I came across this inspirational article in the Japan Times last week on Robert Hughes, who is a Renshi and holds a 5th Dan in Tenshin-sho Jigenryu as well as a 3rd Dan in Musoshinden Ryu Iaido and black belts in Karate and Ninjutsu. In addition to doing much to help street children in the Philippines, he is an important figure in the world of Japanese swords.
Hughes learned that a significant number of traditional Japanese swords were now in the United States. "At the end of the second World War, the occupation forces had a mandate to disarm the country, so their mission was to confiscate all swords. The soldiers had no awareness of artistic value or merit. For a few years, barge loads of swords were dumped in Tokyo Bay and hundreds of thousands were shoveled into blast furnaces."
Hughes cites the efforts of Junji Honma, founder of the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords, who personally convinced Gen. Douglas MacArthur to stop the destruction by showing him various artistic swords from Japanese history. Although the mass drive to collect swords stopped, American servicemen began taking them as wartime souvenirs, and even conservative estimates determine over 1 million swords went to across the Pacific in the postwar period. Hughes became a sword hunter, first for the shop in Ginza and then independently, determined to return Japanese swords back to Japan. "It was easier for me to recover swords on my own. There were still racial issues in the U.S. A lot of the swords were being sold at gun shows, and the gun dealers did not want to sell to Japanese buyers."
Hughes estimates he repatriated over 800 swords to Japan. He licensed the swords back in Japan, which were then taken to dealer auctions for distribution across the country. In the process, Hughes slowly became an expert himself, and learned to read the obscure signatures engraved on the blades. He has a collection of over 200 books on swords and swordsmanship.
Hughes learned that a significant number of traditional Japanese swords were now in the United States. "At the end of the second World War, the occupation forces had a mandate to disarm the country, so their mission was to confiscate all swords. The soldiers had no awareness of artistic value or merit. For a few years, barge loads of swords were dumped in Tokyo Bay and hundreds of thousands were shoveled into blast furnaces."
Hughes cites the efforts of Junji Honma, founder of the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords, who personally convinced Gen. Douglas MacArthur to stop the destruction by showing him various artistic swords from Japanese history. Although the mass drive to collect swords stopped, American servicemen began taking them as wartime souvenirs, and even conservative estimates determine over 1 million swords went to across the Pacific in the postwar period. Hughes became a sword hunter, first for the shop in Ginza and then independently, determined to return Japanese swords back to Japan. "It was easier for me to recover swords on my own. There were still racial issues in the U.S. A lot of the swords were being sold at gun shows, and the gun dealers did not want to sell to Japanese buyers."
Hughes estimates he repatriated over 800 swords to Japan. He licensed the swords back in Japan, which were then taken to dealer auctions for distribution across the country. In the process, Hughes slowly became an expert himself, and learned to read the obscure signatures engraved on the blades. He has a collection of over 200 books on swords and swordsmanship.
He lives in Kamakura and is still challenging himself by studying Okinawan martial arts and weaponry.
Canadian black-belt takes pride in action not words
Keichodo - An antique sword enterprise started by Robert Hughes in 1986
Canadian black-belt takes pride in action not words
Keichodo - An antique sword enterprise started by Robert Hughes in 1986
Komentar
Posting Komentar