Disgrace to the World

Minakata Kumagusu (1867–1941) was a Japanese author, biologist, naturalist, and ethnologist. He worked internationally. He would sometimes contribute an article to a foreign magazine. However, he was famous as a kind of freak.

Once, he argued with a governor on a government policy. Kumagusu picked up mushrooms in a mountain and put them into a bag. Then he visited the governor’s house and threw the bag to the governor’s head. Kumagusu was immediately caught by the governor’s supporters and was arrested by the police. After the police scolded him, he was released. When he met his granddaughter, he explained the incident like a heroic story: “I beat up most of his supporters, but there were too many supporters. So finally I was caught.”

I read this story on a newspaper that interviewed his granddaughter. I wondered, Why mushrooms? He was a genius. He might have a reason that I could not understand.

Afterward, he wrote bad things about the governor on foreign magazines. Kumagusu boasted about them on his book and wrote, “Disgrace to the world!”

I just thought of never fighting against any governors and geniuses.

Picture by Anastasia Lembrik