Orphaned by war and pressed into work as a servant before the age of five, Harutomo could easily have lived his life in poverty. Even though he is intelligent and ambitious, he has neither status nor connections in a society where both are crucial. The fact that he is taken far from his village and dropped into a different cultural context makes his situation more complicated. He survives and succeeds largely because he has a series of mentors who teach, nudge, and support him at critical points in his journey.

His first mentor is Togan, the cook. As the lowest servant on Akiyama’s estate, Harutomo (then known as Taro) would have been easy prey if Togan had not protected him. Togan gives the young boy a positive example when he is vulnerable. The cook encourages him, gives him a shoulder to cry on (after the archery competition, for example), and treats him respectfully. As a former member of the samurai class who still feels that he should have status, Taro could easily have gotten himself into trouble or fallen into despair. Instead, Togan nurtures his confidence while modeling the behavior that will help him succeed.