Japanese Christmas
John Kropewnicki
In December 1870, Yoshikuni was decorating his Christmas tree. Yoshikuni had recently converted to Christianity and this was his first Christmas. Christmas in Japan at this time was a very new concept but Yoshikuni was trying his hardest to get things correct-o.
The tree was a rare Japanese evergreen that had grown from a cool water spring on the slopes of Mount Muratani. Mount Muratani was the traditional home of Yoshikuni’s ancestors so this seemed correct to him. His new god would be honored along with his family spirits.
Yoshikuni sat on the tatami mat with colored paper and made origami cranes. Every level of the tree was decorated with a different color. Red and white at the bottom to signify his passed relatives; Orange and yellow at the middle to signify his family crest. Yoshikuni was folding the last few cranes in green paper to signify his own family. He paused at the last paper starring at what would be the last crane.
The room grew cold and the fire began to flicker. Yoshikuni looked slowly from left to right and stood up. He turned his back to the Christmas tree and placed his hand on his katana. Yoshikuni silently signaled to his family that they should quietly hide in the prepared secret place. The wife and young children left. The room exploded in black devils. Yoshikuni drew his sword out in one smooth cutting motion and stabbed behind him. A man in a black costume died holding a dagger, his attempt to assassinate Yoshikuni a failure.
There were five ninjas attacking Yoshikuni. Two threw shurikens at Yoshikuni. He ducked to the ground and his blade made a wide arch in front of him. He caught four shurikens on his blade. He continued to spin around and flung the throwing stars back at the Ninjas. Yoshikuni’s aim was true and deadly. The Ninjas fell backward, one with a star impaled in his eye and another with a star puncturing his rib cage. Yoshikuni glared at the other Ninjas and kneeled meditating.
The snow was falling through the holes in Yoshikuni home. Slowly the white flakes swirled down onto Yoshikuni and his tree. Yoshikuni felt so angry with these men. The had not taken there shoes off and had bought mud and filth into his home. Yoshikuni went inward, finding calm, finding peace, he was ready for battle.
The three ninjas were armed with different weapons; one had a bladed mace on a long chain; one had two swords; the other had a long pole with a blade on the end, the naginita. Yoshikuni could tell which would attack first. These men feared him. They feared his new religion, his family and his extreme proficiency in dispensing death. Yoshikuni knew that the most fearful would attack first. This man with the naginita attacked first. Feinting an attack towards Yoshikuni and then backing off. Yoshikuni did not break his meditation.
The Naginita-Man grew brave and drove straight at Yoshikuni. Yoshikuni jumped up and landed on the staff of the man. He ran up the staff and stomped on the man’s hand. A yelp and then the staff was dropped; Yoshikuni brought his sword down and split the man in two. At this moment, the other two men attacked.
The chain mace was spinning through the air and released as Yoshikuni was pulling his sword from the viscera of the fallen naginita wielder. The rib cage had snagged the sword and Yoshikuni could not pull it free. The chain mace struck his ankle and knocked him into the fire pit.
Yoshikuni fell backward and somersaulted over the fire pit. He lowered his hand and grabbed a hot poker. The last ninja had two swords, a wakizashi and a kyoketsu shogi. The wakizashi was a shorter sword than Yoshikuni’s katana, and the shogi was shorter still with a pronounced hook on the end. Yoshikuni parried with his hot poker and sparks and chunks of metal flew through the air. It was good that the poker was hot because had it been cold surely the evil man’s blades would have easily shattered it. Yoshikuni did triple cartwheels rolling around the room while avoiding landing on his bad ankle. The mace man struck again, but this time Yoshikuni did a back flip to avoid it, the mace flew into the blade holding ninja and knocked him backwards. Yoshikuni landed on the chain mace man’s shoulders. He reached under and drove the poker upwards through the man’s jaw into his skull. Both crumpled to the ground. Yoshikuni cried out lamely as he fell on his shattered ankle.
Yoshikuni used his good foot and withdrew his katana from the blade of his enemy. The last ninja was injured on the floor. Yoshikuni hobbled towards him sword outstretched ready to drive with one last strike to protect himself. However, there was no need. The last ninja was gravely injured from the mace wound. Yoshikuni grabbed the man by his black hood and prepared to decapitate him. He pulled the hood off and saw his own son.
Milonori had been angry with Yoshikuni for taking to the new religion and left the family years earlier. Now Yoshikuni cried and embraced him and held his dear son to his chest. Yoshikuni’s wife and younger children had hidden during the fight and now that silence and safety had returned they ventured out from their hiding place.
“See wife, see what Christmas has brought. Our son, our son Milonori has returned. Send little Yoshi to get new a clean robe, and we must feast tonight in celebration.”
The weapons from the men was hung on the Christmas tree and glimmered and sparkled in the light as the reunited happy family feasted and sang Japanese Christmas Carols.