Tozando How To’s -How to apply wax to your wooden weapons- One of the easiest methods to make sure your wooden weapons are protected from the elements is by applying a wax. In this article we will explain one method for applying paraffin wax to your bokken. The reason we Read More
On the night of July 8th, 1864, a stream of white and light blue haori jackets emblazoned with the kanji 誠 (Honesty) moved toward the Ikedaya Inn. It was situated just east of the famous Sanjo Bridge in the heart of Kyoto and these were the jackets of the famous Read More
These are MUST-VISIT places for Budoka Not only in kendo, but in any contest are decided not just on raw ability. “Luck” can also play an important part. There is a saying “do your best, and leave the rest to Providence.” In order to win, the basic idea is to Read More
“Miyamoto Musashi,” a novel written by Eiji Yoshikawa, was published as a serial by Asahi Shimbun from 1935 to 1939. Since then it has been made into movies, TV series, and comic books, making Musashi a legendary swordsman not only in Japan, but worldwide. As Musashi traveled around the country Read More
I’m sure the Budo practitioners know how “maai” (gap or distance) is important in Budo. There is an appropriate maai between you and your opponent during the fight. Being too close or too far apart is no good. “Maai” is the correct distance between you and your opponent. People who Read More
This is the final part of our series on Sasaki Kojiro and his latest depiction in the film Musashi, as well as the sword that was made specially for the actor Matsudaira Ken to use in his protrayal. If you haven’t read them already, then check out Part 1 and Read More
We continue our previous article concerning Sasaki Kojiro’s infamous long sword the Monohoshizao and how it was brought to life for the silver screen in Mikami Yasuo’s ‘Musashi’. Previously our chairman Kimura Takahiko and famous jidaigeki actor Matsudaira Ken discussed the character of Sasaki and what it was like portraying Read More
In the recent Movie “Musashi” by Mikami Yasuo, the famous jidaigeki actor Ken Matsudaira plays Sasaki Kojiro – Musashi’s infamous final nemesis. In this article Takahiko Kimura, Tozando’s chairman, discusses with Matsudaira about his role and the development of his signature weapon – the “Monohoshizao” (known affectionately as the laundry Read More
Budo (Japanese martial arts) and spirituality. That’s a topic that has been on my mind for a while. When I began working here at Tozando, my awareness of budo and its different aspects wasn’t particularly good. Through my work here, the training, events and moreover the budoka (practitioners) I have Read More
