Well into this fascinating account of Japanese politics, which spans the period from the beginning of the Meiji Era to the end of the U.S. Occupation, Yukio Ozaki recalls several associates who were assassinated in the struggle to build constitutional democracy in Japan. The large number of high-ranking politicians who died for this cause reflects just how violent politics were at the time and how courageous one needed to be to stand up for one's principles. More than a few times the author penned death poems in anticipation of a bloody end, a morbid habit that says a lot about the sacrifices of political office in those days.
Ozaki modestly recalls his own efforts to fight the forces of darkness that dogged his six-decade political career and offers often acerbic and engaging portraits of the leading figures of his time. There is probably more detail than most readers will need and many anecdotes about unfamiliar characters, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable, personal account of the rough and tumble of politics in a tumultuous period.
As a youth living in Gunma, Ozaki's father forced him to watch torture sessions of the Meiji government's opponents and he recounts his admiration for the local toughs who bawdily marched to their beheadings taunting their executioners.