Psychology Project: Rurouni Kenshin

Citation suggestion: Cbeppa. (2016, July 7). Psychology project: Rurouni Kenshin. Retrieved from http://cbeppaswritingblog.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_7.html

In-text citation suggestion: (Cbeppa, 2016, Part [whatever part you use]). 

 

Part I

Himura Kenshin

Himura Kenshin is the protagonist in Nobuhiro Watsuki's world renowned historical fiction manga, Rurouni Kenshin. Manga is a type of Japanese graphic novel that is slowly becoming more popular in the West. Besides reading right-to-left, manga differs from most Western media in the way characters are revealed. Instead of starting the story at the beginning, the manga-ka (manga creator) almost always begins in the middle of the story. The character's past comes later in dialogue or in flashbacks. Thus, when we meet Himura in volume one, he is already 28 years old with a dark, complicated past and a mastery of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū (Flying Heaven Govern Sword-Style), but I will go further into that in a later paper.

The Meiji Era

The first volume of Rurouni Kenshin begins,

            140 years ago in Kyoto with the coming of the “Black Ships [referring to Admiral Perry's

            fleet],” there arose a warrior called Hitokiri [literally, “man-slayer”] Battousai. Felling

men with his bloodstained blade, he closed the turbulent Bakumatsu Era and slashed open

the age known as Meiji. Then he vanished, and with the flow of years, became a legend

(Nobuhiro, 1994, p. 10).

After the war, Battousai took the name Himura Kenshin and became a rurouni, a “swordsman traveling with no destination” (Nobuhiro, 1994). As a veteran of Bakumatsu (the violent “closing curtain” conflict of the Edo Period), Himura personifies the transition from the Edo Period (1600–1868) to the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), a time of sweeping change for Japan (Timeline of Japanese history, n.d., para. 14-15). Former samurai had to choose between becoming homeless ronin or joining a new, European style of government. Swords were banned in public, and European food and outfits became fashionable. Himura Kenshin had fought for the new Meiji government, but, like many of his comrades, he was disillusioned with the results.

Name

One generality of manga is that names almost always mean something important to the story. Doing research and finding the meaning of a name can clue a serious manga consumer into the personality of a character. Kenshin, pronounced ken-sheen, is derived from Japanese ken “modest,” and shin, “truth”, and Himura means “scarlet village” from hi meaning “scarlet” and mura meaning “village” (www.behindthename.com). It is important to note that, in Japan, people say their surnames before their given names. In later volumes of the manga, we learn that Himura has had yet another name in the past, but that is beyond the scope of this paper and will be addressed later.

Physical appearance and habits

Himura Kenshin is slightly built and short, even by Asian standards. He has red hair tied up in a ponytail, blue eyes, and a mysterious cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. I have several hypotheses about his decidedly European features in a time when Japan was still a hermit country, but those are beyond the scope of this first paper.

    After arriving in Tokyo in the 11th year of Meiji, Himura makes some friends and comes to stay at a dojo run by Miss Kamiya Kaoru for an indefinite amount of time. He pays for his room and poorly-prepared food by protecting the dojo from people who want the property and by doing odd jobs like carrying groceries and heating bathwater. It is not long before he has made friends besides Kamiya; Myojin Yahiko, a street urchin he recruits for the dojo, and Sagara Sanosuke, another veteran who strives to improve Japan. Although they spend the majority of time together in and around the dojo, Himura rarely has anything to say about his past, preferring to compliment Kamiya's bad cooking and politely complain about the amount of housework she piles upon him. He cares about others but refuses to make deep personal connections. As Kamiya puts it, “He wants to protect people without being tied to anyone. A Rurouni. A hero. But free in spirit” (Nobuhiro, 1994, vol. 2, p. 79).

