Martial Arts: Koryu

I am sure we all know about karate – thanks to the Karate Kid series of movies. We know about aikido – thanks to Steven Segal. We know a lot of Eastern martial arts. Yet have you ever heard of koryu?

Koryu is the Japanese word used to refer to the ancient Japanese martial arts. Trust me, this is the real thing! Basically, if you translate koryu to English, you will get “old school.” Now that sounds good, doesn’t it?

Koryu typically refers to the Japanese martial arts schools that focus on the techniques that existed way before the Meiji Restoration. That is, before the year 1866. As you can see, koryu is a very old Japanese tradition.

This term actually covers a lot of ground and even encompasses some of the better known schools of martial arts today. This includes judo and aikido. However, the latter two are modern day versions of koryu. More so, koryu includes both armed and unarmed fighting techniques.

To give you a more comprehensive background on koryu:

Although systematic training in the use of weapons, and methods for employing them in warfare existed long before, it is generally believed that the development of martial traditions, schools, or styles (ryu-ha) did not arise until after the end of the Heian period (794-1185). Central to this training was study of the bow (yumi), the sword (tachi), and the spear (yari). Initially, these weapons were not studied in separate arts. Rather, since the need was to prepare for battlefield combat, many different weapons and strategic and tactical skills were taught as part of comprehensive systems (sogo bujutsu). From the middle of the Muromachi period (ca. 1480) to the beginning of the Tokugawa period (ca. 1605) people gradually began to specialize in a particular weapon or system, particularly the bow, spear, sword, grappling and horsemanship. Warriors gathered in family-centered groups or trained with other members of their local domains. As the techniques and methods of these groups became more and more individuated, or as teachers gained particular insights into the essential nature and principles of combat, there arose discrete martial “traditions” or “styles” or “schools” (bujutsu ryu-ha). This began happening at the beginning of the Keicho era (ca. 1600), picked up impetus throughout the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), and has continued even into the twentieth century.

So are you interested in learning koryu? Are you thinking of training for koryu? I found a very informative and comprehensive site about koryu. Head on over there to find out more.

Photo courtesy of Meguro-jin

Strange Japanese Soft Drinks

There has always been a lot of hype surrounding the eccentricities of the Japanese people but I believe that eccentric is as eccentric does. In the differences between the West and the East, we can learn a lot of things – even in the most mundane of things. Take for example how different Japanese soft drinks can be. I found this list on Inventor Spot and picked out some of the most interesting items.

Cucumber-flavored Pepsi, anyone?
I am a Coke person but Pepsi will do if the restaurant does not serve Coke. Yet I always stick to the regular kind. How about Pepsi Ice Cucumber, then? I do not know – I like cucumber in salads but in my drink? Uh, I am not so sure about that.

How about Mother’s Milk?
What? Yes, you read that right, they are marketing a drink called Mother’s Milk. Now I am not so sure if it is really milk from a (human) mother but the packaging of the drink is frightening – it has a suckling baby. Who would want to drink mother’s milk aside from babies?

Salad and water in one
If you are in a hurry and you don’t have time to eat even a quick salad, then you should go for Water Salad. I can’t believe that Coca-Cola even dreamt up this drink. Was this a reaction to Pepsi’s cucumber drink?

My kid should learn how to drink early…
…give him Kidsbeer! It’s non-alcoholic but your kids will feel like they are adults as they drink their own version of beer. Bizarre, to say the least. I think I’ll give my kid root beer instead.

Craving For Sushi

What can I say? I love sushi and tonight, I am craving for some. Unfortunately, it is a bit too late to go out as the restaurants are already probably closed. This prompted me to go online and take a closer look at sushi and its origins instead. I know, reading about sushi is a very poor substitute to actually enjoying it as a meal but oh well, there is always tomorrow.

So where did sushi come from?

It seems that the art of sushi goes a long way back - all the way to the 7th century. According to Eatsushi.com, the Japanese adopted this form of pickling from the Southeast Asians. They put their own twist to it by wrapping raw fish in rice. The fermenting fish would then induce lactic acid production in the rice, which would then pickle the wrapped fish. Clever, isn’t it?

This practice, however, took too long. That is perhaps why, in the 17th century, vinegar became part of the recipe for sushi. This addition is attributed to Matsumoto Yoshiichi. Still, this version of sushi is not what we are used to today.

