HOW TO BE A SAMURAI FOR A DAY IN JAPAN
While movies like The Last Samurai and Shogun bring viewers back in time to a distinctly important period in Japanese history, visitors to Kanazawa can take it a hundred steps further and fully immerse themselves in what it truly meant to be an elite warrior. Even if it’s just for a few hours.
One of Japan’s most alluring aspects is the ability it delivers for travelers to go beneath the modern surface and discover a vibrant array of heritage homes and neighborhoods from the Edo Period (1603-1867) along with martial arts and Kanazawa is the ultimate destination for those wanting to discover what remains of the Samurai lifestyle.
This was a culture where lords celebrated the arts and such decadence is on display at Kanazawa Castle which is an excellent starting point. Here, the exquisite craftsmanship of its furniture and adornments such as lacquerware, gold leaf and ceramics that are also found in so many of its studios and small shops that line curious streets throughout the city.
Nagamachi is the neighborhood one wants to explore fully beyond the castle- a picturesque area made of earthen walls, where mini-canals wind their way through it against cobblestone streets that are lined with traditional Samurai homes that can be explored, many still well intact and dressed up with traditional artifacts, handiwork and décor with lush manicured gardens below verandas that are replete with carp-filled ponds.
Once the atmosphere is soaked up, it’s time for action which often begins with becoming a Bushido devotee for a day at Shijimaya Honpo, just 15 minutes from Kanazawa station. Here, in a centuries-old wooden house surrounded by a beautiful garden is the studio of Mr. Masahisa Shijimaya, a 16th-generation samurai descendant, and a third-dan master of iaido which is a martial art centered around swordsmanship. He proudly shows off his collection of blades and explains the intricate patterns and inscriptions that run along them. After the viewing, guests can indulge in a traditional lunch and dress up in Samurai kimonos for photos using replica swords as he displays a unique cutting technique.
And finally, it’s time to absorb kendo and gear up for “battle” . To fully embrace the Samurai spirit, it is said that one must become a warrior and kendo is a Japanese martial art that required Samurai to utilize bamboo swords to preserve their skills during times of peace. Saishikan is a kendo school led by head master Toshihiro Enoki who’s been practicing kendo for 50 years. The day’s goal is to absorb the philosophy centered around the immovable mind- to go from stillness and mental tranquility to sudden motion within the same presence of mind. The day includes lessons on the basics of kendo etiquette such as bowing, learning the essential stances and how to properly hold
and wield the bamboo sword, photo ops included while donned in traditional dress and a distinctive facemask.
For more information on Kanazawa’s tourism opportunities, please visit www.visitkanazawa.jp/en/
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(recommended photos on the following page)
