“Ready for sex?”
“Yes; where? Here or at your house?”
“My house. We should not impose on the Master!”
Later, after several complicated and athletic sexual encounters, with occasional pauses for refreshment, Jack asked:
“How is this sort of thing viewed in Japan?”
Jun thought for a moment: “In the Edo period, before 1868, it was completely normal for Samurai. It was a men-only environment. Sexual relationships between older and younger men were common; this practice, known as shudo, involved an ethical framework where the older Samurai mentored the younger one in exchange for loyalty and affection, not just for sex. During the Meiji period attitudes towards homosexuality shifted, and the open practice began to decline. However, among us nobles, it continues to be accepted. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“How very sane. But we’re not an older and a younger men?”
“What’s your age, Jack?”
“Twenty. I’ll be twenty-one next year.”
“I’m twenty-six. The age difference is sufficient. I am your master and you are my apprentice, so to speak.”
“I’d not have guessed your age.” Jun’s slim, athletic figure, smooth face and boyish haircut made him seem younger than that.
“Nevertheless that is what I am and I am in a position to instruct you and ‘show you the ropes’ as I believe you English sailors say.”
“Why me?”
Jun laughed. “Look in the mirror sometime. Listen to your own voice. I knew I wanted you when we met on your ship. Here there is a tradition of courtly love between men going back centuries. I wanted to be your lover.”
“You certainly seem to be now!”
“We’ve hardly started!”
Jun explained that homosexual sex during the Edo period of feudal Japan was also an assertion of power and dominance, with the older partner taking on the dominant role. “In Japan’s Edo period, one’s age was often a highly important factor in how a relationship was established, as well as social influence and authority.”
It was not quite like that with Jack and Jun, however; not least because Jun loved riding Jack’s cock, which he regarded as a thing of beauty, mystery, and which he almost venerated; while Jack, who enjoyed fucking Jun, was not disposed to be dominated all the time, although he was enjoying the sensation of being penetrated, taught, and exploring something new. He had never imagined that his asshole could be the focus of such intense, mind-expanding pleasure, until Jun had probed his ass with jade and polished wood dildos, and finally had fucked him. Shibari had been a complete revelation; a journey into the unknown. Jack was becoming more supple and tough as a result of it. On Jun’s side, he wanted to make Jack more Japanese. This involved having Jack’s body shaved by an expert barber, including his cock, balls and ass-crack, and massaging his skin with scented almond oil. This latter office Jun would perform himself. Shaving happened quite often, given that Jack did not enjoy the sensation of stubble between his ass-cheeks. His armpits were shaved as well. Only a neat, clipped triangle of red-gold hair above his genitals was permitted. Frequent baths and swimming together, always naked, were the prelude to passionate, complicated sex, including rimming and soixante-neuf; both totally new to Jack.
While the royal party were otherwise engaged, the ship’s officers enjoyed a relatively quiet period, with numerous runs ashore and hospitality offered by British residents and the Japanese armed forces. His brother officers inevitably noticed that Jack was not often of their number. They concluded that he had found an alluring, high-class Geisha and was spending a lot of time with her. He acquired a new nickname, ‘Pinkerton’, and was warned that ‘she’ might commit hara-kiri when he left, like Madame Butterfly. Jack just smiled and shrugged.
As the royal visit was drawing to a close, Jun proposed a day in the country.
“I shall bring a picnic”, he said, proudly flaunting this recently-acquired piece of British slang.
As usual a car collected Jack from the quayside, but when they reached Jun’s house he dismissed the chauffeur and showed Jack his new open-topped sports car:
“We go in this” Jun said and took the wheel. He drove them deep into the countryside, and into a rocky, mountainous area. Presently he turned aside onto a minor road with a gravel surface. They stopped at an elegant wooden gateway in a long park wall.
“My family’s estate,” said Jun. Jack was suitably impressed.
After a short word with the lodge keeper, Jun drove into the estate, past a small castle with a tiled roof, deeper into the forest. Tall bamboos met over the road, making a green twilight. Eventually Jun stopped at a small pagoda-like pavilion.
“On foot from here,” he smiled.
Once inside the pagoda, Jun started to undress. “We go swimming” he said.
Jack, nothing loath, stripped too. He took Jun in his arms and kissed him. “I shall miss you,” he told Jun. “The ship sails the day after tomorrow.”
“Let’s not think about that,” said Jun. He looked very serious.
Now naked, they walked along a narrow path, hearing the sound of rushing water grow louder as they approached. Finally their objective came into view: a graceful waterfall fell from a height of about twenty feet into a wide pool, from which the water disappeared in the direction of the sea. It was a natural swimming-pool. Not that swimming was Jun’s immediate priority. He kissed Jack again and seized his cock.
