View Full Version : Age of Samurai on Netflix...
If you've ever even had a passing interest in the subject of feudal Japan, the Sengoku period (a time of almost constant civil war lasting over 100 years) and eventual unification under a single Shogun you want to watch this series.
I started to investigate this period of history related to the study of martial arts around 1979 / 1980 and this may be the best "series" I have ever seen on the subject. Things like the tv series "Shogun" presented a mostly accurate environment but when it came to the "details" they were a lot like "The Patriot" with mix and match facts and names.
The absolute best thing about the series is the participation of those like Stephen Turnbull who demystifies events and people and provides a less romanticized assessment. The historical events are simply related in a coherent timeline with the nature and relationship of events simply explained in context.
Esoteric ideas and cultural considerations unique to people, places and persons are simply defined rather than made a source of wonder. The first three episodes conveyed more "easily understood" critical people and events information than some entire semesters of Japanese history classes I have participated in. Many people who have studied parts of this time but don't feel 100% about their understanding of this and that will watch in and go "Oh....that is what that idiot kept trying to talk about."
There is a tendency among teachers of Japanese history, and the samurai in particular, to spend more time trying to impress students and peers with their command of Japanese language (but usually it is just words they know) and known nuances unique to both than to try and convey any of this information in a way that can be grasped, understood and remembered by westerners.
It's time well spent and so far I haven't caught a single error, only points of contention where more than one POV is possible. They even delved into the "many kinds of samurai" can of worms pretty competently as what a samurai was changed over time and could be unique from location to location, it really wasn't until after the unification that the conventional model of "what is a samurai" was really defined.
And yeah, a lot of time is spent discussing the role of firearms in nearly every conflict of the Sengoku period and how those who discovered how to employ them in a practical way were usually the victor, even when greatly outnumbered.
But best of all, there is coherence among all of the historical experts and it's not like an episode of Crossfire where this guy suggest this happened and another expert disagrees with him and promotes and completely alternate point of view.
everready73
02-25-21, 12:58
Thanks for the write up. I saw this was coming out and set a notification for when it was released. Just saw the notification pop on my phone yesterday that it came out
Will be watching this week and will report back
Started this series a couple nights ago. I have found it interesting and informative, so far.
Averageman
02-26-21, 17:58
Good Stuff.
Cutting your own eyeball out though?
Good Stuff.
Cutting your own eyeball out though?
If you aren't afraid to die, you aren't afraid of a lot of things. He either did it himself or had someone do it for him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Masamune
WillieThom
02-27-21, 09:47
The whole going around and ceasing commoners’ weapons so they can’t resist the warrior-elite minority seems to be a common thing amongst leaders with tyrannical leanings...
If you aren't afraid to die, you aren't afraid of a lot of things. He either did it himself or had someone do it for him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Masamune
Not just not afraid to die but willing to die by Seppuku makes cutting out a bad eye kind of minor.
The whole going around and ceasing commoners’ weapons so they can’t resist the warrior-elite minority seems to be a common thing amongst leaders with tyrannical leanings...
Yeah. And no doubt Nobunaga was a vicious, shitbag who lived at the expense of everyone else. This is made worse by the fact that Yoritomo established a military government in 1185 (the Kamakura bakufu) which meant military (samurai families) leaders ran the whole show. Worked "ok" until the Minamoto dynasty came to an end and things eventually went up for grabs.
But Japan was an ongoing lesson in "tyranny" through most of her history. Not many "golden ages" marked by prosperity and freedom. Even with the modernization after Meiji, they simply transitioned from a military government run by Shoguns to an Imperial government that was quickly taken over by modern "pro military" members of government complete with their own "Night of Long Knives" for liberals leaders who wanted more general freedoms. This culminated in Hideki Tojo becoming Prime Minister and those who advocated for an expansionist empire of domination of the Pacific.
There is some merit to the argument that as a participant in "democracy" and an ally in World War I they learned the lesson that nobody is gonna take them seriously or reward their good deeds with colonies comparable to those enjoyed by European powers before and after World War I. But Japan didn't simply wage a war to secure their piece of the pie to have the raw goods necessary to sustain independence of others. They waged a brutal war of atrocity almost from the start and showed "modern" Japan was capable of incredible acts of cruelty against men, women and children that even some Samurai of old would have considered unthinkable, except of course for Nobunaga who really was a Class A POS who would have stabbed babies with sticks and roasted them like marshmallows over a fire if the idea had ever occurred to him.
