Hello, thanks for reading. English is not my first language, so i apologize for any grammatical errors.
Just as i ask in the title, i would like to know if poetry meetings were ever forbidden/made illegal/considered innappropiate at any point during the Edo period in Japan. Specifically for the Samurai class.
I am by no means a history weeb but i do enjoy learning about the Edo period and last week, while rewatching a japanese movie i like a lot i noticed that it is mentioned towards the end that someone got 'arrested for holding a poetry meeting'; and, even though i cannot quote/find all of the sources right now, i am quite sure this has not been the only time i have encountered a statement of the like in a japanese movie or history book. I am certain in my head that i once read somewhere that, not all Samurai, but at least some of them thought that poetry was kinda considered an "inappropriate" art for them, and that it suited the 'noble' class better. I am pretty sure i even read somewhere that some daimyos would enforce the whole 'bunbu-ryōdō' quite firmly and would punish their vassals if they were to engage in kinda "flowery" arts more suited for women and nobles, as would be poetry.
I have been trying to confirm that with facts, trying to find something about it in some history book, or anything at all but Google is not giving me any results. Now I dont know if i am just gessing it, or if i imagined it, or if it was mentioned in a some movie/anime as a fact when it is in fact fiction and that got me confused, but now i cannot shake the idea out of head.
So, if anyone is able to confirm/unconfirm it for me i would really appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
I've tried to look into to this, but I am not enough of an expert on poetry to answer this confidetly. I am at least not aware of a ban on poetry meetings in the early 17th century.However, I know the movie and have looked up the transcript, maybe someone else can build on this:
In the scene the protagonist relays some recent news:
The news?March 1 , 1612Okuni, a woman Kabuki actress, died at Bamba. The funeraI was a loneIy one for a once popuIar star.
9th - Your guardian's white cat gave birth to 12 kittens.
13th...A dutch mansion was buiIt at the request of Adams, a Dutchman.
18th...Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro engaged in a dueI. Musashi was the victor.
29th...A man was arrested for hoIding a poetry meeting.
Now the interesting thing is that all of these; Okuni, Miyamoto, Adams, refer to well-known historical happenings. So I'd say that the last one also probably refers to something that happened in real life.
I've tried to listen to the original dialogue, but it goes quite fast. In the Japanese version it is not just 'a man' but the name of the person is mentioned as to what to my ears seems as Yariya Kinsuke. He says: "Yariya Kinsuke renga no kaigo wo mochitaru kado ni yoru hyakunin ni toraera." Now first I am unsure if mochitaru in this sentence really means 'hold' in the sense of holding a meeting, this word confuses me a bit. (Edit: looked it up and seems indeed to have that meaning) But if so it could indeed read 'Yariya Kinsuke was captured by hundred men on suspicion of holding a Renga (poetry) meeting". Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any references to a historical figure named Yariya Kinsuke or something similar.
Maybe someone more versed in early Edo-period history and poetry can do something with this information.