The Five-Storied Pagoda
| "The Five-Storied Pagoda" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kōda Rohan |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese, English |
| Genre(s) | Historical fiction |
| Publication type | Newspaper |
| Media type | Print (Periodical) |
The Five-Storied Pagoda (Gojūnotō, 五重塔) is a novella by writer Kōda Rohan. “It was originally written as a serialized piece of fiction in the intellectual newspaper Kokkai (Diet, or Parliament), beginning in November 1891 and ending in March of the following year. As a consequence, chapter divisions in this story […] do not necessarily coincide with the breaks in plot progression or narrative pauses.”(15). The pagoda in the story is based on a pagoda donated to Tokyo by Tennō-ji.
Jūbei is a poor carpenter working under the master architect Genta. When the Abbot proposes the construction of a new pagoda, Jūbei insists that he take charge of the construction. The Abott has pity on Jūbei. Genta proposes cooperation between the two, but Jūbei rejects his offer. The Abott finally gives Jūbei full authority over the project. One of Genta's servants, Seikichi, is furious about Jūbei rejecting his master's offer which makes him lose face. Seikichi goes to the construction yard of the pagoda and attacks Jūbei in a rage, cutting off his ear and severely wounding him. Despite his injuries, Jūbei insists upon finishing the project. Eventually the pagoda is completed, but then one night a terrible storm hits Edo, endangering the pagoda. One of the servants, Eiji tricks Jūbei into coming to the site during the storm. Jūbei rushes to the roof of the pagoda and stands in defiance of the storm and waits for the storm to die out. Everyone fears the pagoda will come crashing down, but amazingly enough, it stays standing. In the coming days, the Abbot finalizes the pagoda with an inscription signifying the pagoda was built by Jūbei, and approved by Genta.
Okichi, Genta’s wife, speaks with Seikichi about Genta’s rival, Jubei. Jubei is a lowly carpenter and Okichi becomes aggravated by his audacity to challenge her renowned carpenter husband for the position of building the coveted pagoda. Jubei’s inability to find work troubles his wife, Onami. His peers undermine his ability by calling him “Nossori, Slowpoke”, which causes additional grief for Onami. She also worries about how Jubei’s peers will view him if he continues to challenge Genta for the pagoda job because of their large gap in social status.
The Abbot Roen of Uda wants the pagoda built in order to utilize the funds left over from Genta’s renovation of the Kano Temple. Although it was presumed Genta would build the pagoda, Jubei heard about the pagoda and decided to ask the Abbot if he could build it instead. When Jubei visits the Abbot, Tame’emon tries to send him away, but the Abbot welcomes Jubei inside. Jubei explains to the Abbot how he built a model of the pagoda and how much he wants to build the pagoda. After looking over Jubei’s pagoda model, the Abbot agrees Jubei has the necessary skill to build the pagoda. The Abbot struggles to decide if either Genta or Jubei should build the pagoda.
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