ArticleKey #13: Kenbu

The post-WWII attempt to get swords throughout Japan confiscated wasn't the only threat to Japanese cultural identity - or even the biggest one. After all, Allied Powers were concerned about security alone, and there was no ideological component to their initial decision. About three-quarters of a century prior to those events, both the situation and the resulting considerations had been very different. 

One might argue that it had been European Industrial Revolution that eventually initiated sweeping changes thousands of miles away from the Old Continent. The rise of capitalism inevitably meant a world-wide search for new markets, and an exotic archipelago was just too tempting to simply leave it alone. Years of negotiations, intended to convince Japan to open up and sign trade agreements with Western countries, came to a head in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry visited Japanese shores onboard a military ship. It took another year and a return visit to force concessions that were soon thereafter legalized by the Convention of Kanagawa. Japan did become a link in the trade chain, and many adventurous entrepreneurs welcomed the change. As opposed, the fact of being forced, exacerbated by unfairness intrinsic of agreements made under such circumstances, didn't sit well with either Japanese patriots, who cared about national pride rather than financial opportunities, or with the ruling class of the preceding 265 years and its supporters. The ensuing conflict bordering on a civil war, ended up in what's known in Japanese history as Meiji Restoration - namely, a seismic shift of power from military rulers (known in Japanese as “Shoguns”) to Emperors. 

Victors don't only write history, they also make rules that favour themselves and keep the vanquished under control. A vast majority of the defeated were samurai - and they had to bear the brunt of the new rules that, among other things, forbade any public display of one's belonging to the warriors' class. Swords were about to become the first and most obvious victim of that legislation. Whether intentionally or not, the new government attempted to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In that case, a straightforward petition wasn't going to help - for a rescue action to succeed, it had to be creative, quite literally speaking.

While swords were banished from daily life, the prohibition didn't apply to the stage. A group of talented young people took advantage of the loophole by creating a performing art that combined dances with a sword and a fan, with recitals of ancient Chinese or Japanese poetry. Japanese words for the components of the art resulted in the name “Ginkenshibu”, often reduced to “kenshibu” or “kenbu”. What started as a trickle soon enough mushroomed to become a flood, as kenbu schools spread throughout the country. Hundreds of performers honing their skills day in and day out under the guidance of professional instructors (most of them being children and grandchildren of the original school owners) brought about spellbinding proficiency: for example, it takes several pages simply to list what kenbu performers can describe by using a fan (filling a cup, drinking from a cup, writing a letter, playing a flute, drawing a bow - all that and much more can be indicated by a slight change of the fan's height or angle, or a hand movement pattern). Stage swordsmanship requirements reflect the qualities appreciated by actual samurai centuries ago - such as, for instance, precision and fluidity of movement when the sword almost literally becomes an extension of one's hand. Even the recitals preserve and promote samurai's heritage because the poems chosen had almost exclusively been written by renowned samurai - including, in Chinese! Unlike 150 or so years ago, modern theatres are openly called “Samurai Kenbu”, and they build on the initial interest by employing shrewd marketing. Casual lessons are offered to everyone interested, and actual shows include a “Try it yourself” option, when spectators can learn basic moves from the performers right after the show. Of course, one can refuse but few do - consequently, many guests leave the theatre with "souvenirs" like that