Jindai-ji Temple

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Temple Jindai-ji - - A Daruma Market and Sanskrit

深大寺の達磨市と梵字

. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Daruma from Temple Jindai-ji in Mitaka, Chofu　調布 a suburb of Tokyo.

On the belly we have the Chinese characters representing the name of
"Ganzan Daishi" , Gansan Daishi 元三大師.
This is another name for the famous 18th head priest Ryogen of the monastic center at Mount Hiei, Jie Daishi 慈恵大師 of the Tendai sect. Because he was born on the third of January in 985, he got this name. He had great spiritual power in warding off evil in daily life and many stories of his deeds are handed down to us.

Ryōgen 良源 ( 912 – January 31, 985 AD)
was a chief abbot of Enryaku-Temple (Enryaku-ji) in the 10th century, and the founder of the tradition of warrior monks (sōhei).


source :　en.wikipedia.org

Ryōgen is known generally by the names of Gansan Daishi or Tsuno Daishi "Horned Great Master".
The Horned Great Master in Engelbert Kaempfer's History of Japan (1727). On his way to Edo in 1691 Engelbert Kaempfer saw these paper glued to doorposts of many houses. His description published in the History of Japan is correct, but he wrongly called it Gozu Tennō (Ox-head-heaven-king), a deity worshiped at the Gion Shrine (Yasaka Jinja) in Kyotō.

Over the course of the 10th century, there had been a number of disputes between Enryaku-ji and the other temples and shrines of the Kyōto area, many of which were resolved by force. In 970, Ryōgen formed a small army to defend Enryaku-Temple and to serve its interests in these disputes. Records are not fully clear on whether this army consisted of hired mercenaries, or, as would be the case later, trained monks. Most likely, this first temple standing army was a mercenary group, separate from the monks, since Ryōgen forbade monks from carrying weapons.

In addition to the prohibition on carrying weapons, Ryōgen's monks were subject to a list of 26 articles released by Ryōgen in 970; they were forbidden from covering their faces, inflicting corporal punishment, violently interrupting prayer services, or leaving Mount Hiei during their 12-year training.

He is also called "Master Warding Off Evil" (mayoke daishi 魔除大師、gooma daishi 降魔大師).

There was a statue of Ganzan Daishi in the temple Jidai-ji, but in the Muromachi period there was a great fire and only this statue was saved, since it flew all by itself into the nearby pond 五大尊池. This episode even strengthened the belief of the people in the supernatural powers of this great master, which is alive until our days. The unification of this Great Master and Daruma san to ward off evil should have a double effect on your good luck, so on the yearly temple festival on Marach 3 and 4 there is a big Daruma market in the temple grounds, where you can buy all kinds of good-luck Daruma dolls.

You can ask a priest to paint in the left eye, in this case not the round pupil but the first syllable of Sanskrit A ｢阿｣ to indicate the beginning of your good-luck period. When the wish is fullfilled, you have the syllable UN ｢吽｣, the last syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet painted in the right eye. A is the first sound pronounced while opening your mouth, it is the origin of all sounds and represents the origin of all life, the woumb. UN is the last sound when closing your mouth. (A-UN is the Japanese pronunciation; usually we know this sound as the holy mantram OM or AUM.) In this way at Jindai-ji you have a reliable means to reinforce Daruma san's already salutary properties.

We find these symbols of open and closed mouth also for example in the pair of lion-dogs (koma-inu 狛犬) sitting on both sides of the entrance to a shrine or temple, warding off any evil spirits. A can also be interpreted as the entrance to life and UN the entrance to death.

In esoteric Buddhism there is also a tradition to meditate on a hanging scroll of this syllable as the symbol for Buddha, called "Visualisation of the Syllable A" (ajikan 阿字観), which we will study a little more further down this story.



The Sanskrit letter A

In the Daruma rendering of Jindai-ji we can feel the history of Daruma coming from India, going through many changes on the way and now through the painting of the eyes being the condensed symobl of the people's wish for long life, happiness, warding off evil and getting benefits in this world.
By the way, there is one more temple in the Kanto area where Ganzan Daishi is revered and an annual Daruma market is held, the Kita-In of Kawagoe 川越の喜多院.

. Kawagoe Daruma 川越だるま神輿



According to Prof. McFarland, we can also learn this about Jindai-ji temple.
The Daruma market at Jindai-ji is held in March, closer to the traditional New Year of the Chinese lunar calendar and the beginning of spring. So this event is also called the "inviting of spring" (haru o yobu 春を呼ぶ), as the saying goes:
"In Tokyo spring follows the Jindai-ji Daruma market." Normally the Daruma markets are held on the first three days of the new year in January, to get your good luck for the rest of the year.


The Temple Jindai-ji　深大寺
The temple Jindai-ji is one of the oldest in Tokyo, coming right after the famous Kannon temple in Asakusa and is well known for its Daruma market. After a visit to the temple you can enjoy a meal of buckwheat noodles, another speciality of this area. The main deity enshrined in this temple is Amida Nyorai.
東京では浅草寺についで古い歴史を持つ寺で、春のだるま市は大変賑わう。門前町はほとんどが深大寺そばを食べさせる店である。

There is the beatuiful old entrance gate with many stickers from the pilgrims over the years. You can also see the bronze gong called "Crocodile Mouth" (waniguchi 鰐口).
http://www.jindaiji.co.jp/jindaiji.html






The temple sells of course a lot of talismans and auspicious votive pictures connected with Ganzan Daishi and Daruma Daishi.
元三大師降魔札 だるま絵馬




A New Year arrow for good luck (hamaya 深大寺の破魔矢)



There is also a special beer with the name of the temple. Try it on the way home.
深大寺ビールもありますよ。ご参拝の後にぜひ試してね。
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


The annual Daruma market at Jindai-ji on March 3/4 　三月の達磨市
Some dealers still carry their Daruma dolls in baskets of woven bamboo in the oldfashioned way.
. . . CLICK here for Photos f the daruma market!