    It is important to note that although Himura is generally easygoing and apparently carefree, he adopts a second personality, that of Hitokiri Battousai, when he needs to protect someone. He can shift into this persona quickly, often going from cuddly comic relief to lethal swordsman in a couple of panels. When in Battousai mode, Himura 's features settle into a death glare and his eyes darken. Although in his relaxed state, Himura employs a humble, sometimes overly formal dialect (such as referring to himself as “this one” and calling his friend/landlady “Kaoru-Dono” [“milady Kaoru”]), when he goes into Battousai state, he drops the use of honorifics and refers to himself as “me.”

Creed

Himura protects other people selflessly. In his own words,

It's true that the fighting stopped ten years ago and a new order was installed. But those

of us who desire a better world still find ourselves trapped in a world where the weak are

exploited. So this one, though unworthy, wields his sword to offer some aid to the weak.

Whether it will be one year, or ten, or an eternity before the revolution is attained, no one

can say, but this is my method of giving payment to the people who sacrificed for the

Meiji Revolution. Payment to those who were killed by Hitokiri Battosai. (Nobuhiro,

1994, vol. 2, p. 39).

It will be interesting to delve into the reasons for and complications of this personal creed in a later paper.

References

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 1). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 2). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Timeline of Japanese history (n.d.). Retrieved from http://infohost.nmt.edu/~armiller/japanese

/japanesetimeline.htm

Part II

Media and Development: Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Development

Applied to Himura Kenshin

Himura Kenshin’s development, especially during his training years, is an excellent example of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory. We see both his interactions as he learns from others, most notably his mentor, Hiko Seijūrō, and we also get a clear feeling of the Japanese culture that helps shape Himura’s life. His own ideals collide with Hiko’s rhetoric in his adolescence, when he has almost grown out of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Yet, fortunately, Himura continues to assimilate knowledge and learn from others after this parting.

Conjecture: Himura Kenshin’s Parents

Because the we know so little about Himura’s early childhood, we miss out on his first learning experiences. By the time he is seven, Himura’s personality and values have already begun to take shape, which suggests his parents interacted with him intensively. They must have modeled strong moral values, because Himura internalized ideas that would be difficult for a child to grasp at a young age.

Himura told Hiko that his parents died of cholera when he was six, and he was captured by slavers soon after. However, it is apparent that someone interacted with him regularly during those essential early years. After Hiko, a wandering swordmaster, killed a bandit gang in the wilderness, Himura showed dignity and immense respect for human life when he buried all of the slavers, digging graves with his tiny hands. He also dug graves for three other slaves who perished. His reason, in his own words, was “I only knew them for a day, but I was the only one here, and I have no parents. So I thought, even if it costs my life… I will protect them” (vol. 12, p. 48). His parents must have instilled this work ethic and values of duty, respect for life, and sacrifice at a young age, and Himura internalized those values.

My personal theory is that Himura’s family were Dutch living on Deshima island. This would account for his red hair and blue eyes, along with his aversion to suicide, an act which was seen as dignified in Japanese culture but sinful to the Dutch, who were Christian. This theory also would explain why Himura marked the slaver’s graves with crosses. My theory is challenged by history. Himura was born on June 20, 1849, a time when Dutch traders were sequestered on the tiny island of Deshima, which was not well suited for family life:

In the context of limited contacts between Japanese and foreigners, the Dutch had to live under strict rules. They could not leave without official permission and Deshima was prohibited for women. An exception was made for the public women of Murayama district, who were allowed to stay one night at a time on the island (Dutch-Japanese relations, n. d., IV 1641-1853: The Dutch in Deshima).

Despite this problem, I believe Himura Kenshin is of European descent and was exposed to Christian morals for the first few years of his life. His parents must have been shrewd to stay together as a family during a time of tight security, but given Himura’s resilience as a child, I don’t think it would be impossible. Fans of the anime and manga online have suggested that Himura’s appearance is different just to make him stand out from other characters, but I doubt someone as invested in historical authenticity as Nobuhiro-san would do such a thing.