Adrenaline_6
03-01-21, 08:52
Yeah. And no doubt Nobunaga was a vicious, shitbag who lived at the expense of everyone else. This is made worse by the fact that Yoritomo established a military government in 1185 (the Kamakura bakufu) which meant military (samurai families) leaders ran the whole show. Worked "ok" until the Minamoto dynasty came to an end and things eventually went up for grabs.
But Japan was an ongoing lesson in "tyranny" through most of her history. Not many "golden ages" marked by prosperity and freedom. Even with the modernization after Meiji, they simply transitioned from a military government run by Shoguns to an Imperial government that was quickly taken over by modern "pro military" members of government complete with their own "Night of Long Knives" for liberals leaders who wanted more general freedoms. This culminated in Hideki Tojo becoming Prime Minister and those who advocated for an expansionist empire of domination of the Pacific.
There is some merit to the argument that as a participant in "democracy" and an ally in World War I they learned the lesson that nobody is gonna take them seriously or reward their good deeds with colonies comparable to those enjoyed by European powers before and after World War I. But Japan didn't simply wage a war to secure their piece of the pie to have the raw goods necessary to sustain independence of others. They waged a brutal war of atrocity almost from the start and showed "modern" Japan was capable of incredible acts of cruelty against men, women and children that even some Samurai of old would have considered unthinkable, except of course for Nobunaga who really was a Class A POS who would have stabbed babies with sticks and roasted them like marshmallows over a fire if the idea had ever occurred to him.
As cool a culture as Japan has, and it has many great aspects of it. People tend to forget how brutal they could be.....except the Chinese....I don't think they'll ever forget. They made the Holocaust look almost acceptable (not saying it was).
As cool a culture as Japan has, and it has many great aspects of it. People tend to forget how brutal they could be.....except the Chinese....I don't think they'll ever forget. They made the Holocaust look almost acceptable (not saying it was).
Yep, martial artists also have a tendency to glorify them in. Every time I hear a kendo student remark along the lines of "man I wish I could have lived back then, it must have been awesome to be a samurai" and I have to remind them "you mean you wish you could live your life in servitude to a lord of the land and have virtually no say in your destiny and stand ready to kill anyone including your family or yourself without explanation if so ordered?"
The samurai as a culture can be completely fascinating but not all of them were honor bound, dutiful individuals with an impressive grasp of right action. And as you noted, this manifested itself in terrible ways when the mindset found it's way to Nanking. If you can throw a baby in the air so it can be caught on a bayonet and everyone involved things it's a special skill or at least entertaining...you need to completely reevaluate yourself as a human being.
Johnny Rico
03-01-21, 18:45
As cool a culture as Japan has, and it has many great aspects of it. People tend to forget how brutal they could be.....except the Chinese....I don't think they'll ever forget. They made the Holocaust look almost acceptable (not saying it was).
Most Asians know very well what the Japanese are capable of. Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese...the list is a long one. A couple of Japanese soldiers in WWII thought it was good fun to force a woman in the 8th month of her pregnancy to bow 100 times to them. That woman was my grandmother.
Adrenaline_6
03-02-21, 08:21
Most Asians know very well what the Japanese are capable of. Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese...the list is a long one. A couple of Japanese soldiers in WWII thought it was good fun to force a woman in the 8th month of her pregnancy to bow 100 times to them. That woman was my grandmother.
Yep, martial artists also have a tendency to glorify them in. Every time I hear a kendo student remark along the lines of "man I wish I could have lived back then, it must have been awesome to be a samurai" and I have to remind them "you mean you wish you could live your life in servitude to a lord of the land and have virtually no say in your destiny and stand ready to kill anyone including your family or yourself without explanation if so ordered?"
The samurai as a culture can be completely fascinating but not all of them were honor bound, dutiful individuals with an impressive grasp of right action. And as you noted, this manifested itself in terrible ways when the mindset found it's way to Nanking. If you can throw a baby in the air so it can be caught on a bayonet and everyone involved things it's a special skill or at least entertaining...you need to completely reevaluate yourself as a human being.
Yup...brutal af. Even the way they tested their swords for quality. it would have to cut clean diagonally through a prisoners collar bone, rib cage, spine and then hip bone. If it got stuck, it was a low quality reject....cue next prisoner for the next sword.
