New Year

New Year is given a specific political and religious significance when Toranaga names its first day as the date on which a subordinate will become Christian. The conversion is framed as voluntary, but its timing and execution are dictated by Toranaga, leaving the language of free choice in tension with his command.

Religious Observance and the Date

Before naming New Year’s Day, Toranaga permits Tsukku-san to hold a private Christian service the following day and allows all Christians to attend. He tells the subordinate he is addressing to go as well, placing the planned conversion within a setting where Christian worship is permitted, though privately arranged.

A Future Conversion

Toranaga then specifies that the subordinate will become Christian on the first day of New Year and instructs him to tell Tsukku-san privately. He insists that the conversion be of the subordinate’s own free will, even as he announces it as a settled future event. The passage establishes the date and the instruction, but does not confirm whether the conversion ultimately takes place.