Hiko Seijūrō’s Mentorship

We know more about Himura’s years of training under Hiko Seijūrō, so we can better apply Vygotsky’s theory to the years Himura was a preteen. Because Hiko has reclusive tendencies, he had opportunity to mentor Himura away from other influences, which helped him instill the main concept of “protect others” central to his sword technique while keeping Himura from distractions.  From flashbacks to the past and from interactions later in the story when Himura returned as an adult to learn the final, secret move, we see that Hiko used traditional Japanese mentoring techniques. His teaching style was more authoritarian than authoritative at times, which eventually caused a rift between him and Himura. Teachers in Japanese culture are known for intense training methods, even in modern times. Hiko taught by demonstrating a move and then having Himura try it out. Much of his training would have consisted of chores as well, such as carrying water to strengthen his slight frame. This would explain his aptitude for household chores later in his life, at the Kamiya Dojo, as well. Hiko’s teaching was holistic, especially as Himura grows up and needed less scaffolding and more looking into himself to find his own answers. Hiko was wise to present both sides of traditional Japanese education; on one hand, “By rigorous training, the body itself is transformed, refined, by the repetition of bodily techniques. The body becomes a weapon” (Kostynick, n. d., p. 59), but on the other, also balanced it out by attention to Himura’s emotional and mental growth. As Kostynick states earlier in his paper,  “. . . training in the Asian martial arts, even within the setting of a large class, is seen to be a process of individual learning and growth.”

As is also typical of Japanese culture, Hiko was never one to show his deepest feelings. After recovering from a dreadful blow Himura dealt him while learning the secret move, Hiko dodged his student’s relieved embrace, muttering, “not into hugging men, sorry. Don’t jump me like that again” (vol. 12, p. 89).

Kenshin on His Own

Sturm and drang, or storm and stress, is an applicable description of Himura Kenshin’s adolescence. Cultural pressure, along with Himura’s sense of duty, influenced him to join the ranks of soldiers fighting against the Shogunate for the Emperor. He had matured enough to make a life-changing decision for himself that was not in accord with his teacher’s view. Hiko was opposed to violence, feeling Himura was not wise enough in his early teens to be exposed to real combat. He warned Himura, “You’re the one who doesn’t get it! Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu [the sword style] will bring victory to whatever side we aid. It is the ‘Black Ship of the Land’!!” Himura countered, “The people are suffering! They’re afraid! Whatever reasons you may have, they mustn’t be abandoned!!” (vol. 10, p. 180) Himura’s skill with a sword earned him infamy among his enemies, and he took the pseudonym  Hitokiri (assassin) Battosai.

Although Himura had exceeded the ZPD of sword art by learning nearly everything Hiko could to teach him, he was unprepared for the relentless, gory battles in the dark streets of Kyoto. The massacre took a toll on his adolescent mind, which I will go into in a subsequent paper. It was in Kyoto that Himura met Yukishiro Tomoe, a young, apparently homeless girl. He took her to the makeshift Revolutionary headquarters, where she helped with chores. Interacting with Yukishiro broadened Himura’s horizons and helped him cope with his thankless, violent duty as an assassin. He found himself in a new ZPD, one where he gradually learned to trust and open up to someone. But of course, this brief interlude of peace could not last in the bloody Bakumatsu.

References

Dutch-Japanese relations. (n. d.). Retrieved from http://japan.nlembassy.org/you-and-netherlands/

dutch-japanese-relations.html

Kostynick, D. (n. d.). A cultural-historical overview of the martial arts in far east Asia: An

introduction to China and Japan. Retrieved from http://jashm.press.illinois.edu/5.

