It’s just after sunrise,  and 16-year-old Mori Banshirô is already hard at work  practicing drills with his long sword. Banshirô is an ambitious samurai  in training, and today he must impress  his teachers more than ever. Today he’ll make his request  to travel to the capital city of Edo for a year of martial  and scholarly studies, and he needs their support,  along with his father’s. The year is 1800 in the castle town  of Kôchi, capital of the Tosa domain in Japan. The daimyo rules the domain, and about  1,500 samurai retainers serve him. For 200 years,  Japan has been at peace, and the samurai, once primarily warriors,  now play a much wider range of roles— they are also government officials, scholars, teachers, and even masters  of the tea ceremony or artists. To prepare for these  diverse responsibilities, young samurai like Banshirô  study the “twin paths” of literary learning and the martial arts. At 15, he went through the rites  of adulthood and received the daishô— a pair of swords. The long sword is for training  and combat, while the short sword  has a sole, solemn purpose— to commit ritual suicide, or seppuku, if he dishonors himself, his family,  or the daimyo. Banshirô idolizes the legendary samurai  Miyamoto Musashi, a renowned swordsman  who lived 150 years earlier. But Banshirô doesn’t admire  his swordsmanship alone. Miyamoto Musashi was also  a master calligrapher and painter. That’s the real reason  Banshirô wants to go to Edo— he secretly wants to be a painter, too. After finishing his practice at home,  he bids his father goodbye and walks to school. His father is preparing to accompany  the daimyo to the capital. The Tokugawa shogun, head of the Japanese  military government, requires all the regional rulers  to alternate years between their castle town  in the home domain and the capital city. The costly treks back and forth  keep the daimyo subordinate and prevent them from building up  their own military forces to challenge the shogunate. The daimyo’s wife and children  live in the capital full time, where they serve as hostages  to ensure his loyalty. But the practice  doesn’t just affect the daimyo— it determines much of the rhythm  of life in Japan. Samurai must accompany the daimyo to Edo. This year it’s Banshirô’s father’s  turn to go, and Banshirô is desperate to go with him; but given that he’s still in training,  he’ll need permission from both his father and the domain. At school, Banshirô’s first lesson  is in swordfighting. Under his teacher’s stern eye,  he pairs up with his classmates and goes through the routines  he’s been practicing. At the end of the lesson, he reminds the  instructor of his request to go to Edo. The instructor cracks  his first smile of the day, and Banshirô feels confident  he will gain his support. Next, Banshirô practices archery,  horsemanship, and swimming before his academic courses  in the afternoon. Courses cover Confucian philosophy,  morality, and history. When the instructor calls on him, he has  the response on the tip of his tongue, ensuring another supporter  for his campaign. By the end of the day, Banshirô  feels confident that his formal request will be approved, but the greatest  challenge is still ahead of him: convincing his father. His father believes the martial arts  are more important than the literary arts, so Banshirô doesn’t mention  his artistic ambitions. Instead, he talks about renowned  sword instructors he can train with, and teaching certifications he can earn  to improve his professional prospects back in Kôchi. Then, he makes his final,  strongest argument: if he goes this time and succeeds,  his father can retire and send him instead in the future. It’s this last point  that finally sells him— Banshirô’s father agrees  to take him on his tour of duty. In the bustle of the capital city,  Banshirô will finally have the opportunity to pursue his secret ambition  to become a painter.