In the past, Samurai was said to have danced with a sword and a fan for spiritual unity and inspiration before the battle. The Samurai Kembu Theater opened in 2014 to promote the sword dance experience for foreigners that began in the local Otsu City, where the master of the sword dance school “Seiga style”, Magari Ouga. You can actually experience it. In addition to the Otsu Dojo, the Kyoto Dojo is now located in Sanjo, where it is easy to access.
Participants change into samurai’s formal dress, learn from courtesy practices such as how to bow, use basic Japanese swords, such as how to hold and remove Japanese swords, how to cut and store, and use Iai swords You can learn dance and experience samurai.
This program is popular not only for foreign tourists but also for children. In the program for foreigners, all the instruction is given in English, and the package that includes a lesson and a sword dance show is also popular. At the sword dance show, you