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for loyalty among family。〃 The rain pattered against the tarmac； soaking their socks and making their shoes squeak when they moved。
〃Now； there are two immediate problems。 One is that as long as I am in here I am not as well informed as I might be。 Go back to your job at MCI； Nangi…san； and in your spare time gather dossiers of as many of the ministers and vice…ministers as you can。 I know where you work and you are only down the hall from the central file。
〃The second problem is mine as well。 I am being depurged by a most difficult man； a high member of the SCAP team； a British colonel by the name of Linnear。 He is a very thorough fellow； and his annoying attention to detail is holding up my release。〃
Makita smiled。 〃But I will make him pay for prolonging my incarceration。〃 He put a hand on Nangi's arm for a moment； an unusual gesture。 〃When finally I am released； rest assured that this iteki shall hand over to me the information we will need to plete our files and begin our own mabiki； our weeding…out process。〃
The Board of Trade that Makita had mentioned was a fascinating institution。 Because of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration which Japan had accepted as part of its surrender； no private Japanese could engage in international trade。 Everything had to go through SCAP。
Therefore the Occupation Forces created a Japanese organization in charge of accounting for and distributing imports brought in by SCAP and handing over to SCAP exports manufactured by local manufacturers。
Nangi had never had much to do with the EOT； and Makita's mention of it was in fact the first time he had thought of that bureau in quite some time。 However； when he returned to work at MCI； the Board of Trade was to bee a major force in his life。
As it happened； Prime Minister Yoshida； a long…time enemy of MCI's since he had a distinct distaste for their linkage to the old wartime ministries； had appointed his administrative advisor Torazo Oda to head the BOX three months ago in December of 1948。
As Oda began to clean house at BOT under the guise of removing some improprieties he was purported to have discovered there； it began to circulate that Yoshida planned to elevate the status of several ministries under his direct control to help decrease MCI's power。
This the powerful ministers at MCI would not tolerate； and on the same day that Nangi was out of the office interviewing Makita in Sugamo Prison； there was an emergency high…level meeting at MCI。
The ministers decided that they needed to forestall Oda and Yoshida； who they knew were working in concert against them。 To this end they were in agreement that they needed to put one of their own inside BOT to keep an eye on Oda and report back to them his every move。 That way； they felt； they would always be one step ahead of him and therefore could deflect him。
There were few candidates to choose from； principally because the list of qualities this man must have was so unusual。 He must be highly intelligent； with a quick mind。 But just as important； they knew he had to be someone relatively young and without the usual gakubatsu connection that would inevitably bring him under Oda's scrutiny as a possible rival。 In short； the candidate had to pass through BOT virtually unnoticed。
They came up with only one name： Tanzan Nangi。
When Nangi was summoned to Vice…Minister Hiroshi Shi…mada's office； he was in the middle of amassing his mabiki file。 In fact he had just unearthed several interesting tidbits about the newly appointed vice…minister's wartime activities at precisely the moment the summons came。
He listened blank…faced as Shimada's proposal was given。 There was really no question of not accepting。 For the bureaucrat as well as for the mon worker A isha seishin； devotion to the pany； obtained。 It was an essential part of kanryodo。 Yet even if Nangi had had an actual choice to make； he would have leapt at this opportunity； for he immediately saw in this what Sun Tzu called k'ai ho； to open the leaf of a door。 Thus he determined to swiftly enter this gap afforded him； his eagerness masked by humbleness and his evinced dedication to serve to the best of his abilities Vice…Minister Shimada and his bureau。
But in truth it was Yoichiro Makita whom Nangi was sworn to serve。 The way of kanryodo was paramount with Nangi just as it was with Makita。 Each recognized in the other that which was inside himself： the spirit of the direct descendants of the Tokugawa Shogunate elite warrior caste； the true samurai…bureaucrat。
Nangi's subsequent appointment as chief of the Trade Section of the Bureau of Trade did not long deter him from continuing with his pilation of dossiers。 In fact it provided him with a new source of confidential information。 So that by the time Makita was depurged； he had a four…inch…thick stack of folders within which were revealed the peccadillos； petty and not so petty； thievery； connivery； and outright bribery by perhaps two dozen bureaucrats of the first and second dan。
On the day after Makita became a free man； before he and Nangi had a chance to review this parade of malfeasances； Nangi was summoned to the office of Torazo Oda。 What the minister of BOT had on his mind came as a total shock to Nangi。
Tea was served on a polished tray of filigreed European silver； in cups of bone china； poured from a tall acid…etched silver pot with curling feet。 The set seemed grotesque and immensely overstated to Nangi； as all things European appeared to him； yet he smiled like a monkey and heartily plimented the senior bureaucrat on his exquisite taste； though the words threatened to stick in his throat and make him gag。 The tea； too； was not to his liking。 It was an execrable and ill…advised bination of several teas； dominated by Orange Pekoe； that somehow managed to cancel each other's aromas。 He might have been drinking used dishwater。
When he plimented Oda on the tea； the older man told him it was an American import called Lipton。
〃The importance of America cannot be overemphasized； Nangi…san；〃 Oda said。 He was a heavy set man with the overbearing paunch of a sumo。 He was impeccably dressed in a three…piece pinstripe suit hand…tailored for him on Saville Row。 His black wingtip shoes shone like mirrors。 〃It is time for us to put away our kimono and geta； time for the Rat's Head； Ox's Neck； time for us to begin thinking about more than our gardens and the perfection of the tea ceremony。〃
He watched Nangi for a moment as if gauging his response to this speech。 〃We have a job to do here； and since the gaijin Joseph Dodge has stopped our runaway inflation with his extensive reduction of demand； we have only the future to think about again。 And our future； Nangi…san； the salvation of the new Japan； lies in one area： international trade。 Tsushd daiichi…shugi； trade number one…ism。〃
He paused for a moment to sip some of the unpalatable tea。 'Tell me； Nangi…san； do you speak English？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Then I think it high time that you learn。 The Prime Minister has created a number of courses for bureau personnel。 He remends joining； and so do I。〃
〃I'll look into it immediately； sir。〃
〃Good。〃 Oda seemed genuinely pleased。 〃My secretary will