Asakura Clan House Code - Law #8 | Part 8 of 17 Article Series

ORIGINAL TEXT:

Members of the Asakura family must, by their own example, cause all the retainers to adopt quilted cotton clothing nunoko as ceremonial dress at the New Year. For this purpose, one’s family crest must be affixed. If a member of the family wishes to display his wealth by dressing extravagantly, rural Samurai from every corner of this province will be forced to follow suit. However, knowing that, they will plead illness and absent themselves from their duties for one year and then for two years… In the end, the number of Samurai who pay homage to the Asakura family will be reduced.

MODERN INTERPRETATION:

Respect the power of the people and encourage true loyalty by discouraging “status warfare.”

Plan Organizational Culture to Build Maximum Loyalty

It was important to Asakura Toshikage that those who were willing to serve the Asakura Clan would CONTINUE to serve the Asakura Clan in the future! This meant he had to eliminate “status warfare.”

You may have heard the saying, “Keeping up with the Jones’.” The concept is that your neighbors’ possessions end up making you feel socially inadequate, and so you make an effort to always have things of the same or higher quality than your neighbors.

Your neighbor got a new BMW? Now you gotta get that Mercedes.
What’s that? Your neighbor upgraded to a Porsche? Damn, now you gotta get a Ferrari.
And the cycle continues until someone goes too far into debt and has to foreclose the home.
But then a new “Jones” moves in, and the cycle continues.

This is NOT something unique to the Western World!

Asakura Toshikage understood this social phenomenon in the 1400s in Samurai-era Japan!

Compassionately Include Everyone in Important Events

He demanded in his House Code of the Asakura Clan that all retainers (warriors that served the House of Asakura) would be required to wear very simple quilted cotton clothing during New Year ceremonies.

Why? His rationale is that if certain Samurai would wear more elegant clothing to display their wealth and status, then other Samurai might come to feel inadequate. Then, they may not wish to bring shame on their family, so they would not attend the ceremony out of fear of embarrassment. Over time, only a few high-status, high-wealth Samurai (elites) would attend, and the majority of Samurai would feel like outsiders.

Should this cycle continue, Asakura warned, eventually the number of Samurai who are loyal to the Asakura Clan would be reduced.

Toshikage intelligently wanted the maximum number of loyal retainers possible. So, he decreed to make a humble simple ceremonial dress the norm, and not allow Samurai anything beyond simple clothing. Samurai would feel at ease, comforted, less competitive on unimportant matters, and focus on what was critical - unity, togetherness, and the success of the House of Asakura.

To Modern Day Leaders - Dress DOWN When Appropriate

When building a group and planning large “get-togethers,” leaders should dress in simple yet respectable clothes that all members of the group could afford to wear. Leaders should not allow any display of status or wealth to discourage members of the group WITHOUT great wealth or status to feel INCLUDED.

Be careful in who you’re willing to exclude. Generally, though the elite have concentrated power, the masses have power in volume.