Perhaps the closest version of sushi that is quite popular around the world today is the one that emerged in the 1820s. This sushi version is attributed to Hanaya Yohei, who made use of sashimi and other seafood combined with vinegar rice. He served his delectable morsels straight from his sushi stall – much like what we order in Japanese restaurants today.

This hasn’t really helped my craving but I hope that the post was as informative for you as it was for me.

Discover Enka

Eastern music is something quite different from what the west has to offer. With the constant exposure to each other’s cultures, however, the juxtaposition of musical elements is inevitable. Still, it is inevitable that indigenous music remain the same. This holds true to a genre in Japan called enka.

The truth is that enka is used to refer to two kinds of music. The first one hails from way back in the Meiji and Taisho period when speeches were made into music. The idea was to avoid the disapproval of the government towards political speeches by masking the words in music. The second genre refers to music that emerged after the war, during the Showa period. This type of enka is quite popular and has been compared to American country music (not because of the musical style but because of the theme and audience).

Though you might find varying descriptions and definition of enka, I like the one presented in Okada:

Enka is usually singing sad aspects of life, irrecoverable destiny, desertion by the lover. It is an expression of love, but love will never be successful and sorrow and tear follow happy memories. It can also be a song of a woman who is resentful to her destiny as her lover is gone to another woman. Anyhow Enka is song of resignation. Resignation must be sweet so that it is endurable.

Indeed, with that definition, it makes you think of country songs. Want to hear some enka? Visit Barbara’s Enka Site. I learned a lot from it.

The Great Japan Beer Festival

I have never really associated Japan with beer – it has always been sake in my mind. However, come to think of it, Japanese beer is quite well known around Asia, and even in the Western parts. Thus, it should not be a surprise that they have their own version of a beer festival.

This year, there are three periods wherein people can participate in the Great Japan Beer Festival. The first one is over – it was held from May 5 to 6 at the Ebisu Gerden Hall in Tokyo. The second one is being held right now (it started yesterday) at the Kyosera Dome in Osaka. The third one gives you more time to prepare as it is going to be held from September 6 to 7 at the Osanbashi Hall in Yokohama.

What can you expect at the Great Japan Beer Festival? Let me tell you, the Japanese know how to celebrate and when they do, they make it BIG. At the events of the Great Japan Beer Festival, participants are treated to more than 120 microbrews and craft beers – all of these available for tasting! If you want to drown yourself in the finest beers available, you just have to pay the entrance fee.

Information for the Osaka festival:

Ticket at Enterance: 4,100 yen per person per day
Advanced tickets(date designated ticket): 3,600 yen per person per day
Lawson　Lcode 59253　　
Ticket PIA　Pcode 612-254
FamilyMart/CircleKSunkus　Pcode 612-254

For the Yokohama festival:
Ticket at Enterancet: 4,100 yen per person per day
Advanced tickets(date designated ticket): 3,600 yen per person per day
Lawson　Lcode 33598　　
Ticket PIA　Pcode 612-433
FamilyMart/CircleKSunkus　Pcode 612-433

Cosplay Restaurants

Establishments that have themes are quite popular around the world but trust the Japanese to go all out when it comes to theme restaurants! Have you ever heard of Cosplay restaurants or maid cafes? These are theme restaurants which feature maids or butlers (the latter is dubbed butler café, obviously) – elegantly dressed.

Cosplay restaurants started in the Akihabara section of Tokyo around the year 2000. The idea behind these theme restaurants is for the maids or butlers to provide personalized service to the patrons – service that one would get from a personal maid or butler at home. Though the Cosplay restaurants started in Tokyo, they have spread out to other Japanese cities and even other countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Mexico, and Canada!

A visitor to Japan should not miss the chance to have his or her own personal maid or butler at one of the Cosplay cafes – especially if you cannot afford to have your own at home! Just to clear things up, though, there are definitely NO sexual overtones to the maids and butlers at these cafes. They are there to bring the most relaxing experience to their patrons and to provide them pampering and care while dining and drinking. That’s it.

In certain cases, a customer can actually pay extra to have the maid or butler play cards and similar games with them or to have a picture taken. The time allowed for such activities are limited, though, and one would have to pay more for extra time – marks of the good Japanese business sense!

