The Story of Musui is the autobiography of Katsu Kokichi, a low-ranking samurai who lived from 1802 to 1850, during the Tokugawa period. He was from Edo, today's Tokyo, and spent most of his life there, except for excursions across the country. The story of Musui is an interesting and unique historical document for several reasons. First of all, it is an autobiography which, although not unheard of, has only gained popularity in Japan in the last century, under Western influence (Kokichi, XVII). Not only that, but autobiographies, especially before the 20th century, are typically written about spiritual journeys or by those who considered themselves exemplary; the tone of Musui's Story suggests that none of these things are true of Katsu Kokichi. However, it is Katsu's behavior and his status in Edo society that makes his autobiography so culturally relevant. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Tokugawa period was characterized by internal peace, economic growth, and political stability. The influence of Neo-Confucianism during the Tokugawa period led to respect for morality, education and hierarchy. For this reason there was a strict four class system. The first were the samurai, followed by farmers, artisans and merchants. These factors combined to make the Tokugawa period a strange time for the Samurai. They still belonged to the highest social class, yet any real need for them had vanished with the violence. Despite their status, the samurai lost their main source of income and had to resort to new measures. For the most part, they became political advisors, joined a personal army, served as a bodyguard, or some combination of the three. Katsu Kokichi's story is unique because he did not follow this path, except occasionally serving as a bodyguard. Instead, he often supplemented his samurai income in seedy, even criminal ways, such as sword trading, racketeering, and theft. However, due to rigid social classes, his status within society was largely unaffected by his criminal activities. It is this interesting contradiction that seems to define Katsu Kokichi's character. Nowhere is this contradiction of character and class more evident than in the Yoshiwara, Edo's red light district frequented by Katsu. Although samurai were discouraged from entering the Yoshiwara, many did so often, though probably none more so than Katsu Kokichi. In fact, not only was Katsu a regular customer, but it seems to be suggested in Musui's Story that he was one of the most respected people at the Yoshiwara. This is best seen during Katsu's interactions with Toranosuke, an expert swordsman who was fairly new to Edo. Knowing that he is a straight person and new in town, Katsu decides that he wants to meet Toranosuke and take him on a tour of the Yoshiwara, to "shake him up a little" (Kokichi, 111). From the beginning, it is clear that Toranosuke is not impressed with Katsu's reputation, especially when he starts naming the laziest swordsmen in Japan in an attempt to insult Katsu (Kokichi, 114). Katsu isn't offended and instead takes it as a challenge to bribe Toranosuke. After discovering that Toranosuke doesn't drink, Katsu forces him to have dinner together at the Yoshiwara, despite Toranosuke's objections. Katsu then quickly convinces Toranosuke to smoke and drink sake, even though he had previously claimed not to smoke or drink. Immediately after finishing eating, there is a small change in Toranosuke's attitude towards the Yoshiwara. Up until this point, it had been.