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yamagata day 2
Managed to get a couple of hours sleep, though I think the party last night raged until about 3 or 4 in the morning.
Didn't get up in time for the purification ceremony down the hall, but the thumping taiko drum woke me up.
Gray and drizzly, and the mountains were wrapped in mist as we drove up to Hagurosan.
Once again we entered the main shrine and did a short purification ceremony, and then Niina-gosoke did a small demo in the innner main hall as an offering to the shrine.
Once again we went next door and practiced for a couple of hours. It was pretty cool, actually, with the sound of the rain and all the doors open to forest and shrine grounds.
Exhausted, we got back on the bus about noon, drove into town for lunch, and then started back to Tokyo.
Traffic was light and we made it to Tokyo Station just at 9:30pm.
Didn't get up in time for the purification ceremony down the hall, but the thumping taiko drum woke me up.
Gray and drizzly, and the mountains were wrapped in mist as we drove up to Hagurosan.
Once again we entered the main shrine and did a short purification ceremony, and then Niina-gosoke did a small demo in the innner main hall as an offering to the shrine.
Once again we went next door and practiced for a couple of hours. It was pretty cool, actually, with the sound of the rain and all the doors open to forest and shrine grounds.
Exhausted, we got back on the bus about noon, drove into town for lunch, and then started back to Tokyo.
Traffic was light and we made it to Tokyo Station just at 9:30pm.
yamagata
Got on the bus at Tokyo Station and left right on time: 11pm. Stopping every 2 hours, we got to Yamagata Prefecture at 6 in the morning. Breakfast at a highway rest stop, then a visit to Iai Shrine; dedicated to the Father Of Iai, Hayashizaki Sensei.
Path leading back to the shrine
Niina-gosoke checking out the shrine
The photo is of Nakamura Kenzaburo performing Toyama-ryu
Various arts/sensei, including Mugairyu, Ishii Gogetsu, and others that we know and/or have trained with
Back on the bus we wound our way through the still-snowy mountains and got to Miyashita-bo by 11 am. Miyashita-san was born and raised here, and she's the only one in her family to leave Yamagata. We had a huge lunch and then rode the bus up to Hagurosan, a stunning temple at the top of the mountain built in 593 (yes, that's over 1400 years ago.)
The priests did a purification ceremony for us and then we practiced for a couple of hours in the hall next to the temple.
After practice, we walked down the 2466 hand-laid stone steps to the bottom of the mountain, walked back to Yamashita-bo, hit the bath, and had dinner.
The 300 year-old Japanese cedar are as dangerous as they are majestic. My nose hasn't stopped running, my whole head is stuffed up, I haven't slept in over a day, I walked down 2466 hand-laid stone steps through the mountains, and my allergies are not having fun.
Plus, our room happens to be right next door to the party room where everyone else will be drinking the night away.
Path leading back to the shrine
Niina-gosoke checking out the shrine
The photo is of Nakamura Kenzaburo performing Toyama-ryu
Various arts/sensei, including Mugairyu, Ishii Gogetsu, and others that we know and/or have trained with
Back on the bus we wound our way through the still-snowy mountains and got to Miyashita-bo by 11 am. Miyashita-san was born and raised here, and she's the only one in her family to leave Yamagata. We had a huge lunch and then rode the bus up to Hagurosan, a stunning temple at the top of the mountain built in 593 (yes, that's over 1400 years ago.)
The priests did a purification ceremony for us and then we practiced for a couple of hours in the hall next to the temple.
After practice, we walked down the 2466 hand-laid stone steps to the bottom of the mountain, walked back to Yamashita-bo, hit the bath, and had dinner.
The 300 year-old Japanese cedar are as dangerous as they are majestic. My nose hasn't stopped running, my whole head is stuffed up, I haven't slept in over a day, I walked down 2466 hand-laid stone steps through the mountains, and my allergies are not having fun.
Plus, our room happens to be right next door to the party room where everyone else will be drinking the night away.
toyoda
Niina-gosoke took us to Hashimoto-san's restaurant Toyoda, just down the street from Honbu Dojo.
The building a really cool and the food was awesome: traditional multi-course meal in a beautiful room w/a traditional balcony garden. Couldn't believe we were in the middle of 21st century Nihonbashi.
