The Marriage of Doji and Kakita
After the first Hantei won the right to be Emperor over the men and women of Rokugan, he set about making the land a place fit to rule. To help him with his endeavor, he turned to his sister, Lady Doji, for her patience and wisdom in the trials had proven her merit.
Doji stood beside her brother and together they created the system of hinin, heimin, and samurai. The land was divided among their brothers and sisters. Hantei chose only the plain on which they had fallen, Otosan Uchi. As they constructed the Imperial Palace, a city began to form on the plain, and people from all parts of Rokugan traveled there to see the palace of their new Emperor.
When they were done, a great city lay on the once-empty plain, filled with the artistic structures of Rokugani society and the elegance of civilization. The Emperor held a great celebration in the city, decorating it with paper lanterns and holding trials of skill and strength. One of these trials was to determine the Emperor’s personal Champion.
Matsu, follower of Akodo, entered the contest, and many believed that she would win easily. However, a man from the far northern provinces also attended, and his sword was swifter than a striking serpent. He spoke little, and bowed respectfully to his opponents after each duel. No man could match his skill, and at last, even the great Matsu fell to the ground, disarmed and defeated. Unlike before, the man did not bow to his fallen opponent, and instead simply stepped away to allow her to rise.
The Emperor was pleased to see such skill, and had the man brought to his side. Matsu roared a challenge and claimed insult that the man had not treated her with respect after the duel. The Emperor asked the man if this was so, and he replied, “I did not treat you with respect, Matsu-san, because you did not treat me nor any of your other opponents that way. You believe that the children of the Lion have no reason to respect the common man. But I tell you this: we may be the children of the Earth, but we are not less than you. We live and die as you will, and our place is on this earth beside you. Not crushed beneath your feet.” With respect, the man bowed to the Emperor and volunteered to commit seppuku for his rash words. But, to Matsu’s dismay, Hantei smiled.
“My new Champion is right, of course,” he began. “The people of Rokugan may need us, but we too need them. Be at peace, sister of the Lions. This is a day of celebration, not of war. Let it be known that from this day forward, the Champion of the Emperor is also the Champion of the people, and is entrusted with their care.”
Masu lifted her sheathed katana and pointed at the new Champion. “And from this day forward, there will be enmity between us, little man. Remember that.”
“My name,” said the man quietly, “is Kakita.”
The Emperor and his Champion spent many hours in conversation as the sun set, and soon the two men were friends. As a sign of his trust in Kakita and his desire to strengthen the ties between them, the Emperor offered his own sister, Doji, in marriage. Lady Doji overheard the offer, and Kakita’s acceptance. At first, she planned to refuse the command to marry a mortal, and instead commit seppuku. However, she soon had another idea. Lady Doji came to the Emperor’s side, bowing low before him. As a symbol of their marriage, Doji asked to make a request of her husband-to-be.
“I wish only three small things.” Doji smiled a charming smile and fanned herself slightly. “First, I know that you are a wise man, and I wish the world to share that wisdom. I am certain that you can bring the dead to life on our wedding day.”
Kakita’s smile began to fade at her words, but she continued. “Second, I know that you are a knowledgeable man. To further the education of all the people of Rokugan, I wish for you to tell the court how large the world is, and how many days it takes to walk the length of it. And lastly, as a final gift, I ask you bring me something of perfect beauty. A wedding day is a time of beauty and celebration, so I wish you to bring me something whose beauty cannot be challenged.”
In this way, Lady Doji thought to rid herself of an unwanted suitor. But Kakita had fallen in love with her, and was determined not to be brushed aside so easily. He begged Hantei’s permission to seek out the answers to these puzzles. With reluctance, the Emperor allowed Kakita to leave Otosan Uchi. Before he left, Kakita went to the chambers of the Lady Doji and told his bride-to-be that he would be leaving his sister behind to be her lady-in-waiting. The screen did not move, but he heard the faint laughter of the maids.
Kakita traveled across Rokugan for weeks, seeking answers to his quest. But it seemed there were none. No man had ever traveled the length of the world, and to bring the dead to life was deemed impossible by the shugenja of the Phoenix. However, Kakita would not give up, and still he wandered the land. When he reached the lands of the Lion, he was turned away with rough words and threats, for they had not forgotten the man’s treatment of their daimyo. Kakita walked on across the land, to the ocean. When he reached it, he saw a small fishing village nestled beneath a tall cliff overlooking the sea.
Kakita went to the village and met with its people. When he told them of his quest, the pointed him to a small hut which sat on the Cliffside, and told him to ask the village elder and her son. The son, Torikago, called Kakita by name, bowing politely. With a smile, the fisherman said that his mother had spoken of Kakita and knew that he would come here. Surprised, Kakita stepped into the small house to see an elderly woman sitting on a soft pillow, smoking a hookah. The interior of the hut was lavish, with soft pillows and beautifully carved wooden furniture. The woman smiled at Kakita and offered him a place to sit and a bowl of fine rice. She chuckled at his amazement, and spoke to him at length.
