Sorry if this isn't the proper subreddit for this question. He doesn't remember which documentary series it was, but it talked about samurai and the resurgence of that ideology in pre and post WWII japan, and it also had a segment on Mishima and his Tatenokai and the incident at the SDF HQ. The perfumed helmet bit got my attention, as I had never heard about it.
Again, sorry if this isn't the proper venue for this question and thanks for any help you can give.
I can only think of one example of this, Kimura Shigenari, a Toyotomi samurai. The Toyotomi clan (famously the clan of Toyotomi Hideyoshi) opposed the newly formed Tokugawa Shogunate following a decisive victory at the Battle of Sekigahara.
Ieyasu was busy solidifying the power of the Tokugawa Shogunate, reorganizing lands, rewarding loyal vassals, etc etc but by 1614, he decided that the Toyotomi needed to be dealt with, as the last major obstacle to being fully in control of a unified Japan.
This lead to the campaign in Osaka which lasted from November 1614 to June/July 1615. Kimura Shigenari would fall about a week after the start of this conflict, and the presentation of his head to Ieyasu (befitting since he was the commander of the opposing forces) is a famous scene, and was the subject of paintings and reenactments.
The reason why it is often noted is because of the clarity of Kimura's intention to commit himself to die on the field rather than to turn against his lord in the face of a losing battle. He had taken care to wash his neck and face, 'perfuming' his hair with incense.
The idea of many samurai doing this doesn't seem to be substantiated in any kind of academic research nor any primary sources. Perhaps a few did it here and there, particularly those who were inspired by accounts of Kimura, but it was certainly not a major trend.
Besides, how could the experience be 'sublime' for his killer? Battlefields are incredibly dirty, disgusting, foul smelling places. Mud, blood, vomit, ichor of split open organs, urine and feces, are plentiful and not even the strongest can of Axe can block that out.
In accounts of Ieyasu admiring Kimura, which are probably a little romanticized, he admires Kimura's apparent commitment to fighting for his lord and went onto the battlefield ready to die. Hence the 'washing his neck' part.
Even today in Japanese language, the phrase 'wash your neck and wait for me' still implies killing someone (albeit usually figuratively in most cases, more often heard in movies and dramas than the streets).
Plus, with the way heads were presented, Ieyasu most likely heard that it was perfumed from someone else closer to the head rather than smelled it himself.
So not accurate at all.
