A Dream Come True by Vesa V.
A long time ago, in 1998 to be exact, a Finn visited Japan for the first time. He was there to write reports on Japanese economy for a new Finnish business daily newspaper. He had then been practising iai for almost seven years and had reached second dan in the previous summer.
His Japanese friend and former colleague took him to Kamakura for a Saturday of sight-seeing and visiting Hachiman shrine the Finn told his friend about his iai teacher Takada-sensei giving iai demonstrations at Hachimangu. – I wish to be able some day to also participate in such a demonstration, he told his friend. At that time that wish seemed a daydream. There was mortgage to pay, small children, working careers and several other matters that seemed to take precedence in importance to swinging a replica sword at an old shrine.
Well, years passed, and that Finn (from now on I switch to calling myself me instead of “that Finn”) has had a lot happening in life. The mortgage is paid, thanks to some inherited money, children are growing fine and the wife remains as beautiful as ever. She gave me permission to have a holiday in Japan, while she and the daughters enjoyed a beach week in Greece last October.
We all agreed that they would not like Japan as much as I do, and vice versa for a beach holiday. I get bored with nothing to do but tan myself. So I built myself a trip to Japan at a time for the Kamakura enbu, and some practice with Yushingi-juku. The timetable also allowed me to see Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Hayashizaki Iai shrine at Murayama. On the trip back from there I also dropped in at the shogi museum of Tendo near Yamagata.
The enbu was held on Sunday, January 17th. The previous evening Yushingi-juku held the final practice session before it, and we polished the techniques we each planned to perform. As always with Yushingi, I received lots of valuable advice from Takada-sensei. (As everyone notices, in Japanese this is also a plural form. There were several Takada-named people in the room who are sensei from my lower point of view. The Sensei I spell with a capital ^^) During the practice I started feeling good. I was getting tense, and had a stomach full of butterflies, but I felt good doing the katas I had chosen. Also, I received favourable feedback.
The Day arrives, anxiety grows
Sunday morning rose, and I was on the train from my hotel in Ueno to Kamakura at about 7 a.m. I had breakfast on the train, since my hotel breakfast was being served too late for my timetable. Arriving at Kamakura station I noticed a display stating temperature at zero degrees centigrade. It rose along with the sun, reaching about 8 degrees as the morning progressed.
I remembered the way from the station to Hachiman Shrine, and let my camera sing. I was also feeling very eager to start. I am familiar with the pre-performance nerves from the days when I played American football in the Finnish premier league. I buzz with anticipation, hear Sibelius pieces in my head and know that I am ready, just turn me loose ASAP, please.
I arrived at Hachiman, met some Yushingi-juku people and got changed into my performance clothing. The exhibition started with a process to the central scene at the entrance to the Hachiman shrine and a divine service held there. During the services I started feeling a true part of an ancient tradition. I felt generations of iaidokas staring at my spine, and my neck hair started bristling. I also felt they accepted me being there despite the fact that I was born on the other side of Russia.
After the services the chairman of Kamakura Iaido association Honami-sensei performed a set of katas on the main scene, after which it was time to return to the main exhibition venue. There a starting ceremony with speeches and New Year wishes was held, and then the exhibition itself started.
The performances started from the lower grade students, and I was assigned to the group number 11 from a total of 30, the last two of which were the main Sensei. My tension got progressively higher as the time to perform approached, and I worried most about finding my proper place and not making a fool of myself in the ceremonies. As it turned out, one other member of our foursome went to the wrong place, and I had to take his. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice or mind.
I performed my five katas, and memories start at around the third one. This was the real iai, not some transplant to a school gym in a faraway country. I joined the tradition instead of just following along with it. Also, I felt the past generations watching and even nodding and smiling benevolently. I heard my iaito make a sharp sound at each kiritsuke, and I felt I had reached something. After getting off the floor, I felt drained.
My Japanese friend watched and photographed, and his wife DVD-recorded the opening services and my performance. From the DVD it seems I did pretty OK. The photos with this story are some of those taken by my friend.
After the show, dinner and a suicidal attempt
The exhibition ended with the head Sensei’s performance. We changed clothes and went for celebratory lunch-dinner. I packed my iaito and decided she had reached retirement age. I have graduated 4. dan with her, and she had been along at both Seto-jinja exhibitions in Kanazawahakkei year 2007 and now in Kamakura. I also did not clean her, so some Hachiman spirit is conserved on the blade. I bought a new one on the following day.
The dinner was given at the banquet hall of Hachimangu. There was a speech by a priest, most likely a high-ranking one, and Honami-sensei. The meal was excellent, unfortunately my Japanese or knowledge of Japanese food do not allow me to list the courses other than soba. There was hot soup, fish, meat and various kinds of very fine sake along with beer. As always, the first beer after physical performance was excellent.
During the dinner several people asked me if I like Japanese sake. I told everyone that it is a fine, but quiet and subtle drink, to be enjoyed a small sip at a time. To quote myself, beer is rock’n’roll, vodka is heavy metal and sake is Japanese shakuhachi music, quiet but with strength that can be displayed at need. (Whisky is similar, just with violin ^^)
Having quenched my hunger and feeling my strength return, I asked Rumi-sensei if it was possible to give a speech. This was arranged, and I told those present in my halting Japanese how today a long-time dream (the one presented at the beginning) had become true thanks to them all.
I was applauded, and a witness told me my Japanese had been about the intended topic. When the Hachiman priest came to congratulate me, I must confess I felt very good although somewhat fragile. I soon found some new spiritual (literally) strength in a glass of sake.
After the main dinner Yushingi-juku had a dinner of our own, and there I gave another speech thanking everybody for the warm reception. I came from far away and still felt at home in Yushingi dojo and among the students. We are, after all, all travelling along the way of iai, working together to advance, no matter when or where we have been born and no matter how many x-chromosomes we happen to have.
When Studio Ghibli one day decides to make a film about a grizzly-sized Finn who studies iai, my Kamakura performance will have the Disney classic “When you wish upon a star” as background music. Disney will have to let Ghibli use it, because it was playing in my head towards the end of the evening.
I hope my experience will help everybody believe in their dreams and hold on to them. Sometimes even the most unlikely wishes do come true.
~Thank you Vesa for sharing this!~
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