"The way to pick a flower" (a Musashi 2003 fanfic)

Musashi (Ichikawa Ebizō) and Otsu (Yonekura Ryoko),
my favourite Azuchi-Momoyama-Edo couple!

A recurring question amongst the readers of Musashi (the novel) and viewers of Musashi (the drama) is whether Musashi and Otsu ended up together officially and whether they eventually shared a life together. I’ve always liked this couple when I read Yoshikawa Eiji’s novel, yet upon seeing the 2003 Taiga Drama, I’m dead on in love with them and want them to be officially together. Since neither the book nor the drama stated as such, this is my attempt to bring that closure to myself. SPOILERS of Musashi 2003 Episodes 14 onwards; consider yourself forewarned…



Miyamoto Musashi had faced 80 students of the Yoshioka Kenpo, Agon and Inshun of Hozoin Nara, Taguchi Genryu and even Yagyū Sekishusai without blinking his eyes in fear. At the very least, he had managed to overcome his fears and emerged alive, for better for worse. Yet, for this situation at hand, he wasn’t sure how he’d proceed, let alone emerging unscathed.

Musashi 2003 Taiga Drama

Left: the classic cover of Yoshikawa Eiji's "Musashi"
Right: Ichikawa Shinnosuke's NHK Musashi

Happy New Year! May 2019 be kind, healthy and beautiful for us all…

When I was a teenager, I happened upon “Musashi”, a novel by Yoshikawa Eiji about a well-known Japanese historical figure called Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵). I read the seven volumes of the novel and I liked it. I do think it was a bit difficult for me to understand; not language-wise (it was in Indonesian), but because it spoke of Zen, something I didn’t get as a teenager.

Yet the story cling to my mind, such that in 2004, just before I had a surgery, I searched for the books again (I had misplaced my first copies).  Gramedia said the book was out of print, such that I eventually bought the copies (all the seven volumes) from my local book rental. The copies were dirty, but I treasured them so much. I read them again as I recuperated from my surgery. This time, the values in the novel was easier to understand. And this time, I appreciate the main characters more.