The woman’s name was Yasuki, and she had a rare gift of foreknowledge. Under her instruction, the village had become the most prosperous in Rokugan. Unfortunately, it had no samurai to rule it and defend its riches from the envy of its neighbors. Yasuki was willing to help Kakita achieve his heart’s goal – for a price. Her son, she said, was a fine man, skilled with a sword as well as finance. He needed a fine wife, and sons who would become samurai. Surely Kakita knew of some way this could be accomplished? Perhaps Kakita and his new bride could come live on the Cliffside above this town, and maidens would visit. In time, one of the noble daughters might consent to marry the son of Yasuki….
With amazement, Kakita laughed at the woman’s outrageous proposals. “Marry a samurai maiden to a fisherman?” But Yasuki only blew a delicate ring of smoke.
“As preposterous as a common samurai marrying the daughter of a Goddess?”
Kakita laughed again, and agreed to the old woman’s terms. For two days, he lived in the hut with Yasuki and her son, learning how he could succeed in his quest. When he was done, he left for Otosan Uchi.
In Rokguan, there is an ancient belief that twins are born ‘sharing a soul,’ and that some twins are mirror replicas because the soul did not fully separate at birth. Kakita and his twin sister, Kiyamori, were two such souls. At the palace, Kakita’s sister Kiyamori remained beside Lady Doji, serving her as she had been instructed. Kiyamori spent many days speaking to Doji about the heroic deeds which Kakita had performed on his way to the Emperor’s challenge. Each day, Doji would walk in the gardens of the Imperial Palace with Kiyamori beside her, and each day Doji grew less and less opposed to the wedding. Soon she began to hope for Kakita’s return.
When Kakita arrived at the palace of the Emperor, Lady Doji was summoned, and the court watched expectantly to see the outcome of Kakita’s famous quest. Although Doji tried to act as arrogant and confident as before, her eyes fell to the ground when Kakita bowed politely to her. Kiyamori smiled slightly from the audience chamber.
“First, my bride,” Kakita bega, “you asked me to bring the dead to life for our wedding day.” From a small bag, Kakita pulled a piece of seasoned driftwood.”I found this on the shore of a small fishing village, miles from the forests. Its death was long ago, in a winter that tore it from its mother tree and cast it to the ocean. It drifted for seasons since, withered and lifeless on the summer rains. Certainly, this qualifies.” As an amused Hantei raised an eyebrow in curiosity, Kakita drew a strange stringed instrument from his bag.
“From a piece of the wood I have shown you, I have carved this gift.” With gentle fingers, Kakita evoked a love melody from the biwa, the first such instrument ever created in Rokugan. The biwa sang pure and echoing notes throughout the palace. Everywhere that the music could be heard, the populace stopped to listen in wonder at the beauty of the piece. When he was done, none could argue that the biwa had indeed come to life. Lady Doji could only nod.
“Secondly, gentle daughter of Amaterasu, you asked that I tell you how wide the world is, and how long it would take to walk from one side to the other. The answer to your question is not in the journey, but in one’s companion. If a man were to awaken when the sun rises from the sea, and travel the day by your mother’s side, surely he would find himself at the other side of the world when she sought her rest in the western lands.” Kakita’s smile was pleasant and broad. “Thus, as Amaterasu herself is my guide, it takes but one day to travel the world.” The court smiled, and Hantei had to struggle to contain his laughter at this eloquent answer. Lady Doji blushed slightly in response, and hid her smile beneath a swiftly upraised fan.
Kakita smiled at Doji and continued. “Lastly, my Lady, you asked me to bring you an example of perfect beauty – a beauty which could not be contested, even by you.” Kakita reached into his bag again, and there was a subtle whispering in the court. “It was difficult, my lady, to find the most beautiful thing in Rokguan, but I believe I can show it to you.” With closed hands, he drew the final object from the bag and held it before her. Lady Doji leaned toward it inquisitively, and Kakita opened his hands.
Held carefully between Kakita’s fingers was a small golden mirror, poised so that Lady Doji could see her own reflection. Lady Doji’s heart was fully won. The wedding of Kakita and Doji was held immediately, and the festivities lasted for seven days.
As for Yasuki and her fishing village, it is now the site of, Yufuka na Heigen Toshi, a massive trading port on a river near Kyuden Doji. Yasuki’s son was wed soon after, to Kakita’s twin sister Kiyamori. In the fishing village, a shrine to the ancestors of the Yasuki house was built on the site of the Yasuki hut. Three hundred years later, when the Yasuki betrayed their allegiances to the Crane Clan, the Doji daimyo ordered the shrine to be torn down, stone by stone, and cast into the sea. The land on which the house stood has never been reclaimed and is now nothing but weeds and dust.
