"Sensei Ono"?

In the Japanese culture artists are very respected and even venerated. Masuji Ono, the main character of the novel the Artist of the Floating by Kazuo Ishiguro, is the "art teacher" but mostly the "Sensei" to his pupils. This is the respect that Ono won over the years with his work as artist. In the first chapter "October 1948", the author Ishiguro shows an instance when Kuroda, star pupil of Ono, says,

"I have suspected for some time that Sensei was unaware of the high regard in which he is held by people in this city. Indeed, as the instance he has just related amply illustrates, his reputation has now spread beyond the world of art, to all walks of life. But how typical of Sensei's modest nature that he is unaware of this." Ishiguro, 25

This is a very moving speech made with conviction and love for his instructor. Ishiguro, the author, mentions it because it supposed to show that Ono felt proud of the fact that he was respected even though he was a very modest person. The Migi-Hidari, "pleasure district" for Ono and his pupils, was the place where artist enjoyed themselves discussion issues. This was the place to be be if you wanted to be considered respectable.

Ono's pupils called him "Sensei" and were proud to be part of the circle in at Migi-Hidari. They listened attentively to Ono when he taught them lessons. At one point Ono tells them about the instance he decided to be disloyal to his to master Takeda in order to advance and he says,

"The Takeda experience taught me never to follow the crowd blindly, but to consider carefully the direction in which I was being pushed. And if there's one thing I've tried to encourage you all to do, it's been to rise above the sway of things. To rise above the undesirable and decadent influences that have swamped us and have done so much to weaken the fibre  of  our nation these past ten, fifteen years." Ishiguro, 73

This is almost a prophetic statement given by Masuji Ono encouraging to his pupils to do as he once did. The story of Ono shows that all his pupils have decided to question their master. The war has surely changed them but it is not only that. Ono and his pupils no longer get together to discuss anything. Kuroda, the one who gave the passionate speech about Ono know evades his teacher. Why is this happening? We know the war definitely separated them and changed the pupils, but why would Kuroda evade Sensei Ono if he only encouraged him to show his patriotism at the time of war with his art?  Why would Ono have to hide his art now?


I find all these aspect of the start of the novel very intriguing.