Ichijoji

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:07:22 +0000Shimada BijutsukanswordYagyu Renyasaimonkey reaching for the moonBada Shanrensumi-eHasegawa TohakuJoseishi KendanSt. Regis HotelTakarazukamoviesZenIkedayabooksFushikihenShinsengumiswordShinkyu-ryuShirakura DengoemonstrategyUemura ShoenBakumatsunatureswordsmanshipHosokawa tadaokiEisei-Bunko CollectionIchimeiGanryuregional strategyKozomomijiUlfulsSumitomo CollectionIchiro Ozawashorin-zuHeigentsubaKano schoolsymbolismDeath of a SamuraidragonYamaguchi AkiraTakashi MiikeKumamoto Prefectural MuseumKyotolearningbasicsSanjo BridgeIshikawa IdayuuVagabond sumi-eNeko no MyojutsuIshida MitsunariGyozocatfish and gourdnamako tsubasoccerYagyu tsubaInoue TakehikoMangiarottiKato KiyomasaAutumn leavesMatsuura Seizanpoliticssaya no uchiNadiSaigo TakamoriArtTsukuhara Bokudensamurai arms and armourTakuanThe Samurai MindMartial artsMusashiChinese strategyKatakiuchi GanryujimaHirayama Shiryukoshiraegibbonzengared leaves cuthistorypoetryNeo-ConfucianismVictor Harrissumi-e dragonIto Jakuchusamuraiink paintingKaneiecalligraphySakamoto Ryomanamazu tsubaSamurai SoulKondo IsamiIchijojiSumi-e, strategy and swordsmanship - inspired by the arts of Miyamoto Musashihttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)Blogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-1061355427678167640Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:51:00 +00002012-01-22T05:58:34.175-08:00KyotoZendragonsumi-eKano schoolArtsumi-e dragonThe Master Dragon Painters Kano Tanyu: ceiling painting, Unryu, Myoshinji Temple, Kyoto Dragons have been depicted in Japan in a variety of different media, but the one that has produced some of the most powerful dragon art, reflecting the mysterious qualities of the dragon itself, is sumi-e. Viewing dragons can be a bit of a hit or miss affair - so here is a quick overview, with a few of the more notable artists' workhttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2012/01/master-dragon-painters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-6819835725661467134Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:14:00 +00002012-01-03T21:26:30.738-08:00dragonsumi-eink paintingArtMusashisumi-e dragonHappy Year of the Dragon A very quick post wishing all of a you a Happy New Year, and a thank-you for your support and kind comments. I hope that you will continue to read and find what I put up here interesting... As some of you know, the Japanese New Year is a mix of the Chinese and western styles, taking the Chinese horoscope and applying it on a western calendar, which means that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon! http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-year-of-dragon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-6982542255217169858Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:52:00 +00002011-12-21T18:52:54.610-08:00sumi-eink paintingArtMusashizengamonkey reaching for the moonsymbolismA Deeper Reading of Musashi's Painting I always say, if anyone asks me, that in order to appreciate art, you should try and see work in the flesh. It took me quite a while to come to this conclusion, until after my time at university anyway, when I started travelling to a few different countries and seeing what had, until then, been simply pictures in a book. The difference is startling - some works really grew in stature, others http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/12/deeper-reading-of-musashis-painting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-3708609567076397580Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:10:00 +00002011-12-12T02:10:27.033-08:00moviesTakashi MiikesamuraiDeath of a SamuraiIchimeiIchimei - Death of a Samurai At last I made it to the cinema to see Ichimei - I had been meaning to go ever since it was released. After 13 Assassins, I was expecting good things from Miike, the director. This was another remake of a film from the 60s, and one which, like 13 Assassins, contained an overt political element in its criticism of the arbitrary powers of the feudal system, an obvious reference to Japanese societyhttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/12/ichimei-death-of-samurai.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-6916371104107226217Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:57:00 +00002011-11-23T00:57:32.471-08:00red leaves cutmomijiAutumn leavesMusashiswordsmanshipVictor HarrissymbolismMomiji - Autumn Leaves and their symbolism This is the season of momiji or koyo - the brilliant autumn leaves of the maples. It is one of the principal images of autumn in Japan - appearing in plays, poems and paintings. In fact now is the peak of the maple leaf viewing season in Kyoto - the popular sites are heaving with crowds of tourists engaged in momijigari - maple leaf hunting. Momiji Uchi - The red leaves cut Those interested http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/11/momiji-autumn-leaves-and-their.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-8811195068307777073Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:48:00 +00002011-11-11T00:48:59.801-08:00ZenFushikihenNeo-ConfucianismJoseishi KendanMatsuura SeizanlearninghistoryswordsmanshipThe Samurai MindThe Confucian Swordsman II  I hadn't meant to write about this, but somehow I found myself doing it. I think I have mentioned Inoue's marvelous Vagabond before, but it's one of those things you can't have too much of. Of all the swordsmen of Japan, Miyamoto Musashi is probably the one who has caught the imagination most strongly: the subject of plays, novels, non-fiction, several TV series and http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-on-vagabond.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-6595739752632471016Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:46:00 +00002011-06-18T00:57:43.925-07:00KyotoSanjo BridgeIkedayasamuraiBakumatsuswordsmanshipInformation Rich Advertising for the Ikeda-ya on Sanjo Street Japan, and particularly Kyoto, it seems, is an extremely information rich environment: walking through the streets, on odd corners, outside temples or next to bridges, you can often see information boards or stone markers to inform passers-by of the historical importance of each location, as well as a huge number and variety of notices everywhere http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/06/information-rich.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-3054665276873306596Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:10:00 +00002011-06-01T07:17:04.260-07:00Ishida MitsunarisamuraihistoryArtTakarazukaGo Grrrls - Ishida Mitsunari, the Musical The Takurazuka Revue is not really my cup of tea, but the poster looks dramatic. For those of you who don't know, Takurazuka is an all female affair - playing to almost permanently packed houses, composed of devotees and wannabees. Like much of Japanese theatre, it is an institution and a way of life. There is a continual procession of new plays, many of them set in romantic European settings, http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/06/go-grrrls-ishida-mitsunari-musical.