I have recently returned from my first trip to Japan. I spent ten days in the country and my first impressions of the land and people was very positive.
For years I have dreamt of going to Japan. I have studied Japanese Martial Arts since 2002 and have followed certain cultural customs in the dojo without having the full context of what I was doing or why. I had read about Japan, eaten the West's version of Japanese food and worn a keikogi and hakama. However, I had not immersed myself in the culture of the country...until now.
I had read differing stories about how the Japanese treat westerners, some stories spoke of subtle and deep-rooted racism, others spoke about having the best time of their lives over there. I went with an open mind and with great excitement. From a martial arts point of view I have heard that you can't truly experience koryu bujutsu without living in Japan. I have heard that this is not necessarily the case as well. Having been to Japan I now have a better understanding of why living in Japan would enhance some aspects of koryu training. However, the modern Japanese person does not train in this archaic pursuit anymore than a modern westerner. As mentioned by Threadgill sensei, Takamura sensei believed that modern Japanese culture is almost as divorced from Japanese feudal culture as is modern western culture, therefore the location of training is irrelevant. With this reasoning in mind, provided you have a good teacher that follows key cultural customs then it can probably be done outside of Japan. Being immersed in the culture, even for a short time like I was certainly helps though.
The reason my family and I went to Japan was due to my wife, Ricci, and her research in physiology education. She had been asked to create a science poster of her results and present it at an international conference in Kobe, Japan. Of course, I said that if she is going to Japan, then I am coming as well. We had already discussed taking our two daughters overseas when they were eleven and eight which was this year. So very quickly we decided that Ricci's two day conference would turn into our family's ten day holiday.
We decided to do most of our holiday prior to the conference so we started in Tokyo and stayed two nights. We then took the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto and spent three nights there. While in Kyoto we did a day trip to Kurama. After Kyoto we went to Kobe for Ricci's conference and then we took an indirect route back to Tokyo via Fuefuki (near Kofu) for a night in a traditional Japanese room with onsen.
There were many highlights to the trip and the experiences exceeded my expectations. To actually see things and try things that I had read about for years was hugely satisfying and in some cases affirming. The walk up Mount Kurama was of particular significance as this is the same pilgrimage Takamura sensei would do on a regular basis over the years to pray at Yuki Shrine which is on this mountain.
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| Shrine Gate of Yuki Jinja |
To pray at the same shrine as Takamura sensei was an honour and a privilege. The area is charged with energy and the day we went it was quiet and peaceful amongst the trees of the surrounding forest.
Near the top of the mountain is a large temple called Kurama-dera. Many smaller shrines can be found during the climb to the top and I also prayed at a shrine dedicated to a water kami right beside the main hall of the temple. It really is a spiritual experience climbing this mountain.
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| Kurama-dera main hall. |
One thing that really became clear to me, beyond a mere theoretical stand point is how Buddhism and Shinto are so entwined in Japanese life. Even in the most densely populated urban areas of Tokyo, temples and shrines can be found alongside hyper modern buildings. In fact, the first shrine I prayed at was a very old shrine called Shiba-Daijinju shrine in Tokyo. At Atago shrine (also in Tokyo) we even had the luck to witness a Shinto wedding. Our guides said that was unusual as most Japanese get married with a christian ceremony.
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| The steep stairs are a famous feature of Atago Shrine. |
The importance of bowing, the kamidana and the Japanese terms used in the dojo were put into context in Japan. It is a society built on politeness and rules as well as spiritual practises related to Shinto and Buddhism. Experiencing life in Japan (even for the short time that it was) made things I have been doing and thinking about in my martial arts practise fall into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I feel proud to be carrying on these traditions in my own way in my small dojo here in Te Miro, NZ.
What was also very clear is that my martial practice follows a very old way of thinking. The traditional parts of Kyoto and Kurama village speak to my heart. It is here where I feel most at home. The modern Japanese landscape is a different experience altogether.
The Japanese people are incredibly polite. Despite the large population density in the cities, we were never bumped or pushed in large crowds. We learned the Japanese phrases to greet people and say thank you. These phrases were very useful.
I happened to be sitting next to another kiwi while travelling on the shinkansen and he lived in Japan ten years ago. He said the place had changed a lot in this time. When he lived in the country there was no English signage and hardly anyone spoke English. Japan wasn't interested in foreign tourism. However, since the bubble of their economy has burst they realised that the foreign tourist can support their economy and change began to make Japan more friendly to the western visitor. I certainly felt welcomed as a tourist in Japan.
It is a place I hope to travel back to some day.
