＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・「鬼谷子（きこくし）」とは何か？わかりやすくご紹介します。
Recently, the Chinese drama “Guiguzi – The Sacred Strategist” has been airing on BS12 and is generating a lot of buzz.
Last year (2020), “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” became a massive hit in Japan. The “Demon Slayer” movie grossed over 32.4 billion yen, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. It surpassed “Spirited Away,” which had earned 31.68 billion yen, marking the first change of the top spot in 19 years.
As you can see, “demons” seem to be a theme that captivates people’s interest.
By the way, what is “Guiguzi”? This time, we will explain it in an easy-to-understand way.
1. What is “Guiguzi”?
(1) The book “Guiguzi”
“Guiguzi” is one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, a book believed to have been written by Guigu (Guiguzi) during the Warring States period of ancient China. It is a book that describes “methods of traveling and persuading.”
In short, it is a book written during the Warring States period of ancient China that describes the techniques and theories of rhetoric used to persuade kings of various states.
(2) The person known as “Guiguzi”
Guigu (Guiguzi) was a legendary strategist from the Warring States period of ancient China (circa 403 BC – 221 BC). His real name is said to be “Wang Chan” or “Wang Xu.” He is sometimes called “Master Guigu.” He is also known as Wang Li or Wang Tong.
Guigu was active over 2000 years ago, during the Warring States period of China, when seven states vied for supremacy for nearly 200 years. This was several decades to about 100 years before the time of Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC).
Of the seven states, the western power of Qin became the most powerful. Therefore, the other six states were faced with the question of how to deal with the threat posed by Qin. It was in this situation that the “strategists” (*) played a prominent role.
(*) “Strategists” (or “cross-strategists”) were ancient Chinese thinkers, one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. They were diplomats who traveled between states.
A strategic strategist was someone who used eloquent speech and unconventional ideas to persuade feudal lords, hoping to rise to a high position themselves. Su Qin (?-284 BC?), who advocated the “Hezong Strategy,” and Zhang Yi (?-309 BC?), who advocated the “Lianheng Strategy,” are famous.
Su Qin is said to have held the position of prime minister of six states simultaneously due to his eloquence. The term “Zhengyangjia” (正横家) also derives from the names of their strategies. “Hezong” (合従) was a policy of allied states opposing Qin, based on the fact that the states other than Qin were aligned north-south to the east of Qin (“Zheng” = “Feng”). “Lianheng” (連合) was a policy of allying with Qin to ensure survival, based on the fact that when Qin and the other states joined forces, they were aligned east-west (“Heng” = “Heng”).
According to the “Records of the Grand Historian,” Guiguzi was the teacher of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, “Zhengyangjia” who were active during the Warring States period of ancient China.
However, there are no records of Guiguzi or Wang Shan himself in historical texts. In Taoism, Guiguzi is worshipped as the deity “Wang Chan Laozu,” and is respectfully referred to as the ancient true immortal “Xuandu Xianchang.” He is said to have lived for over 100 years in the human world, after which his fate is unknown. The book “Guiguzi” is preserved in the Taoist scripture “Daozang.”
In folk legends, Guiguzi is the “founder of fortune-telling,” and in the popular novel “Sun Pang Romance,” he is the “teacher of Sun Bin and Pang Juan.”
2. Differences between “Guiguzi,” “Sun Tzu,” and “Sun Bin”
While “Sun Tzu” and “Sun Bin,” known for their works “The Art of War” and “Sun Bin’s Art of War,” expounded on tactics and strategies in warfare using weapons, “Guiguzi” expounded on strategies for influencing people through words.
In other words, it can be described as diplomatic negotiation techniques where words are the weapon. This is a form of rhetoric and communication that involves carefully observing the opponent, skillfully manipulating their emotions with words, and controlling them to achieve one’s own goals. To put it negatively, it’s about cleverly manipulating words to deceive the opponent. This is similar to Sun Tzu’s statement, “War is the way of deception.”
The “psychological warfare” and “information warfare” tactics employed by GHQ during the American occupation of Japan, such as the WGIP (War Guild Information Program) and the various propaganda campaigns conducted by Nazi Germany and the United States, are prime examples of “deception.”
3. Chinese Drama “Gui Guzi – The Sacred Strategist”
(1) What is the Chinese Drama “Gui Guzi – The Sacred Strategist”?
“Guiguzi – The Sacred Strategist” (original title: 謀聖鬼谷子) is a 2016 Chinese television drama consisting of 52 episodes.
It is a Chinese historical drama depicting the life of Guiguzi, said to be the teacher of Zhang Yi, a master of strategism and tactics, and Su Qin.
(2) Synopsis
The protagonist is Wang Shan, who devised the techniques of “strategy and intrigue” to appease powerful figures such as kings and high-ranking officials while protecting himself.
Wang Shan, a strategist, educator, and economist known as “Master Guigu,” used his knowledge of Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, military strategy, and Yin-Yang to seek peace and create miracles with ingenious tactics in the name of justice, attempting to move the times with benevolent strategies. The drama depicts his turbulent achievements.
The story is set during China’s Warring States period, starting in the Wei Kingdom. This Wang Chan is said to have been the teacher of Sun Bin, who left behind “Sun Bin’s Art of War.”