Arts of War in Times of Peace. Archery in Honch Bugei ShdenAuthor(s): John M. RogersReviewed work(s):Source: Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 253-260Published by: Sophia UniversityStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2384902 .Accessed: 12/03/2012 09:02

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Arts of War in Times of Peace Archery in Honcho Bugei Shoden

by JOHN M. ROGERS

T nHE Honcho Bugei Shoden JN is the oldest survey work on the history and traditions of the classical Japanese martial arts. Written in 1714 by Hinatsu Shirozaemon Shigetaka H 9MVEWMA. , and pub-

lished in 1716, the book is comprised of ten chapters covering nine different martial arts (two chapters are devoted to swordsmanship). Each chapter is divided into a number of sections devoted to an illustrious founder or expo- nent of a particular martial art. The text mentions one hundred and fifty promi- nent warriors practicing the arts of military science and strategy (heiho _Q?A;),l military decorum (shitsuke ML),2 archery (shajutsu #f 4), horsemanship (baju- tsu . swordsmanship (tojutsu iq4f), the art of the spear (s`jutsu M4M), firearms (h-jutsu Tr4i), armed close combat (kogusoku 'J>aJ), and unarmed combat (jujutsu t4q). Popularly known as Kanjo ShOden fH&t'fi, Bugei Shoden AfIjNf+, and Kanjo Bugei Shoden Tat.1'fI, the text enjoyed wide circulation in the Edo period and has appeared in digest versions such as Bugei ShOden Bassho , and Bugei Shodensho 'I'tP, edited by later writers.

Other major Edo histories of the martial arts rely heavily on Hinatsu's work. Gekken Sodan I0t-:A, 1790, is basically an expansion of Hinatsu's two chapters on swordsmen, while Bujutsu Ryuso Roku A,tft&, 1843, is little more than a regrouping of the material by school rather than by exponent. Another important work, Bujutsu Keifu Ryaku AM,*=X, 1790, follows Hina- tsu's text verbatim for many of the brief explanations that appear in its lineage charts.

THE AUTHOR is an assistant in sport philosophy at the Nippon College of Physical Education, Tokyo. He wishes to express his gratitude to Dr Okada Meiken Pi W H1m for his advice in the development of the present article.

1 Heiho is in fact a more encompassing science and spans from pure philosophy to the

logistics of troop and supply deployment. 2 The term shorei is read here with furigana

as shitsuke, and refers to the decorum of the Ise fk and Ogasawara 'jVJq schools. It is the science of how a bushi should act, talk, and interact with others in everyday life, formal situations, and especially in military situations.

254 Monumenta Nipponica, 45:3

Honcho Bugei Shoden was first published in modern times in Shiseki Shu ran tgR, volume 90, 1883. The text has been included in several later an- thologies of the martial arts, such as Bujutsu Sosho AATR (1915), Zoku Kendo Shugi Oq Lat- (1923) by Yamada Jirokichi , Nihon Kendo Shiryo H *$IJ1E6*4 (1943), and Nihon Bugei Shoden H tAfJNfn by Watatani Kiyoshi #, 1962. In 1920 the Dai-Nippon Butokukai X E t, published it as an independent work.

The son of a naginata *jj grandmaster, Hinatsu collected and evaluated popular stories about the warriors and founders of the different schools of the martial arts and weighed them against historical records and accounts such as Azuma Kagami , Koyogunkan WR;t,, Hojoki k and Gikeiki A 9. He also read popular works, the written traditions and scrolls of the various schools, and the Chinese classics. While not a few of his theories and explanations have been disproven by documents made public after the Meiji Restoration, Bugei Shoden is recognized for its general accuracy and presents an unsurpassed picture of how the origins of the martial arts were seen by the literati in the mid-Edo period. Even today the text remains the starting point for any research on the subject.

The text consists of introductions of prominent figures in the martial arts, often followed by a brief commentary in which Hinatsu discusses conflicting versions (sometimes quoting brief passages from important texts), after which he presents his own interpretations. The body of the text is in literary Chinese; the commentary is in kana-majiri {)t

ROGERS: Arts of War in Times of Peace 255

a warrior who spent much of his life researching and recording for posterity the lives of other warriors. We do know that he was born into an influential martial-arts family, read widely, and was reasonably well educated. One can imagine Hinatsu as a man whose life from childhood revolved around the mar- tial arts yet for some reason he was not destined to take over his father's school.