“Number one penis!” he remarked. Jack knew Jun well enough by now to understand that “number one” was a high compliment. Jun fell to his knees and sucked the said penis for a few moments. Jack started to get hard; harder still when Jun thrust a finger into his rectum. A wave of lust burst over Jack. Near the waterfall was a flat rock. He bent Jun over it and, using his own saliva as lubricant, seriously fucked him while he gasped and shouted. Then he lifted Jun and spread him on the rock. They both seemed to be energised; the fuck was prolonged. Jun bit Jack once or twice. Then he spread Jack on his back, thrust his erect penis into Jack and fucked him hard until he came, repeatedly, inside Jack’s ass. After this, they were exhausted but soon recovered and went swimming and larking around in the pellucid water. Back at Jun’s town house, he formally presented Jack with a beautiful samurai sword. They both felt sad at the prospect of Jack’s departure and drank a final toast in imperial sake. They vowed to stay in touch and to meet again, somewhere, somehow. Then Jun’s driver took Jack back to his ship.
As the ship moved out to sea, the Flag Captain turned to Jack.
“It’s wonderful how well-disposed the Jap Navy are to us. It’s because our predecessors trained them. They reckon that their British gunnery training won them the war against Russia in 1905. And of course the two royal families are very friendly.”
The Captain paused and lit his pipe.
“We didn’t see much of you latterly. I take it you met a charmer?”
Jack smiled. “Surely there is always a charmer!”
“Well,” said the Captain, “It may be so for you young fellows. I however am married; no charmers for me. Just remember that the first revolution of the ship’s propellers cut all the ties that you may have made during your runs ashore.”
“Aye aye Sir!” said Jack. He saluted and withdrew. It would take more than propellers or mere distance to cut him off from Jun. A mystical bond now united them. Pain and sadness were part of it.
Unforeseen by Jack, because he took no interest in politics, his and Jun’s passionate friendship was destined to fall victim to history and British diplomatic bungling. The previous year, 1921, a delegation of British Ministers and officials had attended the Four Power Naval Conference in Washington, which had resulted in the Washington Treaty. This was severely to strain relations between the United Kingdom and the Empire of Japan which had hitherto cooperated closely and amicably, especially in the naval context. But in 1940, with the invasion of French Indochina, Japan became an ally of Germany and Italy and officially formed an alliance with them five days later. Jack and Jun would become enemies. In 1921 the UK had chosen to align itself with the USA – a doubtful ally at the best of times – and to treat the Anglo-Japanese Alliance as superfluous. Japan had lost face; been abandoned by its old ally. It had no intention of respecting the upper limit on naval forces that the Treaty had imposed. Jun, who was better-informed than Jack, feared the worst.
They were able to meet a few times before 1939. Jack managed to get himself posted to Hong Kong; a relatively short distance from Taiwan (or Formosa, as Jack still thought of it), which had been a Japanese possession since 1895. Jun found official pretexts to visit Hong Kong while he was there.
Their first meeting, in 1930, was in Jack’s apartment, whose balcony enjoyed sea views. They were both now Commanders. Jun, although now married to a girl from a suitably exalted Samurai family, seemed outwardly unchanged, as boyish as ever in looks, although more serious. Jack, at twenty-eight, appeared bigger than ever; sunburnt and even more muscular. In Hong Kong he had been playing a lot of sport. After an almost formal exchange of presents, they hugged; soon after that, they were naked. Jun was always full of surprises; Jack was startled by his energetic and almost frantic attack. However Jack liked rough sex. He bucked happily as Jun rode his cock and later shouted with a mixture of lust and pain when Jun first rimmed him, then spread him and finally hard-fucked him. Jun shouted occasionally in Japanese while he was doing so. During Jun’s visit they even managed some Shibari, although Jack’s flat had limited facilities for that.
In 1940 Rear-Admiral Jun Yamadori, realising that he and Jack were now enemies, obliged to kill each other if they met, took a serious decision. One autumn day, soon after the signature of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, the Yamadoris gave their servants the day off., apart from his batman.They took a ritual bath together, then dressed in white kimonos. At 10.00 AM a photographer called and recorded them for posterity: he was seated and she standing beside him. At noon, after prayers, Jun beheaded his wife with a samurai sword. Then he stripped to his fundoshi and, with a smaller sword, opened his belly and committed sepukku. The batman then cut off Jun’s head. The Yamadoris were duly canonised as Shinto saints; it was such an honourable thing to have done. The house became a Shinto temple, preserved as it had been at the time of their death. And there is still a framed photo of Jack on a side table.
