Samurai Sake

There were two habits in my mother’s family: when my grandmother met my mother or sisters, they told each other dreams. When they finished their dreams, they told each other movies. In great detail, as if something important depended on it. In the film “The Last Samurai”, Capt. Algren was taken into slavery. There he demands sake. After nights,
he is haunted by the demons of war. He still dreams of the same nightmare: galloping horses to attack.

Yesterday I read a few sentences from the “Hagakure” book written by samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo, who wrote down the memories of another samurai. “Hagakure” means “Hidden in the Letter”. This is the most beautiful masculine text I know about how to cultivate your character. A good Christmas gift for your son.

If Mr. Koprowski had written the book, it would surely have been so blunt and funny. Mr. Koprowski did not tolerate holesy and artificiality. He was direct and blunt. Especially about him. When he had to do something, he spoke aloud about himself:

“What an old head, so stupid.”

And many similar.

In “Hagakure”, I read about drinking sake. That you just need to know when to finish. All the rest is invalid. Tsunetomo writes this:

“When it comes to drinking sake, then be able to make order with the end of drinking sake, that is drinking sake!”