三島, 英語を話す Rare English Interview with Yukio Mishima

The legendary Japanese author & playwright Yukio Mishima is featured here on American Mishima in a rare english interview where he speaks on a variety of subjects including his thoughts on Bushido, Kendo, Hagakure, Noh, Kabuki, his own private army, and Death itself. It is a fascinating look in this snapshot of time back to 1970 and the state of mind of the celibrated and most controversial author. It should be noted that his peculiar accent stems from the post war era where American English supplanted if not replaced Kings English of the prewar era. This combination of the two schools are evident in his voice. It should also be noted that in this interview he spoke of dying like the author of the Hagakure in a state of old age on some tatami mat. It's most ironic given that the Hagakure and Mishima himself espoused ideals of how a Samurai should end his life that he himself envisioned living to old age. But ultimately, this would not be how Mishima would end. With his four most trusted members of his own private army, he would stage an elaborate stunt if you will that would gurantee him no other option than to commit Seppeku on the world stage, an event that 42 years later is still a subject of controversy and with some of the baby boomer generation a delicate subject to this day. In that quest to shock and awaken the ways of old Yukio Mishima had succeeded.