2/5-2ACultural-Historical_Kostynick53-97.pdf

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 10). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 12). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

 Part III

Validity of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type

The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) has become immensely popular since it was developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers in 1943. The mother-daughter team drew much of their inspiration from Carl Jung, a prominent Swiss psychologist (Myers’ and Briggs’ famous tool is still going strong, constantly being improved, n.d.). Many modern psychologists have doubts about the MBTI’s validity. In an article by Adam Grant (2013), he argues against what he claims is a psychological fad. According to him, “the MBTI is about as useful as a polygraph for detecting lies.” Grant cites studies putting the MBTI’s consistency rate at less than 25% accurate (2013). According to the MBTI’s website, however, “On retest, people come out with three to four type preferences the same 75% to 90% of the time” (Facts about the MBTI instrument reliability, n.d.) I felt the MBTI was accurate when it labeled me INTJ, and when I took the test a year later, I received the same result. Regardless of how useful the MBTI is as a tool for improving efficiency at work or school, it is a helpful resource for classifying or describing people, fictional or otherwise, and coming to a more complete understanding of their personalities.

I took the test with my Himura Kenshin hat on and my results were not the same as the general consensus of the Internet. Most people think Himura is either an INFJ or an INFP  (Rurouni Kenshin: INFP or INFJ?, 2011), whereas I got ISFJ. INFJ and INFP types are likely to be dedicated to causes and ideals (Personality types, n.d.), which is certainly true of Himura, especially during his time as an assassin. However, the ISFJ type is supposed to be a defender or protector, which is also an apt description on Himura during the part of his life the manga focuses on. While he was a hitokiri, he thought that supporters of the shogunate must be killed, but as he aged, he decided that human life was too precious to be sacrificed for ideals. Thus, ISFJ seems to fit for the Himura Kenshin in his 30’s -- the character most of the series focuses on.

Introverted over Extroverted

Himura is almost entirely introverted. At one point when Himura’s enemies were targeting places he frequented, his friend Sagara Sanosuke remarked,

‘The only places you have anything to do with in Tokyo are [the Kamiya Dojo], Oguni

Clinic [a hospital], and Akabeko [a restaurant] - which is gone. If we split up, we can guard

both locations. For once, your anti-social behavior pays off.’ [Himura replies] ‘An insult . .

. but also quite true’ (Nobuhiro, vol. 18, p. 158, 1994).

Although Himura is introverted, he still enjoys spending time with his close friends.

Sensing over Intuition

Although many people feel that Himura has good intuition, the intuitive aspect of the MBTI is more about academic, rote learning and thinking than the general understanding of intuition as a sixth sense. Himura is literate, yet we never see him reading books or know of him writing. He is very kinesthetic, as would be expected of an assassin, and is an expert at sensing the world around him. He often tries the same moves that have worked for him in the past, and struggles when they do not work the way he thought they would. He has a fondness for routine and tradition typical of an ISFJ type.

Feeling over Thinking

Throughout the series, we are left with little doubt that Himura is an exceptionally emotional person. Though he is not one to make overt displays of fondness, he channels his positive emotions through serving the Kamiya Dojo as a menial laborer. When someone is in danger, he defends that person selflessly. One of Himura’s major flaws is his tendency to protect others at a cost to his own well-being. After a taxing battle, Himura’s doctor, Takani Megumi, warns his friends,

‘You all seem to think that Kenshin is some invincible demigod who’ll always be fine. But

listen to me -- as a doctor, I can tell you he’s mortal, just like the rest of us. His wounds may

heal, yes, but as they add up, they take a toll on his body . . . He survived this battle -- and

he may look healthy now -- but next time may well be his last!’ (Nobuhiro, vol. 18, p. 18,

1994).

Judging over Perceiving

Although the idyllic life Himura prefers is often punctuated by violence and chaos, he prefers to have things planned out. He may live with an understanding that anything is possible at any time, but he enjoys keeping a routine when possible. He still trains in secret when things are peaceful, though he keeps the fact secret from his friends. A quiet life doing housework and buying groceries suits the mature Himura Kenshin of Kamiya Dojo, although his enemies from the past have different agendas planned for him.