After you buy a Daruma, the priest fills in the eye for you, as we have learned.
ご住職が目をいれてくれます。




Jindai-ji also features a Pet Cemetery.　動物の墓地

There is a special Kannon Statue for the Animals
(choojuu Kannon 鳥獣観音)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The temple is named after Jinja DaiOo 深沙大王　
Jin 深ja Dai 大Oo
深沙大将 （じんじゃだいしょう）Jinja Daisho, Jinja Taisho Jinja Taishō
Jinja Shin、深沙神



aka - Tobatsu Bishamonten 兜跋毘沙門天
Protects Capital Cities & Repulses Foreign Invaders
aka Tōhachi Bishamonten 刀八毘沙門天
aka Kōmyō Dai-ō 光明大王 (Great Radient King)
aka Jinja Taishō 深沙大将 (Great General of the Desert)

Says scholar Rosenfield (pp. 181-183):
"This is a notably unfamiliar subject that emerged from Chinese folktales about the [Chinese] pilgrim Xuanzang 玄奘 (Genjo Sanzo) (602–664), whose journey to India and return is one of the central episodes in the transmission of Buddhism in East Asia. Apocrypahl stories describe Xuanzang striding across the deserts west of Dunhuang, losing his water flask, and becoming desperately thirsty and discouraged. He dreamed of a giant figure with halberd who urged him to continue; soon he came to an oasis and was saved. In Chinese commentaries, the giant was an avatar of the Divine King Vaiśravana (Jp. = Bishamon).
A folk cult and its imagery thus developed in China and were transmitted to Japan in the 9th century. There the Desert General became well-enough recognized to be illustrated in the Esoteric Buddhist ritual handbook complied by the Japanese monk Kakuzen 覺禪 (active 12th century). The general also appears as Bishamon in a 14th-century Japanese handscroll illustrating Xuanzang's journey to India .......... emerging from the [statue's] skirt are the heads of two flayed elephants. Adapted from an Indian custom of clothing gods in animal skins, the elephants imply that the deity is endowed with power superior to that of the animal."
source : Mark Schumacher


- - - Legend knows this:
Saint Manku Shonin 満功上人 was the founder of Jindai-Ji.
His father Fukuman 福満 fell in love with the daughter of Sato Osaukon 郷長右近(さとおさうこん), but her parents were not happy about this relationship and banished the daughter on an island in the sea. Fukuman was remembering the travels of Genjo Sanzo 玄奘三蔵 on his way to India and prayed to Jinja Daioo for help.



And what do you know . . . there comes a sacred turtoise 霊亀 and he sat on its back all the way to the island. Now the parents were convinced the two belonged together and allowed the wedding.
Born was Manku, who tried to atone for his father's sins by becoming a monk of the Hosso sect in Kyoto 法相.
When he came back home, he used the two characters of the name for his new temple

Jin 深ja Dai 大Oo = 深大寺 Jindai-Ji.
The temple is blessed with clear water, flowing into the fields below, thanks to the "God of the Water".
source : www.jindaiji.or.jp/about

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




akagoma, akai koma 赤駒 red horse

赤駒を山野 に放し捕りかにて
多摩の横山徒歩ゆか遣らむ
akagoma o sanya ni hanashi torikanite
Tama no yokoyama kachiyukayaramu

A red horse has been released into the fields and has run away.
Am I going to lose my husband in the wilderness of Tama.

There is already a poem about this horse in the Manyo-Shu poetry collection　from 759.
It is about a loving wife who had to let her husband go to war in far-away Kyushu and wished to have him back safely.

An amulet you buy for someone you love, to wish him/her well.
Some stores near the temple started to make this simple straw horse by hand, one by one even now since 1997, but before that it had been out of making for a while.

. Horse Amulets of Japan .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Sanskrit Alphabet 梵字、種字

One of the specialities of this temple is the painting of Sanskrit letters in the eyes of Daruma. The use of Sanskrit syllables is especially common in esoteric Buddhism. After all Buddhism came from India and Sanskrit is the old written language of this area. The Greek alphabet starts with ALPHA and ends with OMEGA whereas the Sanskrit uses A and UN or OM, as we have seen.
In esoteric Buddhism every Buddha or deity is represented by one or more syllables of this Sanskrit alphabet. These important syllables are also called "Seed Syllables"(shuji 種字). There are special Mandalas where the deities are represented only by these letters, each one on a little lotus flower.

. Seed sylable mandala 種字　曼陀羅


Let us have a closer look at the eyes of Daruma and the two chracters written in them.


On the following HP you can find the seed syllables for every deity. This is a very useful dictionary, even if you do not read Japanese. Click on any of the names to find the according syllables.
梵字学典と種字の説明の便利なHPです。見たいものをclickして下さい。 釈迦三尊　阿弥陀三尊　薬師三尊　不動三尊　大日三尊　四天王　五大尊　 五如来　胎蔵界五仏　金剛界五仏　六地蔵　胎蔵界中台八葉院　九曜星　法華曼荼羅　
- source - tobifudo.jp/bonjisho/


For example here is bonji for the Wisdom King Fudo Myo-O, one of my favorite deities.

