Cruel Paintings by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, Japan’s Last Ukiyo-e Master
He loved yōkai all his life but what he wanted to convey was the mystery of human beings.
There is a saying in Japan, “Blood will tell.” This implies that temperament and character are inherited from the parents. Now, there’s also a saying, “Blood is thicker than water.” Which refers to the strength of familial bonds. In this way, we have expressed the flow of human history through inheritance based on the composition of blood, a fluid suspension of microscopic cells and nutrients.
Recent studies suggest that maybe 50-percent of a child’s personality is determined by genetics, and the other half of an individual’s personality development is influenced by uncertain factors including upbringing. Similarly, the concepts linking the spiritual and corporeal aspects of a person in martial arts and traditional performing arts — their application of thoughts and ideals — are the result of research and skills accumulated through the relationship of master and disciple. These may be as strong as blood relationships.
When we say, “It is in their blood,” we usually mean an essence that defines someone, something emergent from their physical attributes, attitudes, aptitudes, personality, and deeply held beliefs. The blood doesn’t…