References

Facts about the MBTI® instrument reliability. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www

.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/reliability-and-validity.htm

Grant, A. (2013, September 18). Goodbye to MBTI, the fad that won’t die. Psychology Today.

Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye

-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die

Myers’ and Briggs’ famous tool is still going strong, constantly being improved. (n.d.). Retrieved

from https://www.opp.com/~/media/Files/Tool%20history%20PDFs/MBTI%20history.pdf

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 18). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Personality types. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types

Rurouni Kenshin: INFP or INFJ? (2011). [Discussion group]. Retrieved from http://personalitycafe

.com/whats-my-personality-type/56330-rurouni-kenshin-infp-infj.html

Part IV

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Himura Kenshin

Initial Stressor

“I have no personal grudge against you… but you must die for the new era” (Nobuhiro, vol. 19, p. 131). After leaving Hiko Seijiro, his sensei, Himura Kenshin descended a dark, bloodstained path. At 14, he joined the Ishin Shishi, a group dedicated to reinstating the Emperor. He carried out many assassinations and became a legend of the Bakumatsu. Although he was only physically injured once, the emotional and psychological toll of killing weighed heavily on the young man.

By nature, Himura Kenshin was highly altruistic and empathetic, but these qualities were rare in 19th-century Japan and were often mistaken for weakness. Rory Miller (2012), a martial arts practitioner, writes,

when you write a twelfth-century rogue, the character will slit throats without thinking or hesitation. He will care more about not getting messy than having nightmares . . . When you are thinking about a violent person living in a violent time, they would do things that are unthinkable from the comfort of our places and times, do them with ruthless efficiency and be completely okay with it (p. 215).

To serve the Ishin Shishi, Himura buried his nature deep within his psyche. He tried to rely on ideals instead of feelings, as is illustrated by a scene in volume 19, page 149, when he is shown cutting down enemy after enemy. While his face is expressionless, his internal dialogue is shouting, “Tenchu! Tenchu! Tenchu!,” which is his ideal of divine or heavenly judgement. He was only able to cling to Tenchu for so long, however. After a year as an assassin, Himura was showing signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as moodiness, excessive alcohol consumption, being easily startled, and smelling blood on his clothes and body, even when he was clean.

This was his state when he met Yukishiro Tomoe, a homeless young woman, at a pub where he was drinking. Some men were bothering her and Himura scared them away, then left. On his way home, he was attacked by an enemy assassin and killed him after a short struggle. Yukishiro had followed him, allegedly to thank him for protecting her. Himura was afraid to let her go because she knew his identity, but could not kill an unarmed woman. Instead, he took her to his apartment, where his landlady hired her as a servant. At first, Yukishiro’s questions plagued Himura even further. For example, she asked,

. . . will you get rid of me… as you did the black samurai the other night?

[Himura responded] I do not kill indiscriminately. My enemies are only those who bear swords for the Shogunate. I will never kill an unarmed civilian, enemy or not.

Then it all comes down to the sword… and if I held a sword right now… would you? (Nobuhiro, vol. 20, pp. 21-22)

After this conversation, Himura wondered, “Am I going insane? ...or am I becoming sane again…?” (Nobuhiro, vol. 20, p.23) Himura and Yukishiro interacted regularly as she cleaned. Observers mentioned to Himura’s commander that he seemed to be losing his killer edge. The general opinion was that his relationship with Yukishiro had been weakening him. He became more relaxed, even dozing in her presence. After this point, things get a little complicated. To remedy this, I have included a character web (see Figure 1).