And Fudo Myo-O in the garden of the temple


source :　facebook



source :　Toshiaki, facebook


. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja – Vidyaraja – Fudo Myoo .





A-UN representing the beginning and end of all things-maybe the best rendering of this idea is found in the two huge figures of Nioo-Guardians at the entrance of the temple Todai-ji in Nara.
東大寺の仁王門の阿吽仏像がそのアイディアをよく強調しているかもしれない。

. Nio, Deva Kings 仁王 (Nioo, Nio) A-Un 阿形 吽形


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Ajikan Visualisation 　阿字観



This is a special method of meditation found in esoteric Buddhism. You sit in front of a scroll with a Sanscrit letter in a circle, usually the letter A, and meditate on its meaning. Since each deity has its own letter, you can use others too.
http://www.shingon.or.jp/ajikan.htm

Here are the three syllables for the Buddhas Dainichi, Fudoo and Aizen.


Chookyuuji, Temple Chokyu-Ji 長久寺三尊（大日・不動・愛染）



Esoteric Buddhism and the founder of Zen, Daruma Daishi,
in happy coexistence at this temple of Tendai Esoteric Buddhism
- what can we learn from this?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




December 8 - 13, 2011
Exhibition at Temple Jindai-Ji to help Tohoku




Housewifes made these little "Chofu Daruma" 調布だるま
and sold them, the profit going to support Fukushima.

福島と絆だるま展 Fukushima to Kizuna Daruma
at the gallery 曼珠苑ギャラリー


. Earthquake Darumam, Kizuna Daruma .



. Jindaiji Daruma Karinto 深大寺だるまかりんと .
karintoo 花林糖 Karinto, fried dough cake


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

H A I K U

observance kigo for the New Year

Ganzan Daishi-E 元三大師会 Ceremony for Ganzan
January 28.



At night with only candles.

.................................................................................




いつも来る綿虫のころ深大寺
itsumo kuru watamushi no koro Jindai-Ji

I always come here
when the cotton flies are out ...
temple Jindai-Ji

Ishida Hakyoo, Ishida Hakyo 石田波郷 (1913-69)
His grave is in the precincts of this temple.


More haiku about temple Jindai-Ji

きさらぎの蓬を焚けり深大寺 宮岡計次
たか～と冬満月や深大寺 角川春樹
みほとけの深大寺村栗を買ふ 及川貞 榧の實
三月やまづ水神の深大寺 鈴木しげを
佛ゐぬまに鶏とそばくふ深大寺 中勘助
元日のすみれ咲きをり深大寺 鈴木しげを
先生の見てゐる落葉掃きにけり(深大寺) 細川加賀 『生身魂』
半日の落葉を踏みぬ深大寺 綾部仁喜 樸簡
地の鴉木の鴉冬の深大寺 殿村莵絲子 雨 月
地の鴉赦して冬の深大寺 殿村莵絲子

山門に梅の添ふ頃深大寺 三浦文恵
幾泉見て初詣深大寺 皆吉爽雨 泉声
新蕎麦に間のある風の深大寺 秋篠光広
春めける深大寺絵図草のいろ 長内艸骨
春惜しむ深大寺蕎麦一すすり 皆吉爽雨
昼ごろは杉菜の長けて深大寺 藤田あけ烏
木蓮の美しかりし深大寺 角川春樹 夢殿
松杉の秀は深大寺月のもと 皆吉爽雨 泉声
水引のひとすぢくもる墓前かな(深大寺) 岸田稚魚 『萩供養』
波郷忌の深大寺道穢土浄土 下村ひろし 西陲集
泰山木に雪あつきかなまた雪に(二月二十八日深大寺に波郷埋骨) 角川源義 『冬の虹』

深大寺ほとけおはすぞ馬に鞍 中勘助
深大寺みち綿虫の大きかり 大山さちを
深大寺丈余の切子ともりけり 肥田埜勝美
深大寺五月幟や水ぐるま 中勘助
深大寺旗垂れてゐる大暑かな 谷古宇巧一
深大寺暮色俄かや齋のあと 下村ひろし 西陲集
深大寺無患子拾ふ十あまり 柴崎忠雄
深大寺蕎麦が熱くて年の暮 大嶽青児
深大寺蕎麦にあづかる年忘 上田五千石 琥珀
深大寺蕎麦を啜りて年賀かな 星野麥丘人

炎天となるおん墓のうらおもて(深大寺) 細川加賀 『傷痕』
田を植ゑて深大寺村しづかなり 岩田昌寿 地の塩
秋晴の彼も一人や深大寺 星野麥丘人


source : HAIKUreikuDB


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

般若心経 : Heart Sutra
written as a mandala with sanskrit letters
. Bonji Daruma 梵字だるま with sanskrit letters


. Hamaya 破魔矢 an arrow for the New Year


Me-ire - Painting Eyes for Daruma　達磨の目入れ Daruma and his EYES


. Amulet with 元三大師 Ganzan Daishi .
tsuno daishi 角大師 Great Teacher with Horns
from temple Shitenno-Ji Osaka 四天王寺

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daruma Days Book

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma Days:
a collection of fictionalized biography
Author: Watada, Terry, 1997
Historical fiction



