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Matsumoto Masanobu
was a semi-legendary Japanese warrior and founder of the Kashima Shin-ryū school of swordsmanship and a member of the noble lineage of the ancient Ki clan (Ki no Miyatsuko 紀伊国造). Matsumoto Masanobu's (Bizen no Kami was a court title) birth date is uncertain, but is believed to have been around 1467. His family was one of four families, the Kashima Shiten'ō (litt. the 4 Deva Kings), whose hereditary duties included the upkeep of the Kashima Shrine in Kashima, Ibaraki. The three others were called Ogano, Gakuga and Yoshikawa. He remained in the Kashima area for his whole life, which may explain his lack of fame compared to that of his students Tsukahara Bokuden and Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, both of whom travelled extensively. According to one legend, Matsumoto received the secrets of swordsmanship in a dream from the Kashima Shrine's tutelary deity, Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto. Another legend tells that he learned his sword techniques from Iizasa Ienao, founder of the Tenshin Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashima Shin-ryū
is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art whose foundation dates back to the early 16th century. Friday, Karl F. with Seki Humitake, ''Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima Shin-ryū and Samurai Martial Culture'', Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1997. The art developed some notoriety in Japan during the early 20th century under Kunii Zen'ya (1894-1966), the 18th generation ''sōke'' (headmaster). The current ''sōke'' is the 21st generation, Kunii Masakatsu. While the line is still headed by the Kunii family, the title of ''sōke'' is now largely honorific, and the responsibility for the preservation and transmission of the ryūha now lies in the ''shihanke'' line, currently represented by the 19th generation, Seki Humitake. History The characters ''Kashima'' 鹿島 are in honor of the deity enshrined in the Kashima Shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, who is supposed to have provided the divine inspiration (''shin'' 神) for Kashima Shin-ryū. The earliest element ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenjutsu
is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum. Kenjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan, means "methods, techniques, and the art of the Japanese sword". This is opposed to kendo, which means "the way of the sword" and uses a bamboo sword (shinai) and protective armour (bōgu). The exact activities and conventions undertaken when practicing ''kenjutsu'' vary from school to school, where the word school here refers to the practice, methods, ethics, and metaphysics of a given tradition, yet commonly include practice of battlefield techniques without an opponent and techniques whereby two practitioners perform '' kata'' (featuring full contact strikes to the body in some styles and no body contact strikes permitted in others). Altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Clans
This is a list of Japanese clans. The old clans (''Gōzoku'') mentioned in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian Period, during which new aristocracies and families, '' Kuge'', emerged in their place. After the Heian Period, the samurai warrior clans gradually increased in importance and power until they came to dominate the country after the founding of the first shogunate. Ancient clan names There are ancient-era clan names called or . Imperial Clan * The Imperial clan – descended from Amaterasu. Its emperors and clan members have no clan name but had been called "the royal clan" () if necessary. Four noble clans , 4 noble clans of Japan: * Minamoto clan ( 源氏) – also known as Genji (源氏) or Genke (源家); 21 cadet branches of Imperial House of Japan. ** Daigo Genji ( 醍醐源氏) – descended from 60th emperor Daigo. ** Go-Daigo Genji ( 後醍醐源氏) – descended from 96th emperor Go-Daigo. ** Go-Fukakusa Genji ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kabane
were Japanese hereditary noble titles. Their use traces back to ancient times when they began to be used as titles signifying a family's political and social status. History As the national unification by the Yamato imperial court progressed, a ''kabane'' was given to the most powerful families by the imperial court, which gradually became a hereditary noble title. During the ancient times, new ''kabane'' were made and there were almost thirty of them. Some of the more common ''kabane'' were , , ''Sukune'' (宿禰), , , , , , and . The descendants of the Imperial family were given '' Omi'' and the descendants of gods were given ''Muraji'', and out of these, the most influential families were given '' Ōomi'' and ''Ōmuraji''. During the Taika Reform, these were however abolished, and the kabane was no longer tied to a specific occupation or political position, but simply began to signify a family's aristocratic lineage and social status. In 684, the traditional ''kabane'' sys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashima Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is dedicated to , one of the patron deities of martial arts. Various dōjō of ''kenjutsu'' and ''kendō'' often display a hanging scroll emblazoned with the name "Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami". Prior to World War II, the shrine was ranked as one of the three most important imperial shrines in the Shinto hierarchy, along with Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 ''Ise Jingū'') and Katori Shrine (香取神宮 ''Katori Jingū''). During the New Year period, from the first to the third of January, Kashima Shrine is visited by over 600,000 people from all over Japan. It is the second most visited shrine in Ibaraki prefecture for new year pilgrims. Introduction Kashima Shrine is located at the top of the Kashima plateau in south-east Ibaraki Prefecture, intersecting Lake Kitaura and Kashima Bay and in close proximity to Katori Shrine, which also has a strong connection to the martial arts. The shrine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashima, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 67,197 in 28,873 households and a population density of 634 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 31.5%. The total area of the city is . Kashima is the home of the J. League's Kashima Antlers. Its home field, Kashima Soccer Stadium, was used as a site during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The city is also the site of the Kashima Shrine, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in eastern Japan, and considered the birthplace of many influential styles of Japanese swordsmanship (''Kenjutsu''). Geography Kashima is located in southeastern Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and Lake Kitaura (Lake Kasumigaura) to the west, with a width of less than 10 kilometers from east-to-west. It is approximately 110 kilometers to the northeast of Tokyo. Surrounding municipalities Ibaraki Prefecture * Itako * Kamisu *Namegata * Hokota Climate Kashima has a Humid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsukahara Bokuden