In 1864, the Ishin Shishi suffered a major defeat and many scattered to avoid capture. Himura moved with Yukishiro to a farm village outside of Kyoto. At 15, Himura married Tomoe, who was 18. The couple lived peacefully, undercover as a pharmacist and his wife, for five months. In the fall, a traitor leaked Himura’s location. Tomoe’s younger brother, Yukishiro Enishi, contacted her and told her that the time had come to revenge herself on Himura for killing her fiance. Yet by this time, Tomoe was in love with Himura and told Enishi to go back to Edo. She confessed all of this to Himura, who was saddened, but decided to continue to trust her. The next morning, she traveled to a nearby mountain to talk to her former co-conspirators. She tried to mislead them about Himura’s weaknesses, but they easily saw through her lie and took her hostage. Enishi slipped Himura a challenge, and Himura rushed to the location in the letter. On the way through the forest, he was ambushed and severely injured. When he reached the final enemy guarding Tomoe, he could hardly stand. He chose to rush the enemy without defending himself, which would kill both of them. Tomoe, who had escaped, darted between of the combatants, stopping the enemy’s sword and enabling Himura’s blow to strike. She was mortally injured and died almost immediately.

Himura took up his sword again until relative peace settled on Japan. After the fighting ended, Himura vowed never to kill again. He still carried a sword for protection, but instead of a katana, it was a sakabato, a sword with the blade reversed so it would damage tissue and shatter bones, but not cut. He wandered for ten years, then, at 28, finally reached the Kamiya Dojo. He had bouts of struggles with himself as he attempted to protect the dojo without breaking his vow, leading a peaceful life with sporadic bursts of violence. His PTSD seemed to be mostly under control. He never spoke about his past.

Trigger

According to our psychology textbook, “people with PTSD typically try to avoid thoughts and activities connected to the traumatic event.” Symptoms include “. . . sleep problems, irritable outbursts, difficulty concentrating, extreme vigilance, and an intensified ‘startle’ response” (Rathus, 2016, p. 310). These symptoms fit Himura’s description when he was experiencing PTSD as a young man, but he had a second, even more serious case of the disorder later on with slightly different symptoms.

After spending several years at the Kamiya Dojo, an old enemy resurfaced, one Himura was not prepared to fight. Yukishiro Enishi, Tomoe’s younger brother, returned to Japan after training for years in China. For Enishi, killing Himura was not harsh enough punishment for Tomoe’s death. He attacked places Himura frequented, injuring the people there. Also, he corrupted Himura’s “Tenchu” (heavenly judgement) into his own “Jinchu” (man’s judgement). Enishi’s idea was that if the gods would not punish Himura for Tomoe’s death, he would. Finally, Enishi kidnapped Kamiya Kaoru and made it appear that she had been killed. This of course plunged Himura into despair.

Himura fled to a fallen village. This was a place for “those abandoned by the era… and those who abandoned the era . . . an outcast community . . . This is the final destiny for those who have given up on their lives” (Nobuhiro vol. 24, p.31). His friends found him there in a nearly catatonic state, leaned up against the side of a shack. To their pleas for help, his only response was, “No… more… too… tired…” (Nobuhiro vol. 24, p. 36).

Such withdrawal is also a symptom of PTSD. According to Brown (2003), there are four different symptom families for PTSD: intrusion, avoidance, arousal, and somatic problems. The young Himura struggled with the arousal aspect, symptoms of which include:

• Problems falling asleep or problems staying asleep
• Irritability
• Sudden outbursts of anger or rage, especially overkill for the situation at hand
• Hyper-vigilance (paranoia)
• Exaggerated startle response
• Obsessive behavior (what is repressed is obsessed and acted out)
• Compulsive behavior (shame can power compulsion, which can become

addiction) (p. 12)

In the Kamiya Kaoru incident, however, it seems Himura succumbed to the avoidance symptoms of PTSD, such as

• Depression
• Isolation, especially from loved ones
• Diminished interest in previously interesting activities, sports, people
• Lack of motivation, constantly fatigued
• Previously active in their work, significant shift to doing little or nothing
• Just plain numbing out
• Stops exercise and previous self-care (poor hygiene) (Brown, 2003, pp. 11-12)