Across a century of Japanese experience in Canada, these short stories link the lives of the issei, the first-generation of immigrants still bound to tradition and the belief in the supernatural, to the nisei, the second generation caught between the Old World and the New, and to the sansei, the current generation trying to make sense of the lives of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
Much of the context is the internment camps in British Columbia in the Second World War. In this setting, there is alienation, anger, bitterness and retribution, but also reconciliation and healing.
http://www.wiredforwords.com/featured_p_young.html




..... Books about Daruma だるまの本、大百科など

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daruma Museum

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Goma aburi-ki

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sesame seed roasting pot 胡麻あぶり器
goma aburi-ki

Sesame is an important ingredient in Chinese cooking and used in many preparations. Since Chinese quisine is very popular in Japan too, sesame is used as cooking oil, as hot-spiced oil (ra-yu 辣油 ラーユ) with chilli peppers or in many variations of black or white sesame seeds on the table to put on rice or in soup (iri-goma いり胡麻)。Freshly roasted sesame seeds are especially delicious, hence this seed roasting pot for home use.


Short information about the SESAME plant.
Sesamum indicum or orientale cultivated for its seeds since ancient times, found chiefly in the tropics of Africa and Asia. Sesame seeds, also called bennes or gingellies, are black or white and yield an oil that resists turning rancid. The oil (known also as teel oil) is used extensively in India for cooking, soap manufacture, food, and medicine and as an adulterant for olive oil. The seeds are also popularly added to cookies and other baked goods and are made into candy (e.g., benne cakes). Sesame was introduced by African slaves to the U.S. South, where it sometimes becomes a weed. The sesame was once credited with mystic powers. Sesame is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Serophulariales, family Pedaliaceae.
http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/S/sesame.html

This piece with a lovely humorous Daruma san is from the early Showa period.
昭和時代のだるまさん一品です。

This is a kind of hooroku pot for roasting things.


Photo from my friend Ishino.


Hooroku Jizo ほうろく地蔵

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daruma Museum

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Katsu - Koan

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Katsu !! - Koan and Daruma
喝と達磨さん―公案散歩


CLICK for enlargement !



In the belly of Daruma san are mikuji sacred lots.
Take one home for good luck !

source : Koakuma at Ise Shrine

.......................................................................


A koan is a riddle of sorts, put to a student of Zen by his master.
There are many ways to tackle these problems, so I will show you some stories about the use of KATSU, also written KWATS　喝, as a means to help wake up the sleeping mind.



For the practical study of Zen, you must pass the barriers set up by the masters of Zen. The attainment of this mysterious illumination means cutting off the workings of the ordinary mind completely. If you have not done this and passed the barrier, you are a phantom among the undergrowth and weeds. Now what is this barrier? It is simply "Mu", the Barrier of the Gate of Zen and this is why it is called "The Gateless Barrier of the Zen Sect."


The following illustration shows the Chinese character MU 無, written with many small MU to make one big MU. MU is maybe the most wellknown koan.
無と言う考案は多分一番よく知られている考案です。無と言う小さい漢字を使いながら、無と言う大きな無を書きました。

MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU MU



Master Mumon 無門禅師
Mumon was born in 1183, towards the end of the Sung Dynasty, 960-1279. He went to see Getsurin, the seventh successor of Yogi, at Manjuji Temple. Getsurin, who was famous for his severity, gave him the koan of Mu to study. After six years, Mumon had still not solved his problem.....(text cut)
The next day, when Mumon went to his interview with Getsurin, he wanted to tell him about his vision, but Getsurin asked him, "Where did you see the god? Where did you see the Devil?" Mumon said "Kwatz!" Getsurin said "Kwatz!" and they kwatzed each other, ad infinitum, more or less.....


Mind is Buddha
This is a famous story about a KATSU that even shocked the great warlord Oda Nobunaga.

"Mind is Buddha" is the phrase for one who wants medicine while he has no disease. "No Mind, No Buddha" is given to those who have been cured of disease but still cling to medicine. A monk asked Baso, "Why do you teach that Mind is Buddha?" Baso replied, "To stop a baby's crying." The monk asked, " What is it like when the baby stops crying?" Baso answered, "No Mind, no Buddha."

In connection with "Mind is Buddha,"there is an interesting story in Nanbanji Kohai-ki (History of Nanbanji):

In the 16th century, a great religious debate was held at Nanbanji between Buddhists and a Portugese Catholic Father who was much favored by Oda Nobunaga, an influential feudal lord of that time. The Portugese Priest was a man of wide erudition and was familiar with the Buddhist Sutras. Representatives of various Buddhist schools were all debated down by his eloquence. Finally Zen Master In of Nanzenji in Kyoto was selected as the last debater. The Portugese Priest asked, "What is Buddha?" "Mind is Buddha" answered Master In. The Portugese Father now unsheathed a dagger, thrust it at Master In's chest, and demanded, "What is 'Mind is Buddha'?" Master In, not perturbed in the least, shouted: "KWATZ!"

The Portugese Priest fell into a swoon in spite of himself and the audience including Lord Nobunaga, all paled.
― from Zenkei Shibayama, Zen Comments on the Mumonkan (1974), p. 225
http://www.wisdomportal.com/Enlightenment/ZenMasterIn.html

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Calligraphy by Nantenbo
. Nantenboo 南天棒 Nantenbo (1839 - 1925) .


