The executives of 日本美術刀剣保存協会 The Japanese Artistic Sword Protection Society is alleged to have neglected rules regarding the registration of swords in Japan. TBS reports today that 日本刀などの審査や保管をする財団法人「日本美術刀剣保存協会」が、日本刀などおよそ４００本について必要な登録をしないまま放置し、不法に所持していた疑いが強まったとして、警視庁は協会など数か所を家宅捜索しました。 It is suspected that the legal registration of around 400 items including swords was neglected, and prompted the police to search the premises of the museum and [...]
Archive for the ‘Japanophilia’ Category
Routine, waza, swords and the law
Posted in art, budo, communications, Culture, Japanophilia, Tokyo on September 29, 2010 |
What’s going on?
Posted in art, change, communications, Culture, education, film, Japanophilia, music, Philosophy on September 28, 2010 |
Am I learning something? Or am I practicing what I already learned but haven’t fully incorporated. And does it matter? In training I was told, “Just feel it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do it.” And then a few moments later, “Well, just try it. See what happens.” I think I’ll take that advice. [...]
礼儀 Reigi Courtesy
Posted in budo, Culture, Japanophilia on December 16, 2009 |
Courtesy, 礼儀 reigi, is ingrained in the Japanese way of doing things. The word 礼 rei, means everything from giving thanks to saluting someone. When you visit a shrine or temple, you put a little money in the offering box. It’s a symbol of giving more than a payment. The second kanji, 儀 gi, [...]
武神 Bushin Warrior Gods
Posted in art, budo, education, Japanophilia, Literature, Philosophy, Tokyo on October 16, 2009 |
A few times week, I walk the grounds of 明治神宮 Meiji Jingu, the grand shrine in central Tokyo dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The emperial couple were famous poets who composed about 130,000 poems in the classical Japanese form, waka. Emperor Meiji was born mere months before Commodore Perry’s ships arrived in Japan. [...]
武芸者 Bugeisha
Posted in black pyjamas, Japanophilia, languages, Philosophy on July 28, 2009 |
A martial artist is called a 武芸者 bugeisha in Japanese. Yes, the last two kanji and the pronunciation of them are the very same as geisha, and the three kanji together mean “martial art person”. The geisha and the bugeisha have a lot in common. In order to become profficient, both practice long years at both form and [...]
“Is nothing profane?”
Posted in black pyjamas, change, Japanophilia, Philosophy, taxes, The 'Net on January 28, 2009 |
was a slogan on a t-shirt I saw once. What a provocative idea, to honour everything you encounter as sacred. Everything. If only the rabble believed that our budo, communications and relationships were sacred, we wouldn’t have the storm of craziness on the Internet, with speculation, suspicion and disinformation. Soke, in the first few weeks of training, [...]
Harmony
Posted in art, film, Japanophilia on November 12, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Sensei talked a lot about harmony, how to find peace, how not to fight, how to end struggle on Tuesday night. This brilliant short film by Kosai Sekine beautifully expresses the idea that all of us, no matter our quirks, hangups, weirdneses can find a place where we’re in harmony…
不滅の布施 Ever giving at Fuse Benten Temple
Posted in art, black pyjamas, Embukai, Japanophilia, Kashiwa, music on September 28, 2008 | 2 Comments »
On October 12th, Hatsumi Senei will present an 演武会 embukai, a martial demonstration, in celebration with 東海時 Tokaiji Temple and 布施弁天 Fuse Benten. This year marks the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the temple in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture. At this temple, Benten, the Japanese version of the Indian deity Saraswati, is enshrined. In either guise, she is a goddess of poetry, [...]
The girl who drew cats
Posted in art, black pyjamas, Japanophilia, Literature, peeps, Philosophy on September 9, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Lyssa is an amazing woman. She can knit, sew, design costumes, dissasemble, paint, reassemble and ride a bicycle, grow plants, cook great food and be help desk diva to others. And she’s also a Bujinkan student. Lately, she’s been applying her artistic talents to the production of Ninja Gears, an online shop featuring her designs for [...]
先輩 Sempais’ blogs
Posted in black pyjamas, communications, Japanophilia, languages, peeps on September 9, 2008 | 3 Comments »
In his new book, Unarmed Techniques of the Samurai, Hatsumi Sensei included some of his calligraphy on 色紙, shikishi, the coloured boards, often with gold edges, that are so often used for keepsake Japanese writing such as calligraphy or haiku. One of them featured in the book is 忍友, ninyu. I suppose one of the [...]