And also two symptoms of intrusion:

• Extreme nightmares
• ™Sense of shortened future, impending doom (Brown, 2003, p. 11)

While his friends fought Enishi and tried to uncover the mystery behind Kamiya’s apparent death, Himura sat without moving. He was covered with dried blood and dirt and stared at the ground with blank eyes. Nobuhiro lets the reader glimpse what is going on in Himura’s mind. Although to “enlightened,” modern, western readers, the events seem to be hallucinations, in the framework of the story, they appear to be at least semi-real. Whether the reader believes these events are Himura’s mental projections or actual interactions with the spirit world, they shine light on the depths of Himura’s despair. Once, we see a Himura standing in a desert of bones. Shishio Makoto, a deceased enemy, appeared to Himura, who said,

...how ironic that you are this one’s guide… it doesn’t matter. Let’s go.

[Shisho replied that he has only come to laugh at Himura, although] if you really want me to, I can take you. But only if you admit your defeat, right here. If you admit your sword, your life, your philosophy are all… a huge mistake . . . (Nobuhiro vol. 24, p. 70)

At this point, two of the children from the dojo arrived and tried to speak with him, interrupting the conversation.

Later, when it was discovered that Kamiya was alive, the same young people were about to race to Himura and tell them the good news when Shinomori Aoshi, a formal rival of Himura’s, warned,

It’s too soon . . . When he finds out Kamiya Kaoru is alive, Battosai [Himura] will act. He will defeat Yukishiro Enishi and rescue Kamiya Kaoru, no matter what it takes. But… that is the end. He will never return to the dojo. He will once again wander. He will become an inhabitant of his lonely travels and live the rest of his life without involving anyone else. The only difference is whether he’s sitting or walking. The bottom line… he needs to find his “answer”... the “answer” to paying for his crimes that he has been searching for these past 15 years… unless he finds that… ...his soul will never inhabit his body again (Nobuhiro vol. 24, pp. 109-110).

Will he find his answer?

References

Brown, P. G. (2003). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Law Enforcement. Retrieved from

http://www.cji.edu/site/assets/files/1921/post_traumatic_stress_disorder.pdf

Miller, R. (2012). Violence: a writer’s guide (2nd ed.). Washougal, WA: Wyrd Goat Press.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 20). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 24. Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Rathus, S. A. (2016). PSYCH4. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

 Part V

Media in Treatment: Himura Kenshin

In the late 1800’s when Himura Kenshin was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there were few resources for individuals suffering from the disorder. One of the reasons for this, aside from the neglect of people with mental disorders in general, was because few people were affected by PTSD in Himura’s time and place. As Rory Miller (2012) writes, “A Japanese noble could cut down a farmer, tradesman, or merchant for not bowing quickly enough” (p. 209). Also, “when you are  thinking about a violent person living in a violent time, they would do things that are unthinkable from the comfort of our places and times, do them with ruthless efficiency and be completely okay with it” (Miller, 2012, p. 215). Though Japan was moving into a more peaceful age, violence had been a part of everyday life for years by this point, and most people were desensitized to it. Himura, on the other hand, was cursed with empathy at a time when altruism was considered to be a weakness or an unrealistic ideal. His bout of PTSD and depression following Kamiya Kaoru’s supposed death was not treated by a psychologist. However, through a combination of social support and meditation, Himura was able to rise to his feet once again.

