Just a reminder that this years Southern California Cherry Blossom Festival is happening this weekend in Little Tokyo between 1st & 3rd Streets this Saturday the 10th, and again on Sunday the 11th. There will be many cultural events taking place not to be missed including this years Shinkendo Sword demonstration (featuring yours truly) taking place this Sunday at 3:00 PM in the martial arts pavilion. Come join us! Bonzai!
For more information please visit http://www.cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org.
こんにちわ! I am pleased to announce the opening of my new American Mishima Bushidoya eStore. In a new partnership with Amazon, I am making available a collection of books, dvd's, and other items to come of Japanese & Bushido Culture. It's not a matter of selling out. It's just after two years of being out of work this became a logical thing to do after answering many questions as to which books would I reccomend such as basic starter Samurai films or Shinto & Bushido books. Granted, there are other sources out there and I do list them. Given that, I hope that new readers will give my little estore a glance and perhaps help support yours truly while finding items they may wish to have. So please visit and thank you for your support! ありがとう ございます!
If you have ever seen a Noh Theater performance, once can not be captivated by the range of expression this unique six century old art form can convey. I was fortunate enough to see such a performance in Little Tokyo by the Kanze School of Kyoto starring Shizuka Mikata in 2008. As a person who grew up in the Goth Music Culturem I found myself attracted to dark overtones and imagery of this art. (Imagine that! Something more Goth than Goth and six hundred years older to boot?) If you have always wanted to know more about Noh there is now a new book out by Michishige Udaka who is both a lead Noh actor and producer. This book promises to give deep insights into the world of Noh with all its drama and infinate expression. This book contains many photos by Shuichi Yamagata that reveals the nuances and drama of Noh that has been handed down to us from generations of performers and craftsman. A must for anyone who loves this unique ancient Japanese Artform & Cultural Treasure!
The Secrets of Noh Masks
Michishige Udaka
Kodansha Int’l
ISBN : 978-4-7700-3095-5 / 4-7700-3095-9
J-Rockstar singer Gackt (formerly of Malice Mizer) is returning to the acting arena once again in the role of an "attractive" Outlaw Samurai in his latest debut as a leading man in a Japanese theater performance. Now if you are familiar with the Visual Kei scene or Gackt's work, you can presume he isn't exactly known as "Mr. Bushi" in Japan. But giving the man his due, he did play Uesugi Kenshin in NHK's 46th historical drama Fuurin Kazan which aired in 2007. Albeit, I didn't exactly believe he pulled off a convincing Uesugi Kenshin with his modern rockstar hair & eyeliner but if you could get past that he wasn't that bad in the role. And before anyone outright trashes his attempts to live out his bushido on film, you have to give him props for his Samurai やみ の しゅうえん "Returner" music video. I have to say after some of the more nutty costumes this guy has worn in his career(and I am not going to go there), "Returner" gave him some credibility with me. Well from my standpoint at least, Gackt may very well have some Bushidamashi in him afterall. Gackt will be starring in the play "Nemuri Kyoshiro Buraihikae." Gackt has been quoted recently saying; ‘‘In these days of weak men, I’ll etch myself in the minds of every person in the audience as an attractive samurai, a good Japanese and a nice man and show them that there are men like this.’’ According to Gackt himself he has been training hard to play the outlaw Samurai Nemuri Kyoshiro over the last six months. No details on what that training involved are available but if you are in Tokyo this May 14th, you just might see how it all paid off. If anyone see's his show let us know how it goes. ガクト- がんばてください!
Only The Brave is the story of the about the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team that fought for the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. This low budget feature was the admirable attempt to tell the story of the Japanese-Americans who at a time when their own country turned against them, they fought for their freedom and the respect of an ungrateful nation. This film spends a portion of the film leading up to the groups enlistment shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The majority of the film takes place in Europe in the unit's famous 1944 rescue of the Texas 141st. The film centers around the men who are mostly from Hawaii's Teritorial Home Guard and volunteers from Seattle. We see and hear very little from those forced into America's Concentration Camps like those at Manzanar. To me this is the films only major flaw aside from the slow pace of the european scenes. but all in all, I am glad someone honored this units memory who in defence against Nazi tyranny earned 21 Medals of Honor, 9,486 Purple Hearts, 588 Silver Stars, 5,200 Bronze Stars. Their sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. Written, Directed, and Starred by Lane Nishikawa who plays "Jimmy Takata" and co stars Tamlyn Tomita of Come See the Paradise and Babylon 5 fame. This feature also stars Jason Scott Lee, Jeff Fahey, and Shogun Ki's favorite documentary host Mark Dacascos as Steve "Zaki" Senzaki. Also featured is the final heartfelt moments of Pat Morita filmed shortly before his death. I wouldn't say this film is the caliber of Otoko no tachi Yamato or Saving Private Ryan. But for a low budget feature it was a decent attempt to tell their story. I would have liked to have seen more of the prewar scenes which to me were more powerful than the combat scenes.
My only other two points of contention is I would have liked to have heard more Japanese spoken in the film than the Hawaiian slang used and I would have liked to have seen more of the lovely Tamlyn Tomita. And on that note please see the trailer of come see the Paradise http://lasamurai.blogspot.com/2010/02/old-wounds-part-ii-view-from-behind.html. But on a historical standpoint, I am glad that Lane Nishikawa felt passionate enough to tell their story.
This film is scheduled for a big screen presentation during this Sakura Matsuri 2010. To find out about showtimes please visit their website at http://www.cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org/, It is also available on Netflix and Amazon.
For the last two years I have trained hard in Shinkendo and Toyama Ryu. After much delay I have finally joined the Aikido & Bojutsu classes taught by the Obata's in addition to Shinkendo. Classes take place weeknights at the new Shinkendo Honbu Dojo now located at 320 East Second Street in Little Tokyo across from the Japanese Plaza. With DOUSOUJIN keeping watch, my Bushi Spirit has taken on the rigors of Aikido. I am fortunate to train under Obata Sensei who once trained the Tokyo Riot Police. I could not ask for a better Sensei. Learning hand to hand combat when your in your 40's can be tough but not impossible. I will do my best and train hard. Bojutsu class is seriously すごいい! I have always wanted to learn how to wield a bo-staff and now I am on my way. According to Obata Sensei, people in Japan knew this skill 150 years ago. It was not the sole exclusive domain of the Samurai but a skill practiced by people of all classes. I find it most fun and look forward to mastering this essential Samurai Art. From time to time I will keep you posted as to how my training progresses. Since I am just starting, I will not participate in the Aikido demonstration but will participate in the Shinkendo demonstration in next week's Sakura Matsuri. Wish me luck! 私に幸運を祈ります！
“American Mishima” is the work of Louis Rosas, the son of Mexican Immigrants, whose father served in Vietnam for the US Army and who grew up on glamorized war films and military aviation in the sleepy seaside plains of Oxnard, Calif. With an early fascination of the Second World War embedded in his young mind during the post-Vietnam era, it was his exposure to Akira Kurosawa's samurai epic Ran (Toho, 1985) that changed his views of war while creating a lasting impression of Japanese culture and history. Further inspired by the works of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, Rosas would go on to study Japanese language and swordsmanship, which led him to the practice of Shingon Buddhism and Shinto. Rosas is also a former student of Shinkendo, the ideal and practice of the samurai code of Bushido in the modern world, which helped shape the creative force that is “American Mishima.”
.bmp)
Posts
.bmp){kind=link}