Doji stood beside her brother and together they created the system of hinin, heimin, and samurai. The land was divided among their brothers and sisters. Hantei chose only the plain on which they had fallen, Otosan Uchi. As they constructed the Imperial Palace, a city began to form on the plain, and people from all parts of Rokugan traveled there to see the palace of their new Emperor.
When they were done, a great city lay on the once-empty plain, filled with the artistic structures of Rokugani society and the elegance of civilization. The Emperor held a great celebration in the city, decorating it with paper lanterns and holding trials of skill and strength. One of these trials was to determine the Emperor’s personal Champion.
Matsu, follower of Akodo, entered the contest, and many believed that she would win easily. However, a man from the far northern provinces also attended, and his sword was swifter than a striking serpent. He spoke little, and bowed respectfully to his opponents after each duel. No man could match his skill, and at last, even the great Matsu fell to the ground, disarmed and defeated. Unlike before, the man did not bow to his fallen opponent, and instead simply stepped away to allow her to rise.
The Emperor was pleased to see such skill, and had the man brought to his side. Matsu roared a challenge and claimed insult that the man had not treated her with respect after the duel. The Emperor asked the man if this was so, and he replied, “I did not treat you with respect, Matsu-san, because you did not treat me nor any of your other opponents that way. You believe that the children of the Lion have no reason to respect the common man. But I tell you this: we may be the children of the Earth, but we are not less than you. We live and die as you will, and our place is on this earth beside you. Not crushed beneath your feet.” With respect, the man bowed to the Emperor and volunteered to commit seppuku for his rash words. But, to Matsu’s dismay, Hantei smiled.
“My new Champion is right, of course,” he began. “The people of Rokugan may need us, but we too need them. Be at peace, sister of the Lions. This is a day of celebration, not of war. Let it be known that from this day forward, the Champion of the Emperor is also the Champion of the people, and is entrusted with their care.”
Masu lifted her sheathed katana and pointed at the new Champion. “And from this day forward, there will be enmity between us, little man. Remember that.”
“My name,” said the man quietly, “is Kakita.”
The Emperor and his Champion spent many hours in conversation as the sun set, and soon the two men were friends. As a sign of his trust in Kakita and his desire to strengthen the ties between them, the Emperor offered his own sister, Doji, in marriage. Lady Doji overheard the offer, and Kakita’s acceptance. At first, she planned to refuse the command to marry a mortal, and instead commit seppuku. However, she soon had another idea. Lady Doji came to the Emperor’s side, bowing low before him. As a symbol of their marriage, Doji asked to make a request of her husband-to-be.
“I wish only three small things.” Doji smiled a charming smile and fanned herself slightly. “First, I know that you are a wise man, and I wish the world to share that wisdom. I am certain that you can bring the dead to life on our wedding day.”
Kakita’s smile began to fade at her words, but she continued. “Second, I know that you are a knowledgeable man. To further the education of all the people of Rokugan, I wish for you to tell the court how large the world is, and how many days it takes to walk the length of it. And lastly, as a final gift, I ask you bring me something of perfect beauty. A wedding day is a time of beauty and celebration, so I wish you to bring me something whose beauty cannot be challenged.”
In this way, Lady Doji thought to rid herself of an unwanted suitor. But Kakita had fallen in love with her, and was determined not to be brushed aside so easily. He begged Hantei’s permission to seek out the answers to these puzzles. With reluctance, the Emperor allowed Kakita to leave Otosan Uchi. Before he left, Kakita went to the chambers of the Lady Doji and told his bride-to-be that he would be leaving his sister behind to be her lady-in-waiting. The screen did not move, but he heard the faint laughter of the maids.
Kakita traveled across Rokugan for weeks, seeking answers to his quest. But it seemed there were none. No man had ever traveled the length of the world, and to bring the dead to life was deemed impossible by the shugenja of the Phoenix. However, Kakita would not give up, and still he wandered the land. When he reached the lands of the Lion, he was turned away with rough words and threats, for they had not forgotten the man’s treatment of their daimyo. Kakita walked on across the land, to the ocean. When he reached it, he saw a small fishing village nestled beneath a tall cliff overlooking the sea.
Kakita went to the village and met with its people. When he told them of his quest, the pointed him to a small hut which sat on the Cliffside, and told him to ask the village elder and her son. The son, Torikago, called Kakita by name, bowing politely. With a smile, the fisherman said that his mother had spoken of Kakita and knew that he would come here. Surprised, Kakita stepped into the small house to see an elderly woman sitting on a soft pillow, smoking a hookah. The interior of the hut was lavish, with soft pillows and beautifully carved wooden furniture. The woman smiled at Kakita and offered him a place to sit and a bowl of fine rice. She chuckled at his amazement, and spoke to him at length.