KATSU and therapeutic hitting by Rinzai Zenji
The master would not hesitate to strike the disciple physically to resolve the koan. Such resolution once had the monk slapping the master, Obaku, and yelling: "There is not, after all, much in the Buddhism of Obaku." Rinzai explains this idea of 'therapeutic hitting': "Many students are not free from the entanglement of objective things. I treat them right at the spot. If their trouble is due to grasping hands, I strike them there. If their trouble comes from their mouths, it is there I strike." Rinzai was also famous for shouting Katsu!, a nonsensical word, as an answer to koans.
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/arts/new-age-fiction/koan.asp


A Modern MU interpretation
The correct answer to the classic trick question "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?". Assuming that you have no wife or you have never beaten your wife, the answer "yes" is wrong because it implies that you used to beat your wife and then stopped, but "no" is worse because it suggests that you have one and are still beating her. According to various Discordians and Douglas Hofstadter the correct answer is usually "MU", a Japanese word alleged to mean "Your question cannot be answered because it depends on incorrect assumptions".
by www.sra.co.jp/


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



source : store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/garandou


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Nakamaura sensei is probably the best-known scholar of Buddhism.

The Non-Logical Character of Zen: By Hajime Nakamura

Talking about Nakamura sensei, here is one more book I would like to introduce, if you are seriously interested in the comparative studies of Buddhism and its development in various Asian countries.
Nakamura, Hajime:
The Ways of Thinking of Eastern Peoples

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　　　　　　　

- source : googeling for 喝 達磨 -












yaru ki Daruma やる気達磨 in Mie


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Master Gempo and the Silent Kwats
On this HP you can meet the wonderful Master Gempo and his way to live KATSU.
Please take the time and read the full article about Gempo Roshi. I am sure you will find something new and refreshing for your daily zazen practise.
"I often read from the Rinzai Roku and many of you may think, "What is the significance of all those Kwatz?" A Kwatz is not necessarily a shout. There are silent Kwatz, smiling Kwatz, drinking Kwatz. Gempo Roshi was a master of all these. "
... www.daibosatsu.org


To Kwats or not to Kwats!
A master demanded of his disciple:"Show me the Ultimate!"
"KWATZ!" responded the disciple.
The master shook his head.
"KWATZ!!!" the disciple tried again.
The master replied,
"Even if you Kwatz! for countless eons, you still won't get IT!"


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Checking about KATSU I also ended up in some restaurants called Daruma selling cutlet (pronounced "katsu" in Japanese) and food items.

. WASHOKU
tonkatsu 豚カツ cutlet from pork


Hamburger Cotelettes KATSU Daruma Food
合格祈願エビカツバーガー　to pass examinations

Kushikatsu Daruma ... 串カツ『だるま』
Restaurant in Osaka. Kushiyaki Food


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Yahata Kumano Shrine,
Ichinokura, Tajimi-shi, Gifu



- source : Aoi on facebook -


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

The sound of KATSU can be written with other Chinese characters too. Here is one more KATSU 勝, meaning to WIN, which we have found on the belly of Daruma dolls too. This store sells merchandise to Win.

Katsu Coaster

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


When Daruma san is in the KATSU mode, as we might put it in modern speach, he stretches out his right arm, fist clenched holding his rosary, which is falling back on the arm with the force of the movement. The beard sometimes too seems to be standing on edge and the facial expression is full attention.

A large and very imposing Japanese lacquered hardwood carving of the seated Daruma with his clenched fist outstretched to repel demons. The body and head are carved as one, the outstretched arm is carved separately and attached to the main carving. The surface of the piece is covered with a lacquer finish. The effect is extremely strong, lively, and full of character.




There is also a clay bell with a KATSU Daruma with outstretched fist.



clay bell with KATSU Daruma from:
. Ninomiya Jinja 二宮神社 Shrine Ninomiya .
Kobe, Hyogo

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Now let us look at some Daruma of this kind in my collection.

My PHOTO ALBUM


My very own story about KATSU needs a German-English speaking person with a computer and a pet.



My Cat Haiku Kun


what does it take
to enlighten a mouse ?
a good KATZ !

what does it take
to write online haiku ?
a good mouse !



KOAN and Haiku (01) .. 公案と俳句
KOAN and Haiku (02) .. Dreams 夢
KOAN and Haiku (03) .. Original face and Immortality


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Jibun ni Katsu 自分に勝つ　！　to win against yourself


source :　s.webry.info

Daruma gives an interview after seeing a blue dragon in China:
「勝つ、勝つ、勝～つ！」


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daruma Museum

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Katana (2) - Tsuba, Menuki

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Katana (2) - Tsuba, Menuki, Daruma and the Sword
刀、鍔、目抜きとだるま― 武芸散歩


. Katana 日本刀 Sword (1) 　


In this story we will talk about the Japanese samurai sword first and then look at some special decorations featuring Daruma san.

The first Japanese sword may have come from the gods, as we saw in Part 1, but a more realistic version has it come from Mainland China and Korea to Japan. Swords from the Heian period to the Muromachi period are called "Old Swords" (kotoo, koto 古刀), from the first year of Keichoo (1596) we talk about the "New Sword" (shintoo, shinto 新刀) and during the later half of the Edo period the "New New Sword" (shinshintoo 新新刀) came to be known.