In addition, Hinatsu also wrote other works on the martial arts: Honcho Burin Genshi *U4JtR#A0-, Heika Sawa n and Heika Monogatari CS

THE period in which Hinatsu was active coincided with the lull before the late- Edo revival of the martial arts. It had been some seventy years since the deaths of prominent figures such as Miyamoto Musashi W9*Ai, Ono Tadaaki '>Mf , N, and Yagyu Munenori , and followed the Genroku period, the ex- cesses of which were in sharp contrast to the virtues and moral codes expound- ed by the samurai class. During the prolonged period of peace the customs and traditions of the samurai were either forgotten or performed by rote, their significance no longer understood. In his commentary on archery Hinatsu deplores bowmen who are only interested in shooting for records rather than applying themselves to studying proper form and tradition. Similarly, in his chapters on swordsmanship he criticizes the men of his day who were obsessed by the supernatural and exotic; he also deplores the conduct of those who con- cealed the name of their real teachers in order to deceive others for profit.

Hinatsu was not the only man appalled by the rapid decline in the bushi's self-image. In Hagakure j, 1716, his work on the ethics of bushido, Yamamoto Tsunetomo o4jcg complains that the samurai of his day were in- terested only in discussing money, clothes, and women, and that they had lost interest in the Way of the warrior.5

The Kyoho fg reforms, in the time of Tokugawa Yoshimune 8)II+i, en- couraged martial arts in order to raise the morale of the bushi class. A practi- tioner and patron of various martial arts, Yoshimune often attended sword and spear matches at Edo Castle. In 1718, he issued a proclamation exhorting his retainers to learn swordsmanship, to associate with other retainers accord- ing to the correct military etiquette, and procure all necessary provisions re- quired by their station.

Archery A principal martial art and, like swordsmanship, the symbol of the Japanese warrior, archery can be broadly divided into two streams, ceremonial and military. These can be further subdivided into techniques for archers on foot

Hatayama at the time of the Russo-Japanese war. Hinatsu's grave is not at the new site and was either lost or removed around that time.

5 Yamamoto Tsunetomo, The Hagakure: A Code to the Way of Samurai, Hokuseido, 1980, p. 58.

256 Monumenta Nipponica, 45:3

and those on horseback.6 Ceremonial archery was practiced from the Kamakura period by the nobility and high-ranking warriors, and included for- mal shooting on ceremonial occasions such as the New Year, the birth of a child, and dispelling evil spirits. Hinatsu addresses ceremonial archery and discusses the Ogasawara 'J>4; and Ise f# styles in Chapter 2, which deals with military decorum. Of the numerous schools, most prominent were the six Heki H t schools that from the Oei period, 1394-1428, became the archery of the average bushi. In later times of peace, military archery changed and com- petition for distance (toya -- ) and continuous shooting (toshiya 59) became popular.

Toshiya is said to have begun in the twelfth century at Tokuchoju-in -AW R in Kyoto and later shifted to the Sanjusangen-do 6 the main hall of the nearby Rengeo-in gR V . rchers knelt at the south end of the 120- meter veranda and shot north to see if they could make their arrows cover the entire distance without hitting ceiling, floor, wall, or pillars. The roof pre- sented an additional difficulty because it prevented the archers from using a simple arc to make the distance.

First undertaken by the bushi as a self-evaluation of their skill, toshiya was revived several times, first in the Sengoku era and then again in the Edo period. Records were kept and verified by a panel of six officials (domi S) from each of the branches of the Heki school.

There were basically three different ways to shoot at the Sanjtusangen-do. Ar- chers could choose to shoot an unlimited number of arrows for twenty-four hours (oyakazu ;A), or from dawn until dusk (hiyakazu H F R), to see how many they could shoot the entire length of the hall. They could determine what percentage of a fixed number of arrows, usually a hundred or a thousand, they could shoot the length of the hall. Boys who had not yet undergone gempuku 7-EW could elect to shoot from halfway down the hall (hando _T).8

In the 1600s, toshiya became a popular competition, and the title 'Best Ar- cher in Japan' was awarded to the archer who shot the greatest number of arrows in a fixed period of time. The function centered on the Heki style, and especially the Chikurin-ha iiAg, the only one of the six branches of the Heki to choose its head by skill rather than by family. In one of the early European references to Japanese martial arts, Engelbert Kaempfer, who visited Kyoto

6 There are some exceptions. Designed for the average foot soldier, the Heki-ryui Ei E style of archery is based primarily on non- equestrian archery. Okai Mitsuru fMiI in Gendai Kyudo Koza . Yuzan- kaku, 1969, 3, p. 145.