The woman’s name was Yasuki, and she had a rare gift of foreknowledge. Under her instruction, the village had become the most prosperous in Rokugan. Unfortunately, it had no samurai to rule it and defend its riches from the envy of its neighbors. Yasuki was willing to help Kakita achieve his heart’s goal – for a price. Her son, she said, was a fine man, skilled with a sword as well as finance. He needed a fine wife, and sons who would become samurai. Surely Kakita knew of some way this could be accomplished? Perhaps Kakita and his new bride could come live on the Cliffside above this town, and maidens would visit. In time, one of the noble daughters might consent to marry the son of Yasuki….
With amazement, Kakita laughed at the woman’s outrageous proposals. “Marry a samurai maiden to a fisherman?” But Yasuki only blew a delicate ring of smoke.
“As preposterous as a common samurai marrying the daughter of a Goddess?”
Kakita laughed again, and agreed to the old woman’s terms. For two days, he lived in the hut with Yasuki and her son, learning how he could succeed in his quest. When he was done, he left for Otosan Uchi.
In Rokguan, there is an ancient belief that twins are born ‘sharing a soul,’ and that some twins are mirror replicas because the soul did not fully separate at birth. Kakita and his twin sister, Kiyamori, were two such souls. At the palace, Kakita’s sister Kiyamori remained beside Lady Doji, serving her as she had been instructed. Kiyamori spent many days speaking to Doji about the heroic deeds which Kakita had performed on his way to the Emperor’s challenge. Each day, Doji would walk in the gardens of the Imperial Palace with Kiyamori beside her, and each day Doji grew less and less opposed to the wedding. Soon she began to hope for Kakita’s return.
When Kakita arrived at the palace of the Emperor, Lady Doji was summoned, and the court watched expectantly to see the outcome of Kakita’s famous quest. Although Doji tried to act as arrogant and confident as before, her eyes fell to the ground when Kakita bowed politely to her. Kiyamori smiled slightly from the audience chamber.
“First, my bride,” Kakita bega, “you asked me to bring the dead to life for our wedding day.” From a small bag, Kakita pulled a piece of seasoned driftwood.”I found this on the shore of a small fishing village, miles from the forests. Its death was long ago, in a winter that tore it from its mother tree and cast it to the ocean. It drifted for seasons since, withered and lifeless on the summer rains. Certainly, this qualifies.” As an amused Hantei raised an eyebrow in curiosity, Kakita drew a strange stringed instrument from his bag.
“From a piece of the wood I have shown you, I have carved this gift.” With gentle fingers, Kakita evoked a love melody from the biwa, the first such instrument ever created in Rokugan. The biwa sang pure and echoing notes throughout the palace. Everywhere that the music could be heard, the populace stopped to listen in wonder at the beauty of the piece. When he was done, none could argue that the biwa had indeed come to life. Lady Doji could only nod.
“Secondly, gentle daughter of Amaterasu, you asked that I tell you how wide the world is, and how long it would take to walk from one side to the other. The answer to your question is not in the journey, but in one’s companion. If a man were to awaken when the sun rises from the sea, and travel the day by your mother’s side, surely he would find himself at the other side of the world when she sought her rest in the western lands.” Kakita’s smile was pleasant and broad. “Thus, as Amaterasu herself is my guide, it takes but one day to travel the world.” The court smiled, and Hantei had to struggle to contain his laughter at this eloquent answer. Lady Doji blushed slightly in response, and hid her smile beneath a swiftly upraised fan.
Kakita smiled at Doji and continued. “Lastly, my Lady, you asked me to bring you an example of perfect beauty – a beauty which could not be contested, even by you.” Kakita reached into his bag again, and there was a subtle whispering in the court. “It was difficult, my lady, to find the most beautiful thing in Rokguan, but I believe I can show it to you.” With closed hands, he drew the final object from the bag and held it before her. Lady Doji leaned toward it inquisitively, and Kakita opened his hands.
Held carefully between Kakita’s fingers was a small golden mirror, poised so that Lady Doji could see her own reflection. Lady Doji’s heart was fully won. The wedding of Kakita and Doji was held immediately, and the festivities lasted for seven days.
As for Yasuki and her fishing village, it is now the site of, Yufuka na Heigen Toshi, a massive trading port on a river near Kyuden Doji. Yasuki’s son was wed soon after, to Kakita’s twin sister Kiyamori. In the fishing village, a shrine to the ancestors of the Yasuki house was built on the site of the Yasuki hut. Three hundred years later, when the Yasuki betrayed their allegiances to the Crane Clan, the Doji daimyo ordered the shrine to be torn down, stone by stone, and cast into the sea. The land on which the house stood has never been reclaimed and is now nothing but weeds and dust.