"It's Spiritual Dandyism" — The Rules of the Contemporary Man, "The Way of the Samurai," Mishima Yukio
"The mass media is a weapon that we’re used to handling. But it’s stylish to use a weapon that you’re not used to handling. I think it’s a question of whether or not you’re a dandy."
"It's Spiritual Dandyism" — The Rules of the Contemporary Man, "The Way of the Samurai"
Mishima Yukio
— Your line of argument toward Ishihara (Shintarō) that if he joins the LDP he shouldn’t criticize it. If we follow this logic we end up rejecting defiance. I wonder whether that requires subordination, or should I say, something exceedingly dark, and suppresses defiance…
Defy with your life on the line. Defy. But don’t do it half-seriously, is what I am saying. Take, for example, Beheiren’s1 idea that defiance is fun. I hate that more than anything. Beheiren-style “defiance” appeals to the masses. Defiance is fun, defiance is when you hold hands and do French-style demos and folk dances. I find that quite detestable. Defiance is not an easy thing. The real thing is bloody and impossible without putting your life on the line. The people who do internal criticism are walking around with triumphant looks on their faces. It’s not about Ishihara, it’s society in general. If you do internal criticism of the Communist Party you become a hero. If you do internal criticism of the Kōmeitō you become a hero. Men who have done internal criticism of what they are affiliated with are viewed as heroes. There’s no greater mistake. We have to make defiance a little darker.