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《Life of Okane-san》
Okane-san, real name of Okiku-san, was born in a samurai family in 1869 in Taketa, Ōita. Taketa, throughout the Yedo era, was a town of hidden Christians. Okane-san learned the Shamisen instrument from her childhood. But the war of Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 burned down her family house, which brought them to severe poverty. Around the same time in the early Meiji era, the Cinderella story of Tsuru-san, wife of Glover in Nagasaki, was a yearning for young ladies in Taketa. Osen-san, a child of Tsuru-san and her first husband also lived in Taketa. She was six years older than Okane-san, and they were good friends. Okane-san relied on Tsuru-san and became a geisha when she was twelve. In 1885, Okane-san was married to Loti; perhaps she was seeing Loti as a savior. Their marriage life ended in one month. Few years later, against her will, Okane-san married with a lantern shop owner, “Monsieur Pinson”, living in Kawahara, outskirts of Nagasaki. In 1900, Loti came back to Nagasaki for the first time in 15 years. Loti frequently met Oume, mother-in-law of Okane-san, but avoided meeting Okane-san. It must have been the saddest and most heart-breaking experience in her life. Okane-san left her family behind and returned to Taketa, where she entered in the life of faith in the Karasudake Inari cave. People in Taketa called her “crazy Okane”, but few followers warmly cared her. Okane-san lived in the cave for twenty years before she passed away in 1921 at the age of 52. It was said that her son came from Nagasaki to pick up her ash, but the truth is unknown.
《Life of Crazy Okane》
When we were investigating about Okane-san, we encountered a rare book, titled “Life of Crazy Okane” written by Koremi Goto, who was a teacher in Takeda High School in Ōita. To be honest, I wanted to ignore when I saw the word “crazy” because it would destroy the image of “Madame Chrysanthème". But we deem that the book has historical importance as it contains primary records of people who directly saw or helped Okane-san. For people of Taketa City, Okane-san was a real person who existed in history. There is a sign posted in the cave of Karasudake Inari shrine, where Okane-san lived.
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《A Town of Hidden Christians》
In September 2020, we visited the city of Taketa. Okane-san's cave ❶ was a desolate place where people hardly visit. Our first impression was that no one would live in such a place for twenty years. Okane-san was under someone's substantial support. Another surprise was that Taketa hid Christianity throughout the Yedo era.
For instance, a bell of Santiago Hospital in Nagasaki (weighed over 100kg) was hidden for 250 years in a temple behind the Oka Castle (the castle famous for the song "Kōjo no tsuki"). Also, there are many remainders of Christianity in Taketa (see above right). Inari temples were covers for Christian worship place. People in Taketa, from top to bottom, were Christains.
Google Map Sky View
The house ❷ of Rentaro Taki（composer, 1879-1903）, where he lived between the age of twelve and fourteen, is now the Rentaro Taki Memorial. In the backyard of this memorial is a cave
where hidden Christians used to gather. Taki's statue, made by Fumio Asakura, stands in the Oka Castle. Asakura was Taki's friend from their childhood. He actually met Okane-san when she lived in Karasudake.
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(Jesus of Nazareth, King of Jews.) |
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《Historical encounter between Rentaro Taki and Okane-san》
Rentaro Taki, a famous composer for a song “Kōjo no tsuki”, spent his childhood in Taketa. He moved to Germany in 1901 to study. But he returned to Japan due to tuberculosis. He lived in the city of Ōita until his death in 1903 at the age of 23. Rentaro visited his second home town of Taketa when he felt well. Taketa is about 40km away from Ōita。Behind Rentaro’s house in Tkaeta ❷, about 100 meters in distance, was the cave ❶ Okane-san lived. Rentaro was baptized in 1900. Okane-san is 10 years older than Rentaro. Anyway, they were both Christians.
When Rentaro was reading a book he bought in Germany, Okane-san passed by. “I heard you came back from Europe. What is the book you are reading?” “Yes. This is a novel, Madame Chrysanthème, written by a famous French author, Pierre Loti, during his visit in Nagasaki.” “Ah, Pierre Loti, Julien Viaud. Madame Chrysanthème? That is me.” Okane- san, who left her mark in history as Madame Chrysanthème (Okiku-san) and a great composer in the advent of Japan’s classic music, Rentaro Taki, actually met, maybe!
When Rentaro was reading a book he bought in Germany, Okane-san passed by. “I heard you came back from Europe. What is the book you are reading?” “Yes. This is a novel, Madame Chrysanthème, written by a famous French author, Pierre Loti, during his visit in Nagasaki.” “Ah, Pierre Loti, Julien Viaud. Madame Chrysanthème? That is me.” Okane- san, who left her mark in history as Madame Chrysanthème (Okiku-san) and a great composer in the advent of Japan’s classic music, Rentaro Taki, actually met, maybe!
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