Currency Defiled Quote by Yukio Mishima
““Again, Saburo Tominaga once went to the Shirakawa Prefectural Office to cash his brother Morikuni’s bonus bond and, unwilling to touch paper currency defiled with a foreign-style design, carried it home between chopsticks.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, 1956
Saburo avoids using foreign-designed paper money, preferring chopsticks to transport cash, highlighting cultural resistance to foreign influence.
In simple terms: He uses chopsticks to carry money, rejecting foreign-style notes.
Key Takeaway
Respect cultural values over convenience.
Themes
tradition
national identity
resistance
cultural pride
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- daily transactions
- rituals
- cultural preservation
Key Concepts
foreign influence
symbolic objects
personal integrity
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do people cling to tradition in modern life?
- Can symbolism outweigh practicality?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize resistance, ignoring practicality.
![“Ki-saburo, although he was a mere outlaw, having his left arm half cut at the elbow in a quarrel, ordered his servant to cut it off with a saw, and during the operation he could calmly sit talking and laughing with his friends. Hiko-kuro (Takayama),[FN#235] a Japanese loyalist of note, one evening…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/093/kaiten-nukariya-793_quote_ki-saburo-although-he-was-a-mere-outlaw_351553.jpg)