The older great sword (tachi 太刀) had been hung from the belt. The long sword (katana 刀) and a shorter companion sword (wakisashi 脇指), both stuck in a sash, as we can see on typical Samurai pictures, came into use during the Momoyama period. Fighting shools for one or two swords developed during the peaceful Edo period and the decorative parts of a sword, the guard (tsuba) and other hilt decorations (menuki) became more and more elaborate.
The most famous hero fighting with two swords is maybe Miyamoto Musashi, who will be subject of a yearlong TV series on NHK in 2003.
Musashi also painted Daruma san.
Reference : Kumamoto : Musashi

.................................................................................


You find all the knowledge about the Japanese Sword on this extensive HP in English.

For example the History of Swords.
A Glossary of Japanese Sword Terms.
A Museum full of famous Japanes swords.

And there is also our Empress Jinguu Koogoo with the War God Hachiman



source : www.sho-shin.com


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Sword Guard 鍔 Tsuba 　



. Tsuba 鍔　 .


quote　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
The sword guard is a heavy metal disc attached between the hilt and the blade.
This part of a sword fitting has always been considered one of the most esteemed posessions of a samurai. During the Muromachi period and the Momoyama period feudal lords and powerful clans fought fierce battles against each other. Therefore the functionality of the sword guard was more important than its decoration. The Edo period brought an uninterrupted period of 256 years of peace to Japan. Now the Japanese sword guard rapidly developed into a refined piece of art.

The primary purposes of the guard are to balance the sword, prevent the hand from sliding down the blade and, as a last resort, to use it as a block against a thrust or slash. Thus the guard protected the hand of the samurai, but more important it was a reflection of himself, an expression of this thoughts and imagination. Simple open work in early pieces as well as lavish and intricate techniques often allow us only an idea of what the original owner was attempting to express. Intellectual principles, mostly with a deep religious background, have been woven into a group of artifacts, which illustrate as clearly as any other the cultural and sociological development of Japan throughout history.

The strong connection of Zen Buddhism with the way of the samurai makes Daruma san a suited object on the sword decorations.
The sword guard had patterns on both sides and some extra holes to permit the insertion of a utility knife (kozuka 小柄), a skewer (koogai 笄) to scratch the head under the helmet and chopsticks (waribashi 割り箸).
These items were called the "Three Things" (mitokoro mono 三所物).
source : ils.unc.edu

More online reference :
source : Reference

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

from online auctions

















:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Here is a very useful introduction:

Günther Heckmann - Tsuba
Nurtingen : H.U.B. Verlag, 1995

This book is composed of 143 colour plates with descriptions in English, German and Japanese. It also contains glossaries and indices in the same languages.
Mr. Heckmann has been a guest at my Paradise Hermitage (GokuRakuAn) in Okayama a few years ago. He restores laquer art items of Japan and other Asian countries.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　　　　


Sword Decorations　目抜きとほかの刀装飾道具 　　




. Menuki 目抜き　 .

Menuki are pairs of small metal ornaments, secured one to each side of the hilt of the sword by means of a braid that covers the hilt. They are functional, miniature works of art that portray a wide range of subjects. Their original purpose was to hold the peg that locks the blade and hilt together. Later their position was moved and their purpose was to allow a better grip on the handle. From the late Kamakura period onward, the menuki were placed on each side of the handle under the grasp of the fingers to prevent slipping.
Nowadays we even find menuki reworked to be used as cuff links in an American crosscultural version.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

What is the connection
between the sword and Daruma after all, you might ask again.

During the Edo period, many "WAYS" were developed, based on the principles of Zen and practised by the samurai, and "The Way of the Warrior" (Bushidoo) was of course one of them. One aspect of Bushidoo is "The Way of the Sword" (Kendoo) and the "Way of the Bow" (Kyuudoo). Part of the training of a young lord was to spend time in a Zen temple and meditate about Life and Death and the non-existence of Life and Death in order to prepare him not to fear anything that came along his way.
During my many years of practising with the bow in a Zen temple in Kamakura we usually started a training session with a meditation period. And if you read the concepts of modern Kendoo Federation, you find some of them quite close to Zen concepts. For example "to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself" is quite close to the pursuit of Enlightenment. Therefore I guess the appearance of Daruma on items connected with the sword were ment to remind the samurai of the most noble WAY of all.



The famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi even painted Daruma, as we have seen above.
source :　www.museum.pref.kumamoto

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

Tsuba with design of Bishamon and centipede
MFA, Boston



source : www.mfa.org/collections

. Bishamon-Ten . 毘沙門天 . 　　


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::








From the collection of my friend George O Hawkins
Look at many more here:
source : Facebook album

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurikara menuki 倶利伽羅



- shared by : Bradford Pomeroy - fb 2014


. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja – Vidyaraja – Fudo Myoo .

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　


. kappa　河童 / 合羽　/ かっぱ Kappa water goblin - Kappapedia .

a rather large tsuba with Kappa motives, too big to attach to a sword.




One side shows a kappa and a tree monster, the other side a willow tree with a woman ghost.
If the Kappa is on the front side, it is for a wakisashi sword 脇差, if the woman ghost is for the front, it is a long sword 長刀.
- source : Kappa Museum -





. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. Kappa,Tsuba and Menuki - MORE .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



source :　facebook

. Mount Fuji 富士山, Fuji-san, or Fujiyama, .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

. Katana 日本刀 Sword (1) 　　


. Fuchi Kashira and Menuki Set
more about
TSUBA, the sword guard　　


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

Katana (1) Sword

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Katana - Daruma and the Japanese Sword
日本刀とだるま― 武芸散歩



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


A sword together with a mirror (yata no kagami) and a comma-shaped jade jewel (yasakani no magatama) is one of the three Imperial regalia of Japan.

