Asakura Clan House Code - Law #15 | Part 15 of 17 Article Series
ORIGINAL TEXT:
Do not permit any castle other than that of the Asakura to be built in this province. Move all high‑ranking retainers without exception to Ichijōgatani (the Asakura castle). Permit their deputies (daikan) and lower officials (gesu or shitazukasa) to remain in their districts and villages [to manage their estates].
MODERN INTERPRETATION:
Why invite trouble? Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer, but live in the same house with your allies!
Centralize and Control Power
Under this Asakura House Code, all the High-Ranking Warriors of great talent and ability would be required to live in, and thus protect, the Asakura Clan’s castle.
The deputies of these warriors would be allowed to remain in the high-ranking Warrior’s homes/villages, and would oversee the management and protection of their local areas.
In this way, the Asakura Clan guarantees that the best warriors are put to use in protecting the most valuable asset of the Asakura Clan - the Asakura Clan itself!
Live in the Same HOUSE with your Allies
Let’s not live in a utopia here - every great leader must prepare for deception, sabotage, and betrayal. There are many cases of brother stabbing brother in the back, of son killing father, mother killing one child so the other, favourite child, will gain power.
People in positions of power have historically committed some very cruel acts. Why?
People are people. People are as people do.
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
By requiring the best, most high-ranking warriors to live in the Asakura Clan Castle, the leadership of the Asakura clan would be able to better monitor them, measure their loyalty, test their abilities, and quickly flush out any hint of backstabbing. Any warrior caught plotting to move against the Asakura Clan would be killed or asked to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) in order to maintain his honour.
So, Asakura Toshikage intelligently, though somewhat coldly, recommends, “keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer, but with your allies you must live in the same house!”
Treat Others the Way you Want to Be Treated…. Kinda…
By not allowing any other castle to be built, the Asakura Clan guarantees that no other clan in their domain would be able to gather up enough power to overthrow the Asakura. Afterall, the Asakura had overthrown the Shiba Clan! They knew from personal experience that allowing another clan to grow powerful without any limitations and oversight could result in another power struggle.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” the saying goes.
Asakura Toshikage’s Recurring Theme: Why Invite Trouble?
While this strategy may sound pessimistic, and not believe in the power of good leadership, Asakura Toshikage’s belief was, “why invite trouble?”
You could believe in the power of your leadership skills, and put no hard controls in place to maintain your leadership other than soft controls, such as your people & management skills alone. But without hard controls, such as clear, enforceable, punishable policy, you risk “a few bad apples spoiling the whole damn bunch.” A handful of strong, influential characters can convince people to do some radical things.
Don’t risk it. Why invite trouble? Maintain hard controls over rival powers developing in your own home, your own Clan.
NEXT ARTICLE IN THE SERIES: A PREVIEW
The next article, Law #16, is regarding the power of simple communication in creating the environment you want.