Yasukuni Shrine Ban Lifted

It cannot be denied that there is a strong worldwide interest in the Japanese culture – and most anything Japanese, in fact. At the same time, there are certain topics that are almost taboo – and one of them is the war. There were many repercussions of what happened many decades ago and the topic is still quite sensitive in some sectors.

This piece of news that I read from The Japan Times seems to foretell a slight shift in ideas:

The government Friday declared null and void a 1949 state-imposed ban on public schools organizing field trips to Tokyo’s war-related Yasukuni Shrine.

The government clarified the point in reply to a query by Takeo Hiranuma, a nationalist ex-trade minister from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is now an independent Lower House lawmaker.

Hiranuma, along with several LDP hawks, was involved in obscuring the international outcry over the wartime sex slave issue and blocking discussion on having a female head the Imperial family.

The government’s answer in a document the Cabinet endorsed Friday said, “It is permissible for schoolchildren to visit Yasukuni Shrine to learn about Japanese history and culture as part of school education. ”

The Shinto shrine in Chiyoda Ward honors Japan’s war dead, as well as convicted war criminals, who were dedicated at Yasukuni in the 1970s.

I am sure that this is a positive step toward acceptance and knowledge, especially for the younger generation.

Must-See Japanese Castles

There are so many castles that are worth visiting if you ever go to Japan. Unfortunately, we cannot cover all of them, so let’s just take a look at some of those that you should not miss.

Considered to be Japan’s most awe-inspiring castle, the Himeji Castle should definitely be at the top of your list. This castle was never destroyed due to the wars of the past and the original structure still stands. The castle is, in fact, considered a National Treasure and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Himeji is easily accessible from Kyoto.

The Matsumoto Castle is another destination that should not be missed. This castle is relatively complete and most of the original structure still stands. The Matsumoto Castle is built on a plain instead of a mountain or a hill and provides a spectacular view for visitors.

Though it has been reconstructed over the years, the Osaka Castle is still one of the best castles to visit. Within its walls, visitors can visit a museum that showcases the life of Toyotomi Hideoyoshi as well as the castle’s history.

The Nijo Castle is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is also accessible from Kyoto. Though most of the original structure was destroyed by a fire, what remains is still something that should be experienced.

Where Do Japanese Castles Originate From?

This might be a no-brainer, but after reading the previous post on the existence of Japanese castles, didn’t you become interested on how they came to be? Where did Japanese castles come from?

Just like most castles around the world, Japanese castles were brought about because of two main things. One, feudal lords were constantly engaged in battle with each other, resulting in the need for a safe haven. Two, feudal lords wanted to show off their wealth and power and having an extravagant abode was one of the ways to do so.

Actually, the first reason is perhaps the more compelling of the two. The need for strong defenses first arose in the Nara period, which was around 545-794. It was during this time that the feudal lords reached the peak of their fighting. As such, the primary reason for them to build castles was to fortify their dwelling places. Among the measures that they employed were to build moats and walls around their property, hoard food and supplies within the walls, and build towers in the center of the castle to be able to view the surrounding area where the enemy would be.

After the feuding eras, during the Meiji Restoration in particular, there was no need for strong defenses anymore. During this time, many feudal castles were destroyed – either because of natural disasters or by the hands of men.

Today, there are still some of the original castles that remain standing. Many of them have been restored and are popular tourist destinations.

Becoming Aware Of Japanese Castles

When one hears the word castles in the western context, we normally think of European buildings built in the medieval period. This is something that is totally cultural. Yet for someone from the east, perhaps a different vision pops into his mind when castles are mentioned. Indeed, the Japanese castles are quite different from their European counterparts but they are no less majestic and awe-inspiring.

I didn’t realize that there are so many kinds of castles scattered all over Japan. I think that I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg when I read a few articles on what Japan has to offer in terms of castles. One very interesting site that gives a lot of information on Japanese castles is The Castles of Kyushu. It is a very comprehensive site which is full of content that is a result of the personal experiences of the web site owner, Daniel O’Grady. I suggest that, if you want to learn more about the Japanese castles, you start with this web site.

There are countless resources that can be found all over the web, however, when it comes to Japanese castles. Now that my interest has been caught by this topic, I think I shall do a bit more of research myself. I encourage you to join me in this journey to discover Japanese castles in the next few posts.