-Noble Theme in Japanese Legends and Mass Media |editor-last=Dorson |editor-first=Richard M. |editor-link=Richard M. Dorson |work=Folklore in the Modern World |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=1978 |pages=153 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vY6t616eRAwC&pg=PA153 |isbn=9783110803099 }}
{{citation|last1=Clements |first1=Jonathan |author-link1=Jonathan Clements |last2=Tamamuro |first2=Motoko |author-link2= |title=The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953 |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LzeSd4SvU7cC&pg=PA198 |page=198 |isbn=978-1-880-65681-5}}
{{Cite web|url=https://www.jidaigeki.com/forum/peri/kagyo/20000705_1336.html
|publisher=Jidaigeki Senmon Channel |title= Kogarashi Monjirō |date=July 5, 2000 | access-date= June 3, 2017 }}
{{cite encyclopedia|title=Headgear |encyclopedia=Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan |volume=3 |date=1983 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6vApAQAAMAAJ |page=119|isbn=978-0-870-11623-0 }}
{{citation|editor-last=Quandt |editor-first=James |editor-link=Fernán Caballero |title=Kon Ichikawa |place=Toronto |publisher=Cinematheque Ontario |date=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3vkVuSGQe-EC&pg=PA71 |page=71 |isbn=0-9682969-3-9}}
}}
;Bibliography
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- {{cite book|last=Nawata |first=Kazuo |author-link=:ja:縄田一男 |title=Jidai shōsetsu no yomidokoro: kessaku&rikisaku tettei annnai |script-title=ja:時代小説の読みどころ 傑作・力作徹底案内 |publisher=Nikkei, Inc. |year=1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N4gjAQAAMAAJ&q=%22%E7%B4%8B%E6%AC%A1%E9%83%8E%22 |pages=58–75|language=ja}}
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- {{cite book|last=Sasazawa |first=Saho |author-link=Saho Sasazawa |title=Modashite satta yuki no naka |script-title=ja:黙して去った雪の中 |series=Daihyōsaku jidai shōsetsu |volume=32 |publisher=Kōfūsha Shuppan |year=1986 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0XQjAQAAMAAJ |pages=58–75 |language=ja}}
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{{refend}}
Category:Television shows based on Japanese novels
Category:1972 Japanese television series debuts