Social support

Himura’s social support early on was somewhat lacking in unconditional positive regard. When his friends came to visit him in the fallen village, they were still upset about Kamiya’s death. Sagara Sanosuke yelled at him, demanding that Himura help them track Yukishiro Enishi down and avenge Kamiya’s death: “It won’t bring her back… but… we can’t just back down! This can’t be the end!!!” (Nobuhiro, vol. 24, p. 35). When Himura ignored Sagara’s passionate outburst, Sagara punched him in the face and left. Fortunately, this was not the only support Himura received. Although Sagara told Myojin Yahiko, a student at the dojo, not to visit Himura, Myojin did anyway. There, he told the unresponsive Himura, “[I will] wield my sword for the weak and abused who reflect in my eyes, just as you’ve been doing up to now. I… won’t come here again. I’ll be waiting for you… at the Kamiya Dojo!” (Nobuhiro, vol. 24, pp. 73-74). His other source of support was a mysterious old man, known as “Geezer” who lived in the fallen village. Geezer sat with Himura, usually silently. After Myojin left, he remarked, “. . . you are the first to have an outsider… especially one like that boy, come to visit so many times -- it seems like you’ve come down here… a bit too early” (Nobuhiro, vol. 24, pp. 75-76). Other people did try to help Himura, but as his rival Saito Hajime puts it, ultimately, “there can be gentle pressure to come back… from someone else. However… the one who must find the “answer” is Kenshin Himself” (Nobuhiro, vol. 24, p. 111).

Meditation

Himura found his answer, along with a release from his PTSD, through introspection and meditation. While his body sat motionless on the hard-packed dirt of the fallen village, he reflected on his past experiences as well as his philosophy. In his flashbacks, he relived each defeat and each time someone had told him his ideals are worthless. Finally, he confided to Geezer, “the crimes I have committed… the way to repay my crimes as a hitokiri… cannot be found…” (Nobuhiro, vol. 25, p. 222). Geezer responded,

Is that true? Unlike the confusion of your weak soul… your grip [on your sword] is strong and will not let go . . . If there is something you cannot let go of even now… no matter what others might say, that is your truth (Nobuhiro, vol. 25, pp. 123-124).

This caused Himura to remember his personal creed: “With a sword, the people within my sight can at least be protected “ (Nobuhiro, vol. 25, p. 125). With this realization, Himura was able to return to his friends and continue to fight to protect the weak.

Treatments Used

The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) does not mention meditation or reflection as treatments, but it seemed to help to an extent in Himura’s case, and it has helped other people I know. An individual was experiencing flashbacks of a motorcycle crash, and after she  made a conscious decision to not ride motorcycle again, the flashbacks ceased. The same thing happened after a snowmobile accident, and her flashbacks returned when she tried to snowmobile again. Of course this system is not practical for all PTSD cases, but I use it to point out that personal decisions and an understanding of one’s own mind can be useful in alleviating the symptoms of PTSD.

Although Himura received no formal counseling, Geezer’s role in his recovery was not unlike that of a cognitive therapist. According to the NCPTSD website, a cognitive therapist may “[help] you understand and change how you think about your trauma and its aftermath. Your goal is to understand how certain thoughts about your trauma cause you stress and make your symptoms worse” (Treatment of PTSD, 2015). Other types of treatment for PTSD include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), art therapy, exposure therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. It is hard to predict which therapies would work best with Himura, but I feel he would do best with treatments that would allow him to connect with people he cared about, such as group therapy and family therapy. Although he did not have a biological family at this point, his friends at the Kamiya Dojo were almost as tight-knit (see Figure 1).

Treatment Plan

Because Himura was in a dormant state, there would not be much opportunity for interactive counseling. I think the best treatment plan would be similar to what ended up happening; support from friends, gentle counseling from a wise individual, and an opportunity to sort things out and to be listened to when he was prepared to talk.

References

Miller, R. (2012). Violence: a writer’s guide (2nd ed.). Washougal, WA: Wyrd Goat Press.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 24). Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Nobuhiro, W. (1994). Rurouni Kenshin (Vol. 25. Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture: SHUEISHA Inc.

Treatment of PTSD. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public

/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp

Figure 1. From right to left: Sagara Sanosuke, Himura Kenshin, Kamiya Kaoru, and Myojin Yahiko. Adapted from Rurouni Kenshin volume 5, p. 88 by Nobuhiro Watsuki, 1994.