The building a really cool and the food was awesome: traditional multi-course meal in a beautiful room w/a traditional balcony garden. Couldn't believe we were in the middle of 21st century Nihonbashi.
tokyo journal
With Yuki's help I've pulled the original Tokyo Journal website out of archive and given it new life.
Still not sure how much of the original I should fix; part of the charm is how old-school it is. Remember: this was end of 1994/beginning of 1995. Pre-Internet bubble, pre-internet everything just about. And in Tokyo no less.
Also, the last two months, April and May, were done under particulary stressful circumstances.
Check it out in original 640x480
Still not sure how much of the original I should fix; part of the charm is how old-school it is. Remember: this was end of 1994/beginning of 1995. Pre-Internet bubble, pre-internet everything just about. And in Tokyo no less.
Also, the last two months, April and May, were done under particulary stressful circumstances.
Check it out in original 640x480
politics
So what is it with people getting so concerned over a piece of paper and a title? Even as they get older, all they seem to care about more and more is status, as determined by some rank or certification or pile of money.
Very strange to me, but then it seems like it's been that way for as long as people have come together and given each other fancy titles.
Well all the titles in the world won't stop your enemy's sword from taking your head off, so enjoy your certificates and scrolls and titles.
Very strange to me, but then it seems like it's been that way for as long as people have come together and given each other fancy titles.
Well all the titles in the world won't stop your enemy's sword from taking your head off, so enjoy your certificates and scrolls and titles.
work
For the first time in what seems like a very long time, I did not go to practice tonight. Naganuma-sensei has some kind of gnarly foot infection or something, and his whole leg is swollen up.
So instead of going to practice, I spent 12 hours in the office working. Used to be I would do that 4-6 days a week, 3 weeks a month. And then...I got over it.
Don't get me wrong: my job is cool (and my dept head reads my blog -- hi hammer!) and the people I work with are cool and the work I do now is cool. But work is work; it pays the bills. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I certainly wouldn't still work every day to keep busy. I'd build a really big dojo and invite everyone over for training, all day, every day. And probably play more video games, too.
So instead of going to practice, I spent 12 hours in the office working. Used to be I would do that 4-6 days a week, 3 weeks a month. And then...I got over it.
Don't get me wrong: my job is cool (and my dept head reads my blog -- hi hammer!) and the people I work with are cool and the work I do now is cool. But work is work; it pays the bills. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I certainly wouldn't still work every day to keep busy. I'd build a really big dojo and invite everyone over for training, all day, every day. And probably play more video games, too.
comments
You may now comment at your leisure. Readers are reminded, however, of two things:
1) This blog's sole purpose is to transmit to the masses the ramblings of the author. Your comments are at best a minor distraction. (You got something to say, make your own damn blog.)
2) The author's mother is a frequent reader of this blog. So keep it in yer pants, tough guy.
1) This blog's sole purpose is to transmit to the masses the ramblings of the author. Your comments are at best a minor distraction. (You got something to say, make your own damn blog.)
2) The author's mother is a frequent reader of this blog. So keep it in yer pants, tough guy.
innocence
Drab and rainy day, but regardless Hiroko and I spent the afternoon checking out the area around Shinagawa Station. They have a new New York theme just on the other (Bullet Train) side of the station; NY-style deli and whatnot. It's all fairly cheesey, not very NY at all, and for some reason the water fountains are named Columbus Circle, etc. Only in Japan.
We goofed off in the bowling alley arcade, had some lunch at TGIF's, and then hit the IMAX theatre to see Innocence. I didn't really get it, but the animation was stunning.
We goofed off in the bowling alley arcade, had some lunch at TGIF's, and then hit the IMAX theatre to see Innocence. I didn't really get it, but the animation was stunning.
all thumbs
Cutting practice at Akabane. Dragged Komatsu-chan down to practice and she did really well for her first time cutting. Orita-san cut her thumb when warming up, and I did pretty well considering I'm still jet-lagging. Can't wait to move so that I can cut in my own basement whenever I want.
more tokyo journal photos
Put up a few more photos from dinner with the old TJ crew. I still need to dig all the old TJ website archives off of ZipDisk and put them up on the web somehwere -- we were doing the coolest stuff back in 1995!
