Review of Musui's Story by Katsu Kokichi

​Musui’s Story by Katsu Kokichi is an autobiography of a samurai during the 1800’s, which follows a man in his adventures, poverty, and old age. It’s an interesting piece of Japanese history, which focuses on the lesser-known aspects of a samurai’s life. For Katsu Kokichi, his account of his life seems to be boastful, and at times exaggerated when he talks about his fights with other warriors, or how he escaped from his incurred debts. Though, what is interesting is that he is consumed with discussing his money problems while trying to explain his misdeeds. It was interesting to see how relationships, ceremonies, and the societal structure all affected each other at that time. It's an account of a seemingly lower rung samurai, and because of this, its language is sometimes brash, but straightforward.
 
Final Rating: 3.5/5