Omura encourages him to believe that this will never happen without significant Westernization. He does not want this to happen and wants to make Japan a major player on the world stage. One of the main elements of Japan's modernization is Westernization, primarily because Meiji believes that Japan is falling behind its western counterparts. The theme of Westernization also encompasses the theme of the willingness of businessmen such as Omura to make deals with outside interests if it furthers their own interests as well. Honor is one of the central tenets of the Samurai and from his perspective, the fact that his former pupil, Meiji, is now riding roughshod over the traditions of his people insult his honor and his integrity. Katsumoto believes that the honor that the Samurai have lived by for centuries is being both disrespected and usurped. The public carrying of a sword would not seem to be a particularly heinous transgression, yet Omura hints that it is shameful enough to warrant such a painful death as slashing oneself in the abdomen. This is clear when Omura tells Katsumoto that he should kill himself after being arrested for carrying a sword in public only a public and painful self-inflicted death is able to restore his lost honor. The issue of honor is so entrenched in the Japanese that they would rather commit suicide than be seen to fail, or be perceived as doing anything that might bring shame to their family. The heritage of Japan is being thrown to the side in favor of what is considered to be progress, and no effort is being made to amalgamate old and new to form something different that moves the country forward but still honors its history and its heritage.
He is easily manipulated and Omura takes advantage of this so that he can trample over the legacy of the Samurai, whom he has resented since he was a young boy. Emperor Meiji is young and inexperienced and not well-versed in political nuance. One of the main themes of the film is really "out with the old, in with the new", in that the old Shogun tradition of the Samurai is being completely sidelined and almost outlawed in favor of modernization in the form of Westernization. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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