I tell you what...if Japan had the resources and wasn't island bound. History would have been a lot different from feudal Japan on.
they were mercenaries IMHO
but still intriguing to study
one thing I respect is how the Japanese are now and what they did to change and so on
they were mercenaries IMHO
but still intriguing to study
one thing I respect is how the Japanese are now and what they did to change and so on
That was mostly the result of their last true Emperor, and I don't mean Hirohito, I mean MacArthur. It's really his only notable contribution to the way, the complete pacification of postwar Japan. They needed an angry god so we sent them one.
Adrenaline_6
03-03-21, 20:36
they were mercenaries IMHO
but still intriguing to study
one thing I respect is how the Japanese are now and what they did to change and so on
Make no mistake though. The "common" people were never the brutal ones to begin with. That is what is being seen today. Look deeper and see the yakuza and the brutality is very much still alive. It is just on the back burner due to circumstance.
Make no mistake though. The "common" people were never the brutal ones to begin with. That is what is being seen today. Look deeper and see the yakuza and the brutality is very much still alive. It is just on the back burner due to circumstance.
Yes and no. Sure the commoners suffered under the yoke of the samurai but the common folk were also "good little nazi's" who went along with anything and everything Tojo did including sending their children to report for bamboo spear training so they could meet the invaders on the beach and fight to the death.
There is also a "right below the surface" level of accepted racism that would blow your mind and more people go right along with it than correct it. I have Japanese friends who grew up here that are always shocked by what they see and hear in "polite company" when they go home from time to time. People don't put portraits of Mishima on their walls because they are huge book fans. Seems every other generation goes ball deep with a neo patriotism movement.
Anyone who has been on bases in Japan or Okinawa long enough has seen them protested, although Okinawan's are typically more tolerant.
Johnny Rico
03-03-21, 22:33
There is also a "right below the surface" level of accepted racism that would blow your mind and more people go right along with it than correct it. I have Japanese friends who grew up here that are always shocked by what they see and hear in "polite company" when they go home from time to time. People don't put portraits of Mishima on their walls because they are huge book fans. Seems every other generation goes ball deep with a neo patriotism movement.
That racism is widespread too. Unlike the Germans who own up to the evils they committed during the Nazi-era, the Japanese to this day still deny, minimize, and gloss over the atrocities they committed during WWII. Atrocities made easier by the belief that the Yamato race is superior to everyone else, including other Japanese like Okinawans or the Ainu.
That racism is widespread too. Unlike the Germans who own up to the evils they committed during the Nazi-era, the Japanese to this day still deny, minimize, and gloss over the atrocities they committed during WWII. Atrocities made easier by the belief that the Yamato race is superior to everyone else, including other Japanese like Okinawans or the Ainu.
Sadly. Now I know hundreds of more modern Japanese folks who are also appalled by the pervasive racism that seems to be everywhere, among all classes high and low but that's mostly because I won't maintain friendly relations with those who see themselves as "racially superior" to all asians and most other men. So while it isn't necessarily the norm, it isn't uncommon either.
At the end of the war the Japanese civies weren't force marched through Manchurian "work camps" or made to clean up at Unit 731, but sadly our country was complicit in the half hearted prosecution of Japanese war criminals and acts of protectionism that made things like Operation Paperclip look like a 15 minute time out for bad behavior. That we rewarded some Japanese war criminals with positions of prominence on the post war government was in itself a war crime on some level.
Our willingness to exchange immunity for data with Unit 731 which engaged in live testing on humans of biological warfare methods was one of our most shameful acts as a nation. I understand that on some level we just wanted to end the war and move on, but the Japanese really did get a cultural pass that the Germans and some of her allies never dreamed of.
And the fact that we were already moving onto Stalin and the Soviet Union as the next major threat with Japan being strategically located probably also meant we looked the other way on a lot of things. If all of Japan was forced to learn the actual history of their military actions during the Pacific War I think the demands that we apologize for Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be dramatically lessened.
While I always feel sympathy for any innocent victimized during war, Japan really did earn their Hiroshima and Nagasaki events. But as is often the case, the worse offenders still seemed to go unpunished.
Adrenaline_6
03-04-21, 08:08
Yes and no. Sure the commoners suffered under the yoke of the samurai but the common folk were also "good little nazi's" who went along with anything and everything Tojo did including sending their children to report for bamboo spear training so they could meet the invaders on the beach and fight to the death.