was a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was described as a '' kensei'' (sword saint). He was the founder of a new Kashima style of kenjutsu, and served as an instructor of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor ''daimyō'' Kitabatake Tomonori. Early life Bokuden was born into the Yoshikawa family within the Hitachi Province of Honshu. The family was one of four Karō families serving the Kashima clan; one of the cadet branches of the Imperial House of Japan (descendants of the ). Bokuden was adopted by the Tsukahara family, an offshoot of the Kashima clan; he was styled as Tsukahara Bokuden Takamoto. Earlier in his life, his name was ''Tsukahara Shin'emon Takamoto''. Career Bokuden learned the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū from his adopted father and later honed his skills by engaging in ''musha shugyō'' (warrior's ascetic training), traveling throughout Japan and training with most of the skillful and knowledgeable swordsmen of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, (上泉 信綱), born Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Hidetsuna, (c.1508 – 1572/1577) was a samurai in Japan's Sengoku period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryū school of combat. He is also well known as Kamiizumi Isenokami (上泉 伊勢守) which was his name as a samurai official (武家官位, Bukekani) for a period of time. Early life Kamiizumi was born as Kamiizumi Hidetsuna in his family castle in Kōzuke Province (modern day Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture). His family were minor landed lords in the service of the Yamanouchi branch of the Uesugi clan.Yagyū, Toshinaga (1957, 1989) ''Shōden Shinkage-ryū''. Kōdansha, reprinted by Shimazu Shobō, . At the time of his birth, Kōzuke Province was being contested by the Uesugi, the Hōjō, and the Takeda clans. His family was originally a branch of the Ōgo clan that moved to nearby Kaigayagō Kamiizumi and took its name for their own. When the main Ōgo clan moved to Musashi Province, the Kamiizu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takemikazuchi
is a deity in Japanese mythology, considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The ''kami'' of Kashima"" (Kashima-no-kami), the chief deity revered in the Kashima Shrine at Kashima, Ibaraki (and all other subsidiary Kashima shrines). In the ''namazu-e'' or catfish pictures of the Edo period, Takemikazuchi/Kashima is depicted attempting to subdue the giant catfish supposedly dwelling at the of the Japanese landmass and causing its earthquakes. Forms of the name In the ''Kojiki'', the god is known as Takemikazuchi-no-o no kami (建御雷之男神 – "Brave Mighty Thunderbolt Man").Heldt, Gustav. ''The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters''. Columbia University Press, 2014. He also bears the alternate names and .『古事記』text p. 27/ mod. Ja. tr. p.213 Birth of the gods In the Kamiumi ("birth of the gods") episodes of the ''Kojiki'', the god of creation I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iizasa Ienao
was the founder of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū which is a traditional ('' koryū'') Japanese martial art. His Buddhist posthumous name is ''Taiganin-den-Taira-no-Ason-Iga-no-Kami-Raiodo-Hon-Daikoji''.''Deity and the Sword, Vol 1 p. 16-17. He was reputed to be a respected spearman and swordsman who served the Chiba family in what is today Chiba Prefecture. When his hometown was destroyed he began wandering the land until he settled down near the Katori Shrine The is a Shintō shrine in the city of Katori in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shimōsa Province, and is the head shrine of the approximately 400 Katori shrines around the country (located primarily in the Kantō ... and founded the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū in c.1447. References * De Lange, William (2006). ''Famous Japanese Swordsmen: The Warring States Period'', Floating World Editions. * Otake, Risuke (1977). ''The Deity and the Sword - Katori Shinto-ryu'', Vol 1, J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of '' bujutsu''. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born in 1387 in Iizasa village (modern Takomachi, Chiba Prefecture), who was living near Katori Shrine ( Sawara City, Chiba Prefecture) at the time. The '' ryū'' gives 1447 as the year it was founded, but some scholars state that it was about 1480.The year 1387 is given as Iizasa's birth year in ''Deity and the Sword'', Vol 1 pp. 16–17. Watatani (1967) speculates that 1417–1420 is correct. History Foundation Iizasa Ienao (飯篠 長威斎 家直 ''Iizasa Chōi-sai Ienao'', c.1387 – c.1488) was a respected spearman and swordsman whose ''daimyō'' was deposed, encouraging him to relinquish control of his household to conduct purification rituals and study martial arts in isolation.Amdur, Ellis (2002). ''Old School: Essays on Japan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shirakawa Domain
was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in southern Mutsu Province. It was centered on Komine Castle in what is now the city of Shirakawa, Fukushima. Its most famous ruler was Matsudaira Sadanobu, the architect of the Kansei Reforms. It was also the scene of one of the battles of the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration. History The Shirakawa Barrier was noted from the Nara period as the border between the “settled” regions of Japan proper, and the “frontier” regions of northern Japan, and was of great strategic importance. During the Sengoku period, the area around Shirakawa was controlled by the rulers of Aizu. In 1627, Niwa Nagashige, one of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s generals, was transferred from Tanakura Domain to the newly established Shirakawa Domain, with a ''kokudaka'' of 100,700 ''koku''. He built Komine Castle, and established the surrounding castle town. He was followed by his son, Niwa Mitsushige in 1637, but the clan was tran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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