7 Tokuchoju-in was located close to Rengeo-in, which Retired Emperor Go- Shirakawa 1bigJ had Taira Kiyomori iL build in 1164. One of the buildings of Rengeo- in was a Kannon-do WI 4t known as the San-

juisangen-do. The buildings of both temples were later destroyed by earthquakes and fires, but the Sanjuisangen-do was later rebuilt in 1266 by Retired Emperor Go-Toba ,%M.

8 For an arrow to be counted successful in toshiya, it only had to travel the length of the Hall without hitting the walls, pillars, roof, or floor. Although a large hoshimaku MI was set up about two ken from the end of the veranda, it was not really a target but simply a backstop. Okai, p. 148.

ROGERS: Arts of War in Times of Peace 257

/1 -

Archery at the Sanjusangendo

Engelbert Kaempfer, The History of Japan

during his 1690-1692 stay in Japan, describes the rows of Kannon statues in the Sanjuisangen-do. He then mentions, 'Without the temple people diverted themselves with shooting of arrows,' and expresses wonder at the ability of a single archer to shoot 'several thousand arrows . . . in a day's time.'9

A hall similar to the Sanjuisangen-do was built in Asakusa, Edo, in 1642, and was later reconstructed in Fukagawa. The title offered to record holders in Edo was 'Best Archer in Edo'. On the basis of official and school records for hall shootings, it is possible to calculate that by the end of the Edo period 823 archers had officially shot at Sanjuisangen-do and 543 at the Edo hall.10

The trend in the seventeenth century to set records before admiring crowds was not limited to archery. Ihara Saikaku 4;qNM held several haikai %E- gatherings between 1675 and 1684, and on such occasions composed anything from a thousand to 23,500 verses in a single twenty-four-hour session. Saikaku, in fact, named one collection of such poems Oyakazu 5 1681, after the archery competition of the same name at the Sanjfisangen-do.11

9 Engelbert Kaempfer, The History of Japan, MacLehose, Glasgow, 1906, 3, p. 197.

10 Ishioka Hisao 1 'Kyoto San- jusangen-do Toshiya no Bunsekiteki Kenkyui'

M -+ FWIAYe- Eb Et, in Kokugaku- in Daigaku Taiikugaku Kenkyiushitsu Kiyo 1 *F 1969, 1, pp. 5-17;

Ishioka, 'Edo Sanjiusangen-do Toshiya no Bunsekiteki Kenkyu', in ibid., 1972, 4, pp. 25-39.

11 Donald Keene, World Within Walls: Japanese Literature of the Pre-Modern Era, 1600-1867, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, 1976, p. 47.

258 Monumenta Nipponica, 45:3

The rise of toshiya can be traced to several causes. Two technical factors made the sessions physically possible. Japanese archery tends to have a rather flat trajectory that makes long-distance shooting possible without resorting to shooting in an arc. In addition, Japanese archers grip the bow well toward its base and this allows shooting from a kneeling or crouching position; 12 in this way it was possible to increase significantly the arc of the arrow's flight in the confined space.

Why toshiya became so popular is more difficult to explain. The general trend toward record setting and public display of skill was one factor. An in- creased interest in the martial arts in general and especially in their potential for re-instilling bushi ideals, then in decline, certainly helped obtain official sanction. No longer of any practical use a weapon of war, military archery needed to develop in a new direction. The growing difficulty of samurai to find gainful employment was possibly another factor in maintaining interest in toshiya, as setting a new record would insure instant fame and income. In earlier days the patronage of outstanding rulers was yet another factor. Oda Nobunaga MSB , Toyotomi Hideyoshi e :, and Toyotomi Hidetsugu X f:-At were all students of the Heki-ryui Chikurin-ha, and the last two were fond of toshiya. Their interest was continued by the House of Maeda in Kaga and the Kii and Owari branches of the Tokugawa family, which encouraged the practice by sponsoring archers from their fiefs to compete. 13

While Hinatsu duly notes the records and feats at the Hall, he closes the chapter on a critical note-and not without reason. At the peak of its popular- ity shooting at the Hall became a graceless performance, more of a display of endurance than a demonstration of skill or form. Wasa Daihachiro's fott1k ApF 14 feat in 1686 of shooting 13,053 arrows in twenty-four hours averages about six hundred shots per hour (allowing time for breaks), or one arrow every six seconds.15

Rather than dwelling on isolated feats of endurance and strength, Hinatsau devotes his attention, in typical Japanese fashion, to the succession and lineage of the schools-which teacher taught which students, who was the legitimate successor, what he chose to call his style, whether or not a certain disciple had been led into 'true understanding of the inner mysteries' of the art. To Hina-

12 Shooting at the Sanjfisangen-do was originally done from a squatting position, then later while seated on a low box. Okai, p. 156.