There is also a "right below the surface" level of accepted racism that would blow your mind and more people go right along with it than correct it. I have Japanese friends who grew up here that are always shocked by what they see and hear in "polite company" when they go home from time to time. People don't put portraits of Mishima on their walls because they are huge book fans. Seems every other generation goes ball deep with a neo patriotism movement.
Anyone who has been on bases in Japan or Okinawa long enough has seen them protested, although Okinawan's are typically more tolerant.
I agree. The "good little nazi's" are this polite way now because that is what is expected of them and they as a culture aim to please. Take away that doctrine and brutal can come back just as easy. Human beings are basically the same...no matter where you go. Thinking otherwise is pure fantasy.
I agree. The "good little nazi's" are this polite way now because that is what is expected of them and they as a culture aim to please. Take away that doctrine and brutal can come back just as easy. Human beings are basically the same...no matter where you go. Thinking otherwise is pure fantasy.
I agree, most people engage in some form of tribalism whether they realize it or not, even if it's in opposition to their stated belief system. Another common human trait is while expressing a desire for freedom is the wish to have somebody else be in charge so we aren't all 100% responsible for all the bad shit that happens in life. We would rather appoint a leader that we could blame even if it means surrendering a lot of personal freedom.
Very few people are equipped to accept responsibility for everything in their life and be the one who decides everything for better or worse. For even the best people, that is a lot of burden to accept. Many people don't even want to know the truth of things let alone be the one to try and fix things.
Voodoochild
03-04-21, 17:16
Just finished it today and man it was a great series. At the end it was hard to keep up with who was who and allied to who. But overall really well done series and I enjoyed it. Are there any books on Nobunaga and his military tactics? Or on any of them to be honest some of them really had some serious strategy.
Just finished it today and man it was a great series. At the end it was hard to keep up with who was who and allied to who. But overall really well done series and I enjoyed it. Are there any books on Nobunaga and his military tactics? Or on any of them to be honest some of them really had some serious strategy.
https://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Stephen-Turnbull/dp/1873410387/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3HLPE1Y5MRAU6&dchild=1&keywords=stephen+turnbull&qid=1614904619&s=books&sprefix=stephen+turnbull%2Cstripbooks%2C-1&sr=1-3
https://www.amazon.com/Sengoku-Jidai-Nobunaga-Hideyoshi-Ieyasu/dp/1983450200/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7ZIH68RL8H13&dchild=1&keywords=oda+nobunaga&qid=1614904546&s=books&sprefix=oda+nobunaga%2Caps%2C604&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Samurai-Hiroaki-Sato/dp/1590207300/ref=sr_1_2?crid=7ZIH68RL8H13&dchild=1&keywords=oda+nobunaga&qid=1614904546&s=books&sprefix=oda+nobunaga%2Caps%2C604&sr=1-2
For general reading on the net, search:
Minamoto Yoritomo
Kamakura / Bakufu
Sengoku Period / Wars
Sekigahara
Meiji Period
You can find a few decent books on Oda Nobunaga, but honestly you just watched one of the most comprehensive and concise presentations on the subject.
Stephen Turnbull's book "The Samurai: A Military History" is probably the go to standard in English and still the best starting point for any in depth research. Also look around I'm sure it's been reprinted and you can find copies a bit more affordable than $60.
I have watched one episode and plan to finish it as soon as I have time. I still have to finish Cobra Kai. Lol.
Watched it over 2 evenings. Seemed very well done and I feel like I have a much better understanding of Japan and it's history now.
Watched it over 2 evenings. Seemed very well done and I feel like I have a much better understanding of Japan and it's history now.
That is the series single greatest virtue. Japanese names, places and events are alien to us not because we can't understand them but because we can't pronounce them and remember them as easily as things like Thermopylae. So we have mostly been taught "pick and choose" Japanese history of events we deem significant.
And while the names and relationships can still be daunting, because Japanese isn't as easy to remember as things related to European events, this serious put them in chronological order and explains them in relatable ways.
Watch it again after a month and you will grab a few things you missed the first time around and names and faces will have a better fit.
Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.
Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.
That movie is amazing! The director, Takashi Miike, has done some truly bizarre movies since then. Find “Yakuza Apocalypse” and give it a watch. It’s weird on a level that’s hard to describe.
Sent from 80ms in the future
Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.