The Imperial Sword of the Billowing Clouds.



"The sword Susanooh discovered in the tail of the slain eight-headed dragon (orochi) and gave to the gods was eventually given to Ninigi (great grandfather of Emperor Jinmu, the first Japanese emperor), a grandson of Amaterasu the sun goddess, when he came down to earth. The sword is one of the three divine articles that are part of the Japanese Imperial regalia, but it was lost in the 12th century. The sword's name is "Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi" (sword of heavenly gathering of clouds), and it is also known as "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi" (grass cutting two-edged sword) when it was used by Yamato Takeru to cut grass to make an escape route when he was surrounded by fire in one of the Ainu subjugation campaigns. So, both Murakumo and Kusanagi refer to the same thing, the sword of Orochi, the Dragon-King of the Sea.
This sword could only be wielded by the Emperor of Japan."

The close connection of the Imperial power with the heavenly sword maybe explaines why the Japanese have such a special veneration for swords, later to be called "The soul of the Samurai" and always handled with great respect. We will explore the religious aspect of the sword in Part 1 and the more materialistic one in Part 2.

八咫鏡(ヤタノカガミ), 草薙の剣（クサナギノツルギ）、八尺瓊勾玉(ヤサカニノマガタマ)　－　剣は三種の神器として昔から日本人にとって大事なものでした。武士の魂とも言われているほど侍の大事な道具でした。パート１では、宗教で見られる刀、パート２では、具体的に刀の話をすすめます。
http://inoues.net/yamataikoku/3shu/3shu_jingi.html


Read more about the legendary AMA-no-MURAKUMO-no-TSURUGI, the Sword of the Billowing Clouds on the following HP, which will be introduced in detail in Part 2.
http://www.sho-shin.com/yam1.htm


. Ninigi ニニギ　and Sakuyahime 花咲屋姫命 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Futsumitama 布都御魂 Futsu no mitama .
The personification of a divine sword.

Futsumitama no tsurugi 韴霊剣、布都御魂剣（ふつみたまのつるぎ）
Sajifutsu no kami 佐士布都神（さじふつのかみ）
Mikafutsunokami 甕布都神（みかふつのかみ）


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Buddhist Sword of Wisdom 知剣 Chiken 　
In Buddhism, we have a more philosophical form, the Sword of Wisdom. It is carried by Monju Bosatsu and the Wisdom King Fudoo (see below).





Monju Bosatsu (Manjushri Bodhisattva)　 文殊菩薩
In his left hand he holds a sutra by which he dispenses wisdom to people, and in his right hand holds a sword for cutting off delusion. He sometimes rides on a lion, which is called the king of a hundred animals, and this expresses how he lives grandly with a powerful and correct wisdom.
"If three people are together, the Wisdom of Monju emerges" is a common saying in Japan which showes the strong connection with Monju and Wisdom.
Legend says that Monju was an Indian monk, born after the death of Shakyamuni. He reached the status of Bodhisattva through his serious ascetic studies. His religious dispute with the lay Buddhist Vimalakirti is reported in a famous sutra, Yuimakyoo.
Manjushri is very popular in Tibet, Northern China and Mongolia. The name of the region "Manjuria" might be taken from a deformed prononciation of "Manjushri". 　　　　　　　　　　
source://www.shingon.org/



Chiken (知剣, Buddism sword of wisdom)
on a sword at Yahiko Shrine (弥彦神社), Niigata
source : Taisaku Nogi


.................................................................................

If you repeat the Holy Mantra of Monju, On A Rahashanoo, you might gain the wisdom of Monju, if you practise seriously.

オン　ア ラハシャノウ 　
オン　アラハシャノウ
この真言（五字文殊法）

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Wisdom King Fudoo Myoo-oo and
the Sword Kurikara
不動明王と倶利伽羅不動剣
The unmovable Fudoo (Acala Vidyaaraaja) is one of the Wisdom Kings (Myoo-oo). He is usually depicted in a very wrathful way. He is a typical Japanese deity, introduced by Kooboo Daishi about 806 and soon became a special protector of the Mountain Ascetics (yamabushi). An impressive waterfall is considered the personification of Fudoo, for example the Great Waterfall at Nachi, which we met in the story about Kumano.
Fudoo is portrayed holding a two-edged sword with a three-pronged hilt in his right hand and a coiled rope in his left hand. With this sword of wisdom, Fudoo cuts through deluded and ignorant minds and with the rope he binds those who are ruled by their violent passions and emotions.　　　　　　　　　　　　　
http://www.shingon.org/deities/jusanbutsu/fudo.html


Kurikara Fudo is another personification of this deity, this time in the form of a Dragon-Sword. The Dargon King Kurikara (Sanskrit: Kulikaa Nagaraajaa) is said to have a golden body color and is sometimes depicted with one or two horns on his head.
Legend has it that Fudoo had to fight the representative of a different religion. He changed himself into a flaming sword but the opponent did the same and the fighting went on without a winner. Now Fudoo changed himself into the Dragon Kurikara, wound himself around the opposing sword and started eating it from the top. This episode gave rise to the iconographic rendering as we know it now.
The dragon used to be a vasall or symbol of the deity, but in this unique case the symbol and the deity came to be honored as the same thing. Especially during the Edo period where the sword was a symbol of the vasall's loyalty to his lord, the statues and steles of Kurikara Fudoo were produced in greater numbers.
倶利加羅は、「倶梨迦羅」「古力迦羅」「倶力迦羅」などと書れ、黒色の龍を意味し、不動明王の化身とされる。この龍が燃え盛る炎に包まれながらも岩上の利剣に巻き付き剣を飲み込まんとする尊像が倶利加羅不動明王で、危険な修羅場の守り神、火消し・博奕打ちが好んで刺青に使った尊像である。
http://www.jsdi.or.jp/~kirara80/meisho/narusawa/index.html/index412.html

