Samurai's Garden Matsu Quotes

A savior, caretaker, brother, friend, and outlet society are only a few of the characteristics and responsibilities of the quiet and reserved Matsu. In The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Matsu is understood to be a housekeeper of Stephen’s family beach house in Tarumi. He tends to his garden near the house and seems to have lived alone most of his life. He is described as an unforgotten samurai who is strong yet concealed behind the impenetrable mask that he wears. Slowly, he reveals to soften as his feelings become extracted. Matsu is revealed as a pillar of support for a baffled and anxious Stephen, throughout Matsu’s wise advice, his understandings, and his previous experiences.

Matsu strives through a complex transformation from the

time he confronts Stephen to when he lets him go at the train station. His journey starts off as a reserved and closed off man who envisions to help those surrounding him. As he encounters upon the curious Stephen, he starts to sympathize upon him and nurture him as he excitingly tells stories as if “he’d long held inside and could finally unleash” (29). As Matsu accentuates his ability to aid and comfort, he uncovers Yamaguchi, City of Lepers, to the self- healing Stephen so that ‘“you would know that you’re not alone”’ (30). He evokes his traumatizing past and reveals his connection to the intertwined structure of the leprosy, much like how Stephen’s family is connected to his sickness. He revisits his sister’s death and explains that the time he know Tomoko the most, was when she was about to die. After waking up from a formidable storm, Matsu alleviates the pain of Stephen’s energy with the unveiling of Sachi’s arrival. He helps Stephen strive through his problems enough to make Stephen forget the world surrounding him. He gives Stephen enough comfort that he doesn’t need to go back to Hong Kong.
As Stephen understands his stigmatic family issue about his father, he goes through a phase where he refuses to listen to his father. He confides in Matsu as doesn’t have anyone else to talk to. Although Matsu doesn’t know about Stephen and his father’s quarrels, he depicts that something is wrong and takes Stephen to the Shinto shrine. Stephen mentions that he never believed that Matsu was religious, but Matsu then justifies to Stephen that ‘“There is still a lot you don’t know about me”’ (87). He refers to the fact that he still hasn’t opened up enough for Stephen to understand what he is going through. When Matsu is alerted of Stephen’s father’s issues, he states that the history of his parent’s marriage itself would keep them together and that his father still feels the same way about him although he reveals that “‘happiness must come at the expense of others”’ (91). Matsu enhances his support through his belief in Stephen’s paintings as he releases his feelings onto canvas, although he doesn’t portray it directly, he admires them as Sachi has stated. He also provides Stephen with a confidence that will help strengthen the painting. He enforces yet gently handles everything that he takes to his heart.
Subsequently, when the fire hit Yamaguchi, Matsu and Stephen were eager to help save the town by seizing the fire.

The next day, Matsu finds that Stephen has visited Sachi’s house without alerting him, yet he wears a satisfied grin that show that he wanted Stephen to be there. They then decide to head back to Tarumi to gather supplies, but Matsu now is more curious and asks Stephen what he had discussed with Sachi earlier. After clearing up the issue, Matsu provides Stephen with a more detailed version of Tomoko’s story and how she decided to take her life. Stephen is eager to know understand Matsu’s feelings and “was still curious as to how Matsu felt” (154). After Matsu and Stephen finish building the eradicated houses, they go to the celebration. As Stephen is getting ready for his departure from Tarumi, he recollects his past year with Sachi and Matsu. As they arrive at the train station Matsu understands Stephen’s sorrow for leaving, and instead of a final bow, Stephen decides to hug Matsu as “he simply stood there frozen…until I felt him wrap his arms around me” (211). Matsu has altered his entire being since the visit of Stephen, from the man that didn’t speak and tended to his garden, to one that unleashed all of his

stories.
Furthermore, Matsu generously recreated and defined Stephen in many forms. He helped reveal the true identity of the sick boy going through a troubled present, reunite a woman with her lost beauty, and remains a hero to all of those in Yamaguchi. Although traveling from a troublesome background with many obstacles, Matsu has shaped up to be a strong, kind, and nurturing man who takes pride in helping those in need and are suffering. He has many layers under the mask that he is concealed in. Despite the fact that he is often misunderstood, he is very informative and when he decides to open his doors, his wise personality shines through and reveals his true identity.