One of the few remakes of classic 1960's chanbara that is as good or better than the original. If anyone wants to go deep into samurai mindset find the 1962 film "Harakiri", avoid at all costs the remake starring Keanu Reeves...despite the technical assistance of Stephen Turnbull...it's one of the worst films or remakes of a classic film related to anything samurai.
Another wonderful film is "Chushingura" aka The 47 Ronin with the 1962 version directed by Inagaki being the best. Again, there is sadly a Keanu Reeves remake that is absolutely terrible, even worse than Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai" and that is a pretty dismal film. There is a two part version made in 1941 that is interesting as Japanese military propaganda and rather than tell the classic story of duty, honor and revenge they made a film emphasizing the noble concept of self sacrifice...nearly every character in the film tries to die for some greater good. It's pretty appalling in the context of the beginning of the wider Pacific War.
That was mostly the result of their last true Emperor, and I don't mean Hirohito, I mean MacArthur. It's really his only notable contribution to the way, the complete pacification of postwar Japan. They needed an angry god so we sent them one.
Yeah :)
And nothing wrong with what they were I do think at the times it was just how it was
I find it very fascinating for sure and I do love how it seems the true high level ones were very into the art of it if you want to say the ceremony the ritual the dedication etc...
Make no mistake though. The "common" people were never the brutal ones to begin with. That is what is being seen today. Look deeper and see the yakuza and the brutality is very much still alive. It is just on the back burner due to circumstance.
Yeah kinda what SteyrAUG said and my input is so hard to compare to today just like the fathers of our country would shock many today if we hung out with them :)
For sure the brutality is alive today and one of the things about them is the dedication they still have the patriotism they still have the ritual the culture that is kept for the most part
which is fine or maybe to say understood as everyone should be proud of their own country but times change
Seen a few shows on the Yakuza that were interesting one was about the car culture they have and participate in
Agree on the racism SteyrAUG said BIG TIME Quite a few of my friends who are Japanese will say they are very racist in a polite way :)
I do plan on getting over there in a few years after kids are in college etc.. and spend a few years though just to live take in the culture as it intrigues me so much both the good and the bad of it
Yeah kinda what SteyrAUG said and my input is so hard to compare to today just like the fathers of our country would shock many today if we hung out with them :)
For sure the brutality is alive today and one of the things about them is the dedication they still have the patriotism they still have the ritual the culture that is kept for the most part
which is fine or maybe to say understood as everyone should be proud of their own country but times change
Seen a few shows on the Yakuza that were interesting one was about the car culture they have and participate in
Agree on the racism SteyrAUG said BIG TIME Quite a few of my friends who are Japanese will say they are very racist in a polite way :)
I do plan on getting over there in a few years after kids are in college etc.. and spend a few years though just to live take in the culture as it intrigues me so much both the good and the bad of it
Yeah, if you practice classical Japanese fencing and have a working knowledge of their language, it is amazing what you will overhear. Kenjutsu attracts patriots like nothing else and in Japan "patriots" has a much different meaning than how we use it.
If you find yourself in Japan, Kyoto is more interesting than Tokyo and if you head south Okinawans are generally more "truly" considerate of foreigners and in some ways have a more interesting culture. The Okinawans still have their fresh today sushi counters while the Japanese have replaced nearly all of them with a 1950s fast food model automats.
That movie is amazing! The director, Takashi Miike, has done some truly bizarre movies since then. Find “Yakuza Apocalypse” and give it a watch. It’s weird on a level that’s hard to describe.
Sent from 80ms in the future
I will have to check it out. The Japanese seem to have an affinity for all things weird and tacky, especially on film. Another one to research is ‘Unit 731’, not a samurai movie but a brutal war movie showing torture during the Japanese armys occupation of China. It’s hard to watch.
One of the few remakes of classic 1960's chanbara that is as good or better than the original. If anyone wants to go deep into samurai mindset find the 1962 film "Harakiri", avoid at all costs the remake starring Keanu Reeves...despite the technical assistance of Stephen Turnbull...it's one of the worst films or remakes of a classic film related to anything samurai.
Another wonderful film is "Chushingura" aka The 47 Ronin with the 1962 version directed by Inagaki being the best. Again, there is sadly a Keanu Reeves remake that is absolutely terrible, even worse than Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai" and that is a pretty dismal film. There is a two part version made in 1941 that is interesting as Japanese military propaganda and rather than tell the classic story of duty, honor and revenge they made a film emphasizing the noble concept of self sacrifice...nearly every character in the film tries to die for some greater good. It's pretty appalling in the context of the beginning of the wider Pacific War.