masamune sword shop
Drove up to Redlands to Mike Christianson's shop and met Ted Tenold and Keith Larman. Niina-gosoke worked with Ted to draw and spec out the long and short swords that he'll have Howard Clark forge for him. I bought that killer wakizashi that Ted will polish and mount for me, and Niina-gosoke bought a nice tsuba set for his HC blades. He also bought a set of tsukagashira and menuki that match his Soten-style tsuba on his sword now. So when we go back to Japan he'll switch out the current fittings and send them back to Ted to go on his HC, as they match perfectly to the tsuba he bought at Mike's shop. Tony also bought a book that has Shiokawa-gosoke and Iwameji-sensei on the cover. We've only ever seen the French version of the book; the English version is quite rare. And there was even a random antique box with Niina-gosoke's mon (family crest) on it; a rarely used version of the crossed hawk feathers.
Some may call it luck, but in Japanese we call it en: fate.
Some may call it luck, but in Japanese we call it en: fate.
seminar day four
Hot hot HOT in the dojo today. Must have been at least 100F but that didn't stop us. Niina-gosoke ran through the first seven tanjo kata that we did yesterday, and then we did the last five to finish up the set of twelve. Everyone really enjoyed smacking each other, so that took all morning. Had more In-n-Out for lunch and then we grabbed all the video cameras and gosoke ran through the 12 tanjo kata again really slowly explaining all the different details, footwork, and moves.
Then we started doing jo, with gosoke explaining the difference between the old-school Shindomusoryu and modern seitei kata. We ran through ukan for a few hours and then gosoke finished up the day by showing everyone the twleve basic patterns of jo as explaining and being filmed.
After the seminar we came back to the house, showered, changed, and went out for some Italian. Tony's daughter Madison came with us and was really cute holding Raven, Verdugo's adorable baby daughter.
Back at the house we talked smack and wound down as folks dropped out to drive and/or fly home.
A good seminar was had by all.
Then we started doing jo, with gosoke explaining the difference between the old-school Shindomusoryu and modern seitei kata. We ran through ukan for a few hours and then gosoke finished up the day by showing everyone the twleve basic patterns of jo as explaining and being filmed.
After the seminar we came back to the house, showered, changed, and went out for some Italian. Tony's daughter Madison came with us and was really cute holding Raven, Verdugo's adorable baby daughter.
Back at the house we talked smack and wound down as folks dropped out to drive and/or fly home.
A good seminar was had by all.
seminar day three: party!
Finished up the day doing wakizashi kodachi and then starting the tanjo kata. Back at the house we had a ripping party for Bill Arno's birthday among other things. William The Clean was tattooing Verdugo in the garage, adding his daughter Raven's name to his back. Big Tony was mixing Margeritas at the bar, and the back yard was jumping with veggies and dip, sandwiches, burgers, and dogs. Yours truly spent a luxorious hour in the living room with Diane cranking all the knots out of my back and legs, and Niina-gosoke enjoyed the spicy buffallo wings and beverages.
We watched the worst video ever, I bought a killer wakizashi from Ted, and then finally went to bed way too late.
We watched the worst video ever, I bought a killer wakizashi from Ted, and then finally went to bed way too late.
seminar day two
Finished up the basic twenty kata and then after lunch had a promotion exam. Everyone was really nervous, but Niina-gosoke had already seen everyone's kata, so he just had fun hearing everyone recite the Japanese Member's Duties and Principles in Japanese.
After practice we all went out to El Ranchitos for some killer Mexican food; Niina-gosoke had a giant steak and I had wonderful chicken fajitas. After dinner we can back to the house and watched the Nami-ryu DVD. Niina-gosoke was...amused. He figured all the kids who are into anime can do Nami-ryu and play samurai and have fun, and that's cool, as long as the don't think they're actually learning anything that real samurai were doing.
After practice we all went out to El Ranchitos for some killer Mexican food; Niina-gosoke had a giant steak and I had wonderful chicken fajitas. After dinner we can back to the house and watched the Nami-ryu DVD. Niina-gosoke was...amused. He figured all the kids who are into anime can do Nami-ryu and play samurai and have fun, and that's cool, as long as the don't think they're actually learning anything that real samurai were doing.
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