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The life of Budori who sacrificed himself in order to prevent the famine |
"Gusukou Budori, a Biography" is a story told as the biography of Budori, a volcanologist who sacrifices his own life blowing up a volcano in order to prevent cold weather from causing a devastating crop failure. The story describes the many hardships experienced by Budori throughout his youth, beginning with the death of his parents by famine when he is ten. Because of this, Budori develops a passion for studying science and agricultural engineering to cope with drought and cold-weather damage. |
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The image of the teacher Kenji strived to be |
Pennennam, an engineer at the Ihatov Volcano Office, is in charge of the equipment that receives measurements recording the state of the Ihatov Volcano. The story includes an element of science fiction, as the condition of the volcano is immediately displayed on a model of the volcano. This technological fantasy is connected to the hope for a solution to famine.
Budori comes to work at the volcano office through Dr. Kuubou's recommendation. It is believed that Dr. Kuubou is the image of the teacher that Kenji strived to be.
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Budori's hardship after losing his parents to famine
The encounter with Dr. Kuubou |
After losing his parents to famine, Budori goes through a number of trying jobs.  First, he works for a man who runs a silkworm gut factory in the forest. Then, he works for a red-bearded man in his paddy fields. He has Budori sow oryza plants in the paddies, but they are afflicted with a sickness and do not grow well. Disappointed, the man gives Budori a pile of books that belonged to his deceased son and has him study oryza farming. Among those books is a work by Dr. Kuubou, teaching his philosophy.
One day, Budori goes to the city of Ihatov to visit Dr. Kuubou's school. He is very excited, thinking "I will meet Dr. Kuubou, who wrote that compassionate book. I want to find an easier way for people to cultivate their paddy fields and also devise ways to eliminate the damage caused by volcanic ash, drought, and cold weather." |
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A model of the history of history |
Budori enters a large classroom where Dr. Kuubou is lecturing. There are many white lines drawn on a blackboard, and Dr. Kuubou explains as he points here and there at "models shaped like large towers." "He turned a handle. The model clanged and turned into a strangely shaped ship. He turned the handle again with a clang and this time it changed into a large centipede-shaped thing." Seeing this, Budori recognizes it as a model of "the history of history" that Dr. Kuubou wrote about in his book. |
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Showing the way to find the joy of learning rather than teaching knowledge |
In a draft for "Gusukou Budori, a Biography," Kenji describes this school as a place that "teaches how to study without going to school." In other words, Dr. Kuubou is an educator who places importance on conveying the way one should approach a problem and the joy of learning, rather than on teaching knowledge.
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