I will look for them and avoid the remakes. Yes, the “Last Samurai” was awful. A true samurai classic is Akiro Kurosawas “Ran”. It’s a take on Shakespeare’s king Lear and is an epic. I will also mention the 7 samurai as it too is incredible. Of course, the mini series ‘Shogun” with Tashiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain is entertaining as well, even if it is dramatized fiction.
I will look for them and avoid the remakes. Yes, the “Last Samurai” was awful. A true samurai classic is Akiro Kurosawas “Ran”. It’s a take on Shakespeare’s king Lear and is an epic. I will also mention the 7 samurai as it too is incredible. Of course, the mini series ‘Shogun” with Tashiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain is entertaining as well, even if it is dramatized fiction.
Kurosawa is a freaking legend have the criterion collection also a huge fan of his other stuff and funny enough Mifune is one of my fav actors
Have posted this here before but worth it again I reckon
The Samurai have made a impact on the world no doubt even well into western culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pU6B2zEFeg
Yeah, if you practice classical Japanese fencing and have a working knowledge of their language, it is amazing what you will overhear. Kenjutsu attracts patriots like nothing else and in Japan "patriots" has a much different meaning than how we use it.
If you find yourself in Japan, Kyoto is more interesting than Tokyo and if you head south Okinawans are generally more "truly" considerate of foreigners and in some ways have a more interesting culture. The Okinawans still have their fresh today sushi counters while the Japanese have replaced nearly all of them with a 1950s fast food model automats.
Thanks for tips
yeah southern most likely is more my style from what I have seen read known folks and weather wise
The Hawaiian islands have influence and since I was there till my 40s its not Japan but used to the influence that is around from many I hung out with who’s parents were still old school etc...
Funny I miss being able to buy fresh ahi block at the local stores :)
I used to take Goju-Ryu Karate :) starting back in my HS years so funny you mention the Okinawa thing which started me on the interest back then again lots of formality etc... as you know which I find interesting in their lifestyle
I will look for them and avoid the remakes. Yes, the “Last Samurai” was awful. A true samurai classic is Akiro Kurosawas “Ran”. It’s a take on Shakespeare’s king Lear and is an epic. I will also mention the 7 samurai as it too is incredible. Of course, the mini series ‘Shogun” with Tashiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain is entertaining as well, even if it is dramatized fiction.
Kurosawa did Shakespeare a few times. "Throne of Blood" is MacBeth and while we are at it, The Magnificent Seven is a direct lift of the Seven Samurai, High Plains Drifter and For a Few Dollars More are a direct lift of Yojimbo and Sanjuro. But yes Ran is amazingly epic and all done before CGI. So Kurosawa did Samurai Shakespeare and his Samurai films were made into westerns.
Kurosawa is a freaking legend have the criterion collection also a huge fan of his other stuff and funny enough Mifune is one of my fav actors
Have posted this here before but worth it again I reckon
The Samurai have made a impact on the world no doubt even well into western culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pU6B2zEFeg
Thanks for posting that. Lucas heavily mined the genre, even the word "Jedi" comes from Jidai Gecki (Japanese Period Film). Of course Star Wars (1977) itself is also a lift from "The Magic Sword" and some Wagner opera.
Thanks for tips
yeah southern most likely is more my style from what I have seen read known folks and weather wise
The Hawaiian islands have influence and since I was there till my 40s its not Japan but used to the influence that is around from many I hung out with who’s parents were still old school etc...
Funny I miss being able to buy fresh ahi block at the local stores :)
I used to take Goju-Ryu Karate :) starting back in my HS years so funny you mention the Okinawa thing which started me on the interest back then again lots of formality etc... as you know which I find interesting in their lifestyle
Even more interesting is how that Okinawan formality / etiquette is more a product of their parent culture, China, than it is Japanese. Goju is basically Monk Fist Boxing / White Crane Boxing as practiced in Fukien Province, China in the 18th and 19th century. If you track down and read The Bubishi (best translation by Patrick McCarthy) it is a once secret text that was hand copied from Higashiona by his student Chojun Miyagi that explains the secrets of the style in detail. Uechi Ryu is a sister system to Goju that practices many of the same kata and also is Naha based and rooted in boxing styles brought back from Fukien province.
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