man ence ▁( mu j ō ) ▁is ▁captured ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁passage : ▁The ▁sound ▁of ▁the ▁G ion ▁Sh ō ja ▁b ells ▁echo es ▁the ▁imper man ence ▁of ▁all ▁things ; ▁the ▁color ▁of ▁the ▁s ā la ▁flowers ▁reve als ▁the ▁truth ▁that ▁the ▁prosper ous ▁must ▁decl ine . ▁The ▁proud ▁do ▁not ▁end ure , ▁they ▁are ▁like ▁a ▁dream ▁on ▁a ▁spring ▁night ; ▁the ▁mighty ▁fall ▁at ▁last , ▁they ▁are ▁as ▁dust ▁before ▁the ▁wind . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁and ▁other ▁classic ▁Japanese ▁tales , ▁the ▁central ▁figures ▁are ▁popular ly ▁well ▁known , ▁the ▁major ▁events ▁are ▁generally ▁understood , ▁and ▁the ▁st akes ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁understood ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁are ▁convention ally ▁accepted ▁as ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁Japanese ▁culture . ▁The ▁accuracy ▁of ▁each ▁of ▁these ▁historical ▁records ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁comp elling ▁subject ▁for ▁further ▁study ; ▁and ▁some ▁accounts ▁have ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁with stand ▁close ▁scr ut iny , ▁while ▁other ▁pres umed ▁“ fact s ” ▁have ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁in ac cur ate . ▁ ▁In ▁English - language ▁literature , ▁Tok uk o ' s ▁life ▁and ▁reign ▁are ▁dep icted ▁throughout ▁the ▁two - volume ▁historical ▁fiction ▁narr ative , ▁White ▁as ▁B one , ▁Red ▁as ▁Blood , ▁by ▁Cer rid wen ▁Fall ing star , ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Brown ,