Actor Naoto Takenaka s commanding presence grabbed my attention in Seiten wo Tsuke (Reach beyond the blue sky), Japan Broadcasting Corp. s (NHK) year-long historical TV drama series that started this past Sunday.
Takenaka presented an impassioned portrayal of Nariaki Tokugawa (1800-1860), a feudal daimyo who ruled the Mito Domain (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture).
I was always of the impression that Nariaki was one of the most uncompromising champions of nationalism and the Meiji Restoration.
But I learned recently that there was also a side of him that was surprisingly progressive or liberal, if you will.
When a cholera pandemic raged toward the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), Nariaki published a manual that he hoped would help the entire nation, and distributed it to his people.