Tales of Old Japan - Maybe You Like It

A Story of the Otokodaté of Yedo; Being the Supplement of
the Story of Gompachi and Komurasaki
The word Otokodaté occurs several times in these Tales; and as I cannot
convey its full meaning by a simple translation, I must preserve it in the
text, explaining it by the following note, taken from the Japanese of a
native scholar.
The Otokodaté were friendly associations of brave men bound together
by an obligation to stand by one another in weal or in woe, regardless
of their own lives, and without inquiring into one another's antecedents.
A bad man, however, having joined the Otokodaté must forsake his evil
ways; for their principle was to treat the oppressor as an enemy, and to
help the feeble as a father does his child. If they had money, they gave it
to those that had none, and their charitable deeds won for them the respect
of all men. The head of the society was called its "Father"; if any of
the others, who were his apprentices, were homeless, they lived with the
Father and served him, paying him at the same time a small fee, in consideration
of which, if they fell sick or into misfortune, he took charge of
them and assisted them.
The Father of the Otokodaté pursued the calling of farming out coolies
to the Daimios and great personages for their journeys to and from Yedo,
and in return for this received from them rations in rice. He had more influence
with the lower classes even than the officials; and if the coolies
had struck work or refused to accompany a Daimio on his journey, a
word from the Father would produce as many men as might be required.
When Prince Tokugawa Iyémochi, the last but one of the Shoguns, left
Yedo for Kiôto, one Shimmon Tatsugorô, chief of the Otokodaté, undertook
the management of his journey, and some three or four years ago
was raised to the dignity of Hatamoto for many faithful services. After
the battle of Fushimi, and the abolition of the Shogunate, he accompanied
the last of the Shoguns in his retirement.
In old days there were also Otokodaté among the Hatamotos; this was
after the civil wars of the time of Iyéyasu, when, though the country was
at peace, the minds of men were still in a state of high excitement, and
could not be reconciled to the dulness of a state of rest; it followed that
broils and faction fights were continually taking place among the young
men of the Samurai class, and that those who distinguished themselves
by their personal strength and valour were looked up to as captains.
Leagues after the manner of those existing among the German students
were formed in different quarters of the city, under various names, and
58