This Kurikara Fudoo is the protective deity of a waterfall of Terazawa. 　　　　　　　
On the following HP you find another beatuiful stone stele with the Kurikara Fudoo and an explanation about other wayside deities (kooshin) in Japanese.
倶利迦羅明王は不動明王の化身で、庚申塔(こうしんとう)によくある青面金剛(しょうめんこんごう)とは少し違います。
source : mejirofudo

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Lately, maybe because of the play of words using
KEN (sword) and SHIKEN (examination)
the Kurikara Fudoo is sought after by students who have to pass an examination and want to ensure some divine help in this endeavor.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Now let us go back to the Japanese sword. Here is a fine engraving of a Kurikara Fudoo on a companion sword (wakizashi).
脇指にすばらしい倶利伽羅不動があります。 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

source : kunihiro.htm
.................................................................................


. Kurikara, the Sword of Fudo Myo-o
不動明王と倶利伽羅不動剣 .




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Sword bag "Daruma" 刀袋　達磨

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




The story about the samurai sword continues with Part 2,
where we will talk in detail about the sword guard and other sword ornaments.


Menuki 目抜き　＜＞　Sword Decoration
Menuki ... Sword Part 2


Tatara and Fuigo, making metal for the sword
高殿鑪,鞴

. Edo Shokunin - 江戸の職人 Craftsmen of Edo - .

tookoo 刀工 Toko, blacksmith, making a sword
sword craftsmen

- quote -
Complex Techniques of Crafting Katana
Tatara-buki (Japanese style of making high-quality steel)
Mizuheshi (removal of carbon using water)
Tsumi wakashi (stacked and heated)
Shita-gitae (founding forging)
Tsumi wakashi (stacked and heated) again
Forging (Age-gitae, final forging)
Tansetsu (forge welding) and Wakashi-nobe (heating and elongating)
Sunobe (Forming the blank)
Hizukuri (Shaping with heat)
Karajime (Cold forging)
Namatogi (Raw grinding)
Tsuchioki (Soil coating)
Yaki-ire (Quenching)
Kajioshi (Final grinding)
Nakago jitate (core shaping)
Meikiri (Carving inscription)
- - - After all the process of forging, Saya-shi (Sheath craftsman) creates the Saya (sheath) appropriate to the Katana. Katana are not completed soley by a sword craftsman, other craftsmen including a Togi-shi (polisher) and Saya-shi (Sheath craftsman) add the finishing touches.
- source : doyouknowjapan.com/katana -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Yamato Takeru and Shrine Sakaori no Miya 酒折宮 　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

H A I K U

笈も太刀も五月に飾れ紙幟　
oi mo tachi mo satsuki ni kazare kami nobori

satchel and sword, too,
displayed for Fifth Month:
carp streamers
Tr. Barnhill

The temple where Basho stayed when he wrote this poem was in possession of the famous sword of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the satchel (bag) by Benkei.

Oku no Hosomichi - - - Station 14 - Sato Shoji, Satoshoji 佐藤庄司 旧跡 - - -
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


. Minamoto no Yoshitsune　源の義経 .

. tango no sekku　端午の節句 Boy's Festival .
with Carp Streamers (koinobori 鯉幟)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


tachi, daitoo たち / 太刀／大刀 long sword




梅さくや雪隠の外の刀持
ume saku ya setchin no soto no katanamochi

plum blossoms--
outside the outhouse
a sword bearer

by Issa, 1824
Shinji Ogawa notes that katanamochi means "a sword holder"... an attendant. He explains, "A samurai of decent rank could afford such an attendant because human labor was so cheap."
Tr. David Lanoue


.................................................................................


一太刀の光を海に雷鳴す
hito tachi no hikari o umi ni kan narasu

the sparkling
of one big sword on the sea -
thundering thunder

Matsudaira Tomoko 松平知子

source : masaokato.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　




The "Soul of a Samurai" 武士の魂 bushi no tamashi

魂をせっぱつまって質に置き
tamashii o seppa zumatte shichi ni oki

a last resort:
the samurai puts his soul
in pawn
Tr. Makoto Ueda

. Senryu in Edo .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　



怪談と名刀 Kaidan to Meito
本堂 平四郎 (著), 東 雅夫 (著)
and
- more books about swords at amazon com -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Edo samurai knew how to look sharp
‘The World of Edo Dandyism: From Swords to Inro”
at the Nezu Museum is a splendid collection of Edo Period (1603-1868) swords and sword accessories that includes blades, scabbards and metal fittings, as well as decorative sets of inrō (pill boxes) and netsuke (carved toggles). The exhibition looks back to a fascinating period of Edo history when prosperous samurai and merchants sought out the most stylish outfits and accessories that would establish them as refined men.



. inrō 印籠 / 印篭 / いんろう Inro, pillbox .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::