Several of Tsukiyama’s themes in The Samurai’s Garden work on the concept of duality. Stephen begins his journey struggling with duality and, by the end of it, understands that embracing duality is embracing life. When he comes to Tarumi, he is isolated from his family, his friends, and to some degree (because he does not know himself fully) himself. He longs for connection but is unsure how to create it.

While Stephen was not a brute prior to this journey, he was in some senses still a boy. Through his relationships with Matsu, Sachi, and Keiko, he learns how to give and receive evolved compassion and kindness. He connects with others’ history and suffering. As he leaves Tarumi on his own to embark on the rest of his life, he understands that all beings are both alone and together, and that the wisdom that comes from solitude may be applied to the relationships that make life worth living.

Tsukiyama, the novel’s author, was born in San Francisco to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. Her understanding of these two cultures is not only theoretical, but also personal. Her own life is informed by her parents’ ancestry; we cannot know her mind, but it is not outlandish to imagine that her subjects explore cultural conflicts and convergences related to those she herself may have experienced.