Question about Naruto Manga 186

[Kai-chan]

I noticed in this episode, Sasuke was described as "in a coffin". In the anime they said barrel. I guess I'm just wondering what that container was. If anyone knows, your help would be appreciated.

[Archssor]

What kind of container?

[Kai-chan]

Yeah, I was just wondering if it was a Japanese coffin or something like that. Or maybe it was just a barrel. And they were speaking metaphorically, because he experienced a death of sorts inside it.

[SasuRyu]

As you said he experienced a sort of death and then rebirth, but i'd say its more a barrel than a coffin, maybe a coffin in metaphorical terms

[Nihongaeri]

I noticed in this episode, Sasuke was described as "in a coffin". In the anime they said barrel. I guess I'm just wondering what that container was. If anyone knows, your help would be appreciated.As I look through Vol. 21, there's only one place where the word for "coffin", 棺桶 "kan'oke", is used and that's when Neji first explains to Shikamaru where Sasuke is. All other references to it were just 桶 "oke", which is probably best translated as "barrel" for the context. As for the anime just saying "barrel", since the dialogue for the anime is rarely changed from the manga, I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a mistake on the part of the subbers... I don't have that episode saved, so I can't really confirm that though.

I checked with my wife to see if she recognized that as a coffin, but she said it just looked like a regular barrel to her... So even if it is actually a coffin, I doubt that the average Japanese person would recognize it as such. I certainly haven't seen such a coffin before. It is also possible that Neji used the word "coffin" at that point purely for dramatic effect... Also note, the word for coffin was placed in quotes in the phrase in question, which I assume was meant to represent figurative meaning... Don't know if those quotes made it into the Inane (?) release or not though.

Edit: I just looked over the Inane (I assume anyway) release that's in Narutofan's media collection... As I somewhat expected, the word coffin is missing the quotation marks that appeared around it in the original Japanese text. Also, whereas the Japanese basically switches from "coffin" to "barrel" in the same page, the scanlated release doesn't... Personally I'd categorize that as a mistranslation.

[raijin]

As I look through Vol. 21, there's only one place where the word for "coffin", 棺桶 "kan'oke", is used and that's when Neji first explains to Shikamaru where Sasuke is. All other references to it were just 桶 "oke", which is probably best translated as "barrel" for the context. As for the anime just saying "barrel", since the dialogue for the anime is rarely changed from the manga, I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a mistake on the part of the subbers... I don't have that episode saved, so I can't really confirm that though.
Actually, 棺 (kan) or "coffin" was also shown when Sakon used the scroll to summon it.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2364/naruto8bf.th.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=naruto8bf.jpg)I checked with my wife to see if she recognized that as a coffin, but she said it just looked like a regular barrel to her... So even if it is actually a coffin, I doubt that the average Japanese person would recognize it as such. I certainly haven't seen such a coffin before. It is also possible that Neji used the word "coffin" at that point purely for dramatic effect... Also note, the word for coffin was placed in quotes in the phrase in question, which I assume was meant to represent figurative meaning... Don't know if those quotes made it into the Inane (?) release or not though.
For those of you who have read Rurouni Kenshin, you may have also noticed that Kaoru's coffin was also a "barrel". I'm assuming in the ancient past of Japan, coffins were indeed barrels.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9521/rurounikenshin3zu.th.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rurounikenshin3zu.jpg)

[Nihongaeri]

Actually, 棺 (kan) or "coffin" was also shown when Sakon used the scroll to summon it.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2364/naruto8bf.th.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=naruto8bf.jpg)Generally, when read by itself, 棺 would somewhat more commonly just be read as "hitsugi", as opposed to "kan", as it's easier for the word to be differentiated in speech in that case. Still, "kan" is a completely valid reading, even for the character by itself... But those are some really good eyes you have there. It doesn't change my opinion on the translation, but I certainly stand corrected about there only being one occurrence of "coffin" in vol. 21. And it is interesting to note at any rate.
For those of you who have read Rurouni Kenshin, you may have also noticed that Kaoru's coffin was also a "barrel". I'm assuming in the ancient past of Japan, coffins were indeed barrels.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9521/rurounikenshin3zu.th.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rurounikenshin3zu.jpg)And yes, that is certainly a very good possibility. It didn't occur to me to mention it when I made my first post, but an 桶 "oke" is a cylindrical object... So it makes perfect sense that a 棺桶 "kan'oke" may have very well originally been a barrel-like object.

[Archssor]

That should explain it. :)

[Kai-chan]

Sounds like a translation error, but an easy to make one. Mystery solved. It's too bad, I hoped to learn of an ancient Japanese barrel coffin or something. Thanks for all your help ^^

[Ewald Krämer]

There's this old b/w movie called "Yojimbo the Bodyguard". It' basically the
same story like Clint Eastwood's 'For a Fistful of Dollars" with Samurai
(I think Clint is the rip-off).
In a Scene Yojimbo is carried out of town by the Undertaker inside of a
coffin. It's a barrel.
The movie plays about 1865, and that means this type of coffin was still in use.

Also, in a Inuyasha story episode that buddhist monk is buried alive inside of
a barrel (which is most likely a coffin).

In Mushishi Episode #9 Ginko wants to buy food from a man with a pot.
He says he's not a merchant. Another guy says 'That's for a body, bro'.