I feel like taking the time to reconsider and think about what kind of person Masamune was. -- Author

This collection features seven stories, including the title piece, which contemplates why the great general Date Masamune, the "hero who came too late," could not conquer the nation.

"Basho Shonen Sugu" depicts the life of Date Masamune, who, born late in the turbulent Sengoku period in a remote region, was confined to the position of a powerful lord of Oshu. "The Keio Nagasaki Incident" sheds light on a facet of the Bakumatsu era through the hurried actions of Sakamoto Ryoma, the shogunate officials, and the British minister concerning the handling of the Kaientai members involved in the murder of a British sailor. The collection also includes "Eiyuu-ji," "Kenka Soun," "Juuan no Ten-ten," and other stories, totaling seven pieces.

[Table of Contents]
Eiyuu-ji
The Keio Nagasaki Incident
Kenka Soun
Basho Shonen Sugu
Juuan no Ten-ten
The Castle's Ghost
The Sable's Skin
For the Bunko Edition

Author's Words
Masamune's life is filled with wicked schemes, cunning, and flamboyant yet transparent self-promotion. Moreover, Masamune's complexity does not stem from the darker aspects of his personality, but rather from a certain talent for enacting wickedness, and overall, he was cheerful and bright. Had he been a man who gave people an impression of gloominess befitting his actions, people would not have followed him, and Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, who constantly kept him in check, would not have let him off easily. (From "For the Bunko Edition" in this book)

From "Basho Shonen Sugu" included in this book

"Basho Shonen Sugu"
This is the first line of a famous poem composed by an old man in his later years.

Basho shonen sugu
Yo taihei ni shite hakuhaku tashi
Zanku wa ten no shasuru tokoro
Tanoshimazaru wo kore ikan sen

This old poet is Date Masamune.
He was called a "kyoyu." Kyoyu means owl. Or it can mean fierce. Looking it up in a dictionary, it has such meanings...

Ryotaro Shiba (1923-1996)
Born in Osaka City. Graduated from the Mongolian Language Department of Osaka School of Foreign Languages. While working in the cultural department of the Sankei Shimbun, he won the Naoki Prize in 1960 for "Fukurou no Shiro." Since then, he has continuously published groundbreaking works that have redefined historical fiction. He received numerous awards, including the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1966 for "Ryoma ga Yuku" and "Kunitori Monogatari." In 1993, he was awarded the Order of Culture. His "Shiba historical view," a free and clear perspective on history, garnered immense trust. He passed away suddenly in 1996, midway through his serialization of works such as "Kaido wo Yuku," which began in 1971, at the age of 72. His complete works, "Ryotaro Shiba Zenshu" (68 volumes), are available.