13 Expenses involved in sending even a single archer to try his skill at the Hall were high. In addition to buying the bows and thousands of arrows to practice this type of shooting, it was necessary to invite Heki-ryui Chikurin-ha masters, and makers of bows, strings, arrows, and gloves. Only the weal-

thiest fiefs could afford such sponsorship. 14 While Hinatsu refers to him as Daihachi,

the plaque commemorating his record at the Hall gives his name as Daihachiro.

15 According to Nendai Yakazu-cho *N5Q RKfi 8,133 of the arrows traveled the length of the Hall. Kyudo Jiten A, [=KJ], p. 1886.

Kyudo Jiten forms volumes 9-11 of Kydido Koza, cited in n. 17, below, and is especially helpful in providing definitions, readings for names, and further information.

ROGERS: Arts of War in Times of Peace 259

tsu, the schools are not divisive innovations by certain individuals but rather a catholic progression of orthodox tradition.

Translation The following translation of three chapters deals with archery and swordsman- ship; these form the core of Hinatsu's book and account for just over half of the text. This disproportion reflects the historical reality of Japanese martial arts, for the bow and arrow was the warrior's main weapon in the Heian and Kamakura periods, only to be replaced by bladed weapons (uchimono UtTt) in the Namboku and Muromachi periods. Other chapters in Hinatsu's account tend to be brief; the section on armed close combat, for example, lists only four names and runs to less than a single page of text.

The translation is based on the version included in the 1968 edition of Buju- tsu Sosho.16 The readings of names of archers and schools follow the Kyuddo Koza. 7 A text of this sort can lend itself to excessive annotation, and for the purposes of the present article notes have been added only to aid understand- ing of Hinatsu's account.

Distances in the chapter on archery are usually measured in ken rE, approx- imately 1.8 meters. Occasionally Hinatsu refers to 'ken measured in the Kyoto fashion' (kyoma >M),% approximately 1.95 meters. Long-range shooting is measured in cho flj, approximately 109 meters, and tan R, or 10.9 meters.

16 Bujutsu Sosho , Jimbutsu Orai- sha, 1968, pp. 7-108.

17 Kyu?do Koza EA.29, Yfizankaku, 1941, 1 1 vols.

260 Monumenta Nipponica, 45:3

The Major Schools of Military Archery: The Heki Tradition.

Heki-ryfi Heki-ryui |~ ~ ~~~~~F W tEL F i-Ei

Yoshida-ryfi Yasumatsu-ryfi

Yuge-ryfi

Sekka-ha Izumo-ha Chikurin-ha

IIII I I Jutoku-ha Daishin-ha Insai-ha Yamashina-ha

I Sakon'emon-ha

I Okura-ha

Adapted from Ishioka Hisao & Irie Kohei, Nihon Budo Taikei, Doho, Kyoto, 1982, 4, p. 27.

Article Contentsp. [253]p. 254p. 255p. 256p. 257p. 258p. 259p. 260

Issue Table of ContentsMonumenta Nipponica, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 253-390Front MatterArts of War in Times of Peace. Archery in Honch Bugei Shden[pp. 253-260]Honcho Bugei Shoden [pp. 261-284]Tokoku at Matsushima [pp. 285-302]Reading Basho at Matsushima: Matsushima ni oite Basho-o wo Yomu [pp. 303-306]The Enthronement Rites: The Text of Engishiki, 927 [pp. 307-337]Toward a History of Twentieth-Century Japan [pp. 339-352]Book ReviewsReview: untitled [pp. 353-355]Review: untitled [pp. 355-357]Review: untitled [pp. 357-360]Review: untitled [pp. 360-363]Review: untitled [pp. 363-365]Review: untitled [pp. 365-366]Review: untitled [pp. 367-369]Review: untitled [pp. 369-372]Review: untitled [pp. 372-375]Review: untitled [pp. 375-376]Review: untitled [pp. 376-378]Review: untitled [pp. 378-381]Review: untitled [pp. 381-384]Review: untitled [pp. 384-386]Review: untitled [pp. 386-388]Review: untitled [pp. 388-389]Review: untitled [pp. 389-390]

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