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-8006110520326101730Sat, 21 May 2011 14:54:00 +00002011-05-21T07:54:52.825-07:00strategyTsukuhara BokudenFushikihenlearningswordsmanshipIt's not where you're looking but what you look at This is section of a painting by Ryohei Yamashita..used for the cover of a novel about (and entitled?) Bokuden One of the challenges of studying a discipline in another language is understanding the multiple meanings that pertain to certain expressions. I have often found myself quite able to understand an expression in a particular context, only to fail to realise its wider implications or,http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-not-where-youre-looking-but-what.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-2366840687922773924Tue, 03 May 2011 10:52:00 +00002011-05-03T03:52:26.973-07:00historyMusashisymbolismMon - the gateway A quick sketch I did the other day - a typical mon in Japan The gateway (or gate), which is called mon in Japanese, is an inescapable part of the landscape, both in the city and in the countryside. Perhaps it is not odd that such a powerful architectural feature should have become part of the conceptual landscape of the culture, but the way in which it has done so is quite different from whathttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/05/mon-gateway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-6412354072477446342Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:28:00 +00002011-04-24T09:28:03.497-07:00UlfulssamuraiSamurai SoulSamurai SoulI got a bit busy this week, so only this for now: a light-hearted look at samurai life. Sword practice in the back garden Writing about Hirayama Shiryu for the past couple of weeks, put me in mind of this - a life where everything is subsumed into the world of martial arts. It's from the music video for the song Samurai Soul by the pop/rock group Ulfuls. Good song - kind of quirky, soulful http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/04/samurai-soul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-21886818174170067Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:19:00 +00002011-04-17T07:19:31.361-07:00Hirayama ShiryuMartial artsHeigensamuraiswordsmanshipHirayama Shiryu - some stories Hirayama Shiryu was a rare character, obsessive when it came to the world of bugei (martial arts). All the stories I have heard about him bear out his forceful character and his emphasis on determination and courage as the key components of martial arts. This example of his calligraphy reads "Angry Frog" - it can be pronounced onomatopoeically "Do-a". It refers to the story of a frog that http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/04/hirayama-shiryu-some-stories.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-4608103768408709831Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:04:00 +00002011-04-12T05:51:37.754-07:00Hirayama ShiryuGyozoHeigenKozoThe Samurai MindMy swordsmanship is for killing!A brief introduction to Hirayama Shiryu (1759-1828) (Shiryu was one of several pen names he used along with Kozo, Gyozo to name but two, and his real name, Heigen), one of the fiercest and most uncompromising swordsmen of the mid-late Edo period. What better way to introduce him, than by a picture of his dojo. Apparently out of bounds to women apart from his mother..who was apparently a http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-swordsmanship-is-for-killing-enemy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-2752673425237021428Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:53:00 +00002011-04-02T06:32:35.654-07:00Joseishi KendanMatsuura SeizanswordsmanshipThe Samurai MindSecrets in daily life - the Joseishi Kendan A statue of Seizan in Hirado, his sometime domain, near Nagasaki. This is the second of the works that I translated in The Samurai Mind, and it is one that is rather different from Neko No Myojutsu, and well worth taking a closer look at. The Joseishi Kendan is a bit like a garage sale, but though it might be a bit messy and confusing, there's something for everyone. It consists of a host ofhttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/04/secrets-in-daily-life-joseishi-kendan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-5005366189007456047Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:59:00 +00002011-03-26T01:59:15.475-07:00Martial artssamuraibooksNeko no MyojutsuswordsmanshipThe Samurai MindNeko No Myojutsu - The Mysterious Skills of the Old Cat The Cornered Rat Attacks the Cat - Ogata Gekko (1892) Neko no Myojutsu is a story that many people will be familiar with. I first came across it as a student in DT Suzuki's Zen and Japanese Culture, an important but somewhat flawed book in this field, and subsequently it was the first text on swordsmanship that I read in Japanese, being already familiar with the story. It was also the genesishttp://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/03/neko-no-myojutsu-mysterious-skills-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-629381298475853605Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:06:00 +00002011-03-20T21:06:10.429-07:00learningbookshistoryThe Samurai MindThe Inner secrets - Questioning Old ManualsIssun saki wa yami - an inch ahead is darkness Of course, here, the disastrous events of the 11th are on everyone's mind. With a rising death toll and thousands missing, even for those not directly involved, it serves as a reminder of just how precarious life can be. This is something that has formed a continuous theme in many expressions of Japanese culture, artistic and literary, and has http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/03/inner-secrets-questioning-old-manuals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682939514101632557.post-1477075951111197458Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:45:00 +00002011-03-05T03:45:42.239-08:00Shinkyu-ryustrategyIshikawa IdayuuSaigo TakamoriswordsmanshipThe Samurai MindIshikawa Idayuu - the unknown swordsman @font-face { font-family: "Palatino"; }@font-face { font-family: "Osaka"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Ishikawa Idayuu (1825-1894)Occasionally a name or an incident will crop up that will make you want to stop and find out more. Names of people long dead continue to http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2011/03/ishikawa-idayuu-unknown-swordsman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Chris Hellman)0