Nagai Hyōsuke

In budo circles today, it is not uncommon for students of swordsmanship to get angry or upset when they see attempts to make a profit from their chosen arts or turn them into spectacles of showmanship, especially when the person doing so is considered less than “qualified.” There are some exceptions to this, such as practitioners of traditional kenbu, or fight choreographers (tateshi, 殺陣師) who often are extremely knowledgeable and skilled in the budo arts. However flashy displays of vegetable cutting, outrageous choreography, sword spinning tricks and so on are generally the source of much bile, especially on internet forums. This is particularly pronounced in the West, I feel, due perhaps to the normal Japanese attitude towards things like this, which is to consider them irrelevant and ignore them.

However such use of the martial arts (and in particular that most alluring of weapons, the katana) in showmanship and salesmanship is nothing new. It didn’t start with the advent of television, or even with the advent of film. This practice has been very much in evidence for centuries, including those eras when samurai still walked the streets of Japan. In the Edo period, iai in particular was turned into a street performance that was used to draw a crowd of customers. Bizarrely enough, this tactic was most notably used by dentists. Here is a brief introduction to the curious and little-known world of iai-nuki.

The term iai-nuki is still sometimes used by non-iai practising budoka, and by a certain proportion of the Japanese population in general, to refer to iaido. However the two are quite different. Iai-nuki has from its inception been about performance and showmanship, whereas iaido (i.e. iaijutsu) has been expressly about fighting technique and character development. The earliest reference I can find to iai-nuki suggests that the practice began around the Genroku era (1688-1711), although it has been speculated that something similar might have been done earlier by down-on-their-luck rōnin hoping to scrape together money for a meal.

Medicine seller performing on a stack of sanpō

Matsui Genzaemon was a seller of Chinese medicine from Toyama domain. In quite a famous incident, a daimyō visiting Edo fell suddenly ill, but was cured by the lord of Toyama, who was carrying some of the medicine produced in his domain. As word spread about the incident, demand for this medicine started to grow outside Toyama, and Matsui set off to sell his wares around the country. To draw crowds, he would set up banners, bang on a gong and start putting on displays of sword tricks. According to an account written much later – around the start of the 19th century – the shows would include quickly drawing the sword and sheathing it again, mock fights with assistants, sword-drawing while wearing elevated clogs (ashida, 足駄) or when standing on a small offering stand (sanpō, 三方). Some accounts even mention performances balanced on a stack of three sanpō. In addition, the sword he used was extremely long – over 3 shaku (90 centimetres, not including the tsuka).
 

It is unclear whether Genzaemon also practised dentistry, but another Matsui – Gensui – was a street dentist who became famous for his spinning top performances. Some sources I have read refer to these two Matsuis as being the same person, whereas others insist that these accounts are conflating two different individuals who operated in the same period.

A flier advertising Nagaki Hyōsuke’s services (false eyes, false noses, false teeth)

Following this, in the An’ei and Tenmei eras (1772-1789), a man named Myōgaya Monjirō advertised his tooth-cleaning and tooth-pulling business with street performances, and became well-known for his iai-nuki. Probably the most famous of the iai-nuki performers, however, was Nagai Hyōsuke. He left a legacy that carried on until Japan’s modern era, with each successive inheritor adopting his name. Successive generations of Nagais traded in front of the Shōgunal rice store in Asakusa. Like Matsui Genzaemon, the dentist would set up banners and signs along with a display of swords, and perform sword tricks to draw crowds of customers. Kneeling beside him would be an assistant, who would drum up excitement in the crowd by loudly exclaiming phrases like “what skill!” and “he’s the greatest in all Japan!”
 

It is said that in the Bunsei era (1818-1830) a young member of the Tokugawa family attended an iai-nuki performance given by a Nagai. Fliers and advertisements for Nagai’s services still exist today, and clearly advertise both his dental business and his iai-nuki performances, carrying pictures of both false teeth and swords.

One of the Nagais is even immortalized in a haiku by the Meiji and Taishō period writer Natsume Sōseki:

抜くは長井兵助の太刀春の風
Nuku wa Nagai Hyōsuke no tachi haru no kaze
Nagai Hyōsuke is drawing his sword; I feel the breeze of Spring

Today the sword used in the Nagai street performances is held at Okegawa Inari Shrine. It was donated in 1897 by Negishi Matsugorō, who had inherited the Nagai name and legacy. In 1899, the fifth-generation inheritor of the Nagai name set up a society for the study of modern dentistry. Initially it had many members, but within a few years it folded and the legacy of the Nagais, it seems, came to an end.

An advert for dental medicines

Iai-nuki survives today, in a way. It is still practised as a performance art by a few Japanese performers preserving traditional street theatre, and by one or two comedians. The super high-speed draws, vegetable cutting and twirling sword tricks perhaps also live on in spirit in the sorts of flashy demos that many budo students like to bemoan.
 

Despite some superficial similarities, iai-nuki seems to bear little resemblance to iai in its incarnation as a budo art. I think most would also agree that enbu and entertainment should be kept separate. However, although we could just dismiss iai-nuki as nothing but meaningless showmanship, it is perhaps worth remembering that the popular image of sword drawing in Japan is still in many ways influenced by its legacy.

References and image sources:
大道芸
長崎県歯科医師会　
神奈川県歯科医師会　

Of the three great private dojo in Japan (日本の３大私塾道場) – Honma Dojo (Chiba), Shubukan (Hyogo), and Tobukan (Ibaragi) – two remain extant at the time of writing this article: Shubukan and Tobukan. Having been to Shubukan, I decided to take sometime out of my schedule and go to practise at the infamous Tobukan in Mito city, Ibaragi prefecture, and learn more about this influential dojo.

Tobukan was founded on the 1st of January 1874, just three years after the abolition of the domain system in Japan and creation of the modern prefectural system. Mito-han had been an extremely influential domain and was the home of many radical thinkers centered around the domain school Kodokan.

The founder of Tobukan was one Ozawa Torakichi, a Mito-han clansman who had been a kenjutsu instructor at Kodokan along with Chiba Shusaku (the founder of Hokushin-itto-ryu, and an extremely influential figure in kendo’s history). Before taking the post he studied Hokushin itto-ryu at Chiba’s dojo in Edo – Genbukan.

Tobukan turned out many famous kenshi over the years with the most influential being perhaps Naito Takaharu – keishicho gekkiken shihan, and later Busen shihan (Budo Senmon Gakko). He helped develop kendo no kata and counts amongst his students Saimura Goro, Mochida Moriji, and Ogawa Kinnosuke (none of whom need an introduction), to name a few. Famous kenshi that came out of Tobukan at the same time were Mona Tadashi (taught at Keishicho and Busen, took part in 2 tenran shiai (one as competitor, another as shimpan), and helped develop kendo no kata ) and Sasaki Masanobu (taught at Keishicho and Butokukai, as well as other prefectures like Saga and Kagoshima).

I think its safe to say that what was studied by these kenshi as boys and young men in Tobukan probably had an impact on their kendo and their teaching later on in life, and influenced their students too . This impact and its mark on the development of modern kendo cannot, of course, be quantified, but it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to guess that it possibly could have been large.

Private ownership of Tobukan has continued to be passed down through the Ozawa family, and the tradition of practising kendo, iaido, and Hokushin itto-ryu is still alive 135 years after its founding (being a direct spiritual descendant of Kodokan you could cheekily add another 30 years to that!).

Keiko at Tobukan

Currently kendo, iaido, naginata, and Hokushin itto-ryu are practised at Tokbukan. There are at least two kendo hachidans, two iaido hachidans, and two naginata kyoshi’s.

Tobukan is open to anyone who wishes to practise. Simply get in touch before hand (via email or phone) and explain when you are planning to go. In the five days I was in Mito I managed to get to keiko three times with little fuss.

Impression

Tobukan is soaked with history. Now that the old Noma dojo was dismantled there are few places that are open to the public where you can practise kendo in a more traditional surrounding. I mentioned Noma Dojo, but Tobukan was built half a century earlier than that, when Samurai still existed and walked around carrying swords. Its a different feeling practising in this dojo compared with modern ones, and one that all serious kenshi should endevour to experience, at least once in their lives.

Getting there

Tobukan is an easy 10 minute walk from Mito station – even with your bogu bag.

For up to date schedule/contact information please visit their website: http://www.toubukan.or.jp/.

Background

The Mito-han was a highly influential domain during the entire Edo-period. As a senior branch of the Tokugawa clan their prestige was immense. Mito-han became one of the leading intellectual centers in Japan, and its daimyo and scholars became more and more vocal in challenging the central authority of the shogunate, eventually being instrumental in its dissolution. During the turbulent years leading up to civil war and the Emperors restoration, the domain school that produced these young intellectuals was Kodokan.

The following introductory text is taken from the English leaflet called “Kodokan” (I have slightly reworded sections of it). I will add my own thoughts at the end.

Kodokan: the biggest domain school in Japan

Kodokan was built by Tokugawa Nariaki (1800-1860), the ninth daimyo of the Mito-han in 1841. In those days the Mito-han was facing the fear of the baku-han system crumbling (centralised Shogunate relationship with the provincial clans/domains) and threat from foreign colonial powers. Nariaki initiated a reform of the han administration. As a part of this, he aimed at to introduce higher education for his clansmen. Kodokan was built to achieve this.

At the outset, the school site occupied 1800,000m squared, and its curricula included kangaku (Chinese studies), kokugaku (national learning), military arts, music, astronomy, geography, mathematics, and medicine. Both the size and the scope indicate how great an importance the Mito clan attached to education.

The mottos of Kodokan, described in the Kodokan-ki (the Chronicle of Kodokan), were the harmony of Shinto and Confucianism, and the concurrence of scholastic and military arts. There new concepts, which could be applied to creating a national unity under the rule of the Emperor, greatly influenced not only the Mito clansmen, but also many loyalists of the restoration period which were in other provinces.

Kodokan, once with its thundering reputation as the stronghold of Mitogaku and having exerted a great influence on the Meiji Restoration of 1868, was largely destroyed by fire during the restoration period. After turning out its last class, its 32 years of life came to an end. The remaining buildings are reminiscent of the spirit of the academic tradition of the Mito clan.

End of leaflet introduction

Bujutsu training at Kodokan

Kodokan had three dojo and a Taishijou (対試場) on its premises. The three dojo now no longer exist, but what was taught there was:

Gekkiken-jo: Hokushin itto-ryu, Suifuryu (水府流), Shintomunen-ryu (and presumably Gekkiken, i.e. kendo)
Sojutsu-jo: Hozoin-ryu, Saburi-ryu
Keiko-jo: Iai, Jujutsu, Naginata, etc

The Taishijou was for actual practise maches to be held, sometimes in the presence of officials. Even today kendo and Hokushin-itto ryu embu are held on it.

Hokushin itto-ryu was taught by Chiba Shusaku while he was a retainer of Nariaki (from 1835). Ozawa Torakichi studied Hokushin itto-ryu in Chiba’s dojo in Edo, Genbukan, before coming back to teach it at Kodokan. I think its fair to surmise that both these men also taught gekkiken here as well.

Three years after Kodokan was closed (1871) Ozawa opened Tobukan, a dojo from whom many influential kenshi graduated from (and that will be the subject of my next article).

Kodokan Today

Kodokan is just a short walk from Mito station and you could easily just stop of in Mito for an hour and see it. Mito is quite a small city, so there shouldn’t be large crowds. I went on a weekday morning in August and there was nobody there! It was quite relaxing and you could easily feel the places history.

Although the English leaflet says that it “was largely destroyed by fire during the restoration period” the main building is still intact and its definitely worth a visit.

Getting there

Access: 10 mins walk from Mito station.
Open: 9am – 5pm or 4:30pm.
Cost: adults 190 yen.
English leaflet: yes.
Home page: Mito Kodokan.