Masakatsu Morita

Masakatsu Morita (森田 必勝, Morita Masakatsu, 25 July 1945 – 25 November 1970) was a Japanese political activist who killed himself via seppuku with Yukio Mishima in Tokyo.[1][2][3]

Masakatsu Morita
森田必勝
Born(1945-07-25)25 July 1945
Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan
Died25 November 1970(1970-11-25) (aged 25)
JGSDF Camp Ichigaya
Ichigaya Honmura-chō, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Cause of deathSuicide by seppuku
Body discoveredOffice of the General, JGSDF Camp Ichigaya
Alma materWaseda University
Occupation(s)Student, political activist
Years active1966–1970
OrganizationTatenokai[lower-alpha 1]
Known forAttempting to incite a Coup d'état with Yukio Mishima and ritual suicide
TitleHead of Students
PredecessorHiroshi Mochimaru
MovementJapanese military nationalism
Opponents
Notes
Infobox contains data translated from Japanese Wikipedia

Morita was the youngest child of the headmaster of an elementary school. Losing both parents at the age of three, Morita was cared for by his brother Osamu and educated at a Catholic school.[4][5] He entered Waseda University in 1966, but was dismayed by the presence of Communist Zengakuren students at the University and became heavily involved in the small right-wing faction at the university. He first met Mishima on 19 June 1967, and joined the Tatenokai at its establishment in October 1968. As early as March of that year, he had written a letter to Mishima expressing a willingness to die for him.[6][7]

Mishima was interested in using his society for direct political action, and he approached several members in April and May 1970. The inner circle then consisted of Mishima, Morita, Masahiro Ogawa (小川正洋) and Masayoshi Koga (小賀正義) ("Chibi" Koga). No clear plan was developed until late June. Shortly afterwards, Mishima went on holiday to Shimoda and paid for the others to go to Hokkaido. On 2 September in Tokyo, Morita and "Chibi Koga" recruited Hiroyasu Koga (古賀浩靖) ("Furu" Koga), who was a Tatenokai member also, and he met Mishima to hear details of the plan on 9 September.[8][9]

Originally all four Tatenokai members had planned to commit seppuku along with Mishima. However, Mishima attempted to dissuade them and three of the members acquiesced to his wishes. Only Morita persisted, saying, "I can't let Mr. Mishima die alone." So, in November, Mishima ruled that only he and Morita were to die. Morita said to other members who had wanted to die together, "We are alive or dead together, because we can meet again somewhere." But Mishima knew that Morita had a girlfriend and still hoped he might live.[10][11][12] On 21 and 22 November 1970, supplies were bought, and Morita asked Hiroyasu Koga to stand in for him if he should fail to behead Mishima properly. The next two days were spent rehearsing.[8][10][11]

On the morning of 25 November, the group drove to the Japan Self-Defense Force's Ichigaya garrison on the pretext of a friendly visit. They barricaded themselves inside General Mashita's office, taking him prisoner, and issued demands. At noon, Mishima began to make a speech from the balcony to assembled troops, but his words were drowned out by helicopters. Immediately after his return from the balcony, Mishima stabbed himself in the abdomen and Morita then attempted to behead him. After three failed attempts by Morita, Hiroyasu Koga stepped in and beheaded Mishima. According to the testimony of the surviving coup members, just before his seppuku, Mishima tried one more time to dissuade Morita, saying "Morita, you must live, not die."[11][13][lower-alpha 2] Nevertheless, after Mishima's seppuku, Morita knelt and stabbed himself in the abdomen and Koga again performed the kaishakunin duty.[10][11][2]

Masayoshi Koga, Masahiro Ogawa, and Hiroyasu Koga were freed from prison for good behavior in October 1974. All three were aged 26 at the time.[14]

References
  1. Encyclo 2000, pp. 616–617
  2. complete42 2005, pp. 330–332
  3. Jurō 2005, p. 183
  4. Nakamura 2015, pp. 9–70
  5. Inukai 2020, pp. 3–20
  6. Nakamura 2015, pp. 71–136
  7. Inukai 2020, pp. 21–40
  8. Date 1972, pp. 59–82
  9. complete42 2005, pp. 323
  10. Date 1972, pp. 117–122
  11. Ando 1998, pp. 319–331
  12. Azusa 1996, pp. 7–30
  13. Mochi 2010, pp. 171–172
  14. "Japan has freed for good behavior..." Nashua Telegraph. 7 October 1974. p. 2.

Notes
  1. Previously called the Japanese National Guard a paramilitary organization.
  2. This is the survived member Masayoshi Koga (小賀正義)'s testimony.[13]

Further reading
  • Date, Munekatsu (1972). 裁判記録 「三島由紀夫事件」 [Judicial record of “Mishima Incident”] (in Japanese). Kodansha. NCID BN0140450X.
  • Fukusima, jurō (2005). 再訂資料・三島由紀夫 [Re-edition Document: Yukio Mishima] (in Japanese) (enlarged ed.). Chobunsha. ISBN 978-4886951809. First edition published 1989.
  • Hiraoka, Azusa (1996). 伜・三島由紀夫 [My son: Yukio Mishima] (in Japanese) (Paperback ed.). Bungeishunjū. ISBN 978-4167162047. First edition published in May 1972.
  • Inukai, Kiyoshi (2020). 三島由紀夫と死んだ男―森田必勝の生涯 [A man who died with Yukio Mishima: The life of Masakatsu Morita] (in Japanese). Shumei University Press. ISBN 978-4915855405.
  • Morita, Masakatsu (2002). わが思想と行動―遺稿集 [My thoughts and actions: Collection of manuscripts] (in Japanese) (New format ed.). Nisshin houdou. ISBN 978-4817405289. First edition published 1971.
  • Murata, Haruki (2015). 三島由紀夫が生きた時代―楯の会と森田必勝 [The period when Yukio Mishima lived: The Tatenokai and Masakatsu Morita] (in Japanese). Seirindo. ISBN 978-4792605322.
  • Nakamura, Akihiko (2015). 三島事件 もう一人の主役―烈士と呼ばれた森田必勝 [Another protagonist of Mishima Incident: Masakatsu Morita who called Upright man] (in Japanese). Wakku. ISBN 978-4898317297.
  • Okamura, Ao (2020). 三島由紀夫と森田必勝―楯の会事件 若き行動者の軌跡 [Yukio Mishima and Masakatsu Morita: the Tatenokai Incident, the trajectory of a young man of action] (in Japanese). Kojinsha NF Bunko. ISBN 978-4769831914.
  • Satō Hideaki; Inoue Takashi; Yamanaka Takeshi, eds. (2005). 決定版 三島由紀夫全集・第42巻・年譜・書誌 [Definitive Edition-Yukio Mishima complete works No.42-Biographical sketch and Bibliography] (in Japanese). Shinchosha. ISBN 978-4106425820.
  • Satō Hideaki; Inoue Takashi; Matsumoto Tōru, eds. (2000). 三島由紀夫事典 [Encyclopedia of Yukio Mishima] (in Japanese). Benseishuppan. ISBN 978-4585060185.
  • Suzuki Ayumi; Tamura Tsukasa, eds. (2015). 火群のゆくへ―元楯の会会員たちの心の軌跡 [Whereabouts of the fire group: The trajectories of their hearts who once belonged to the Tatenokai] (in Japanese). Hakurosha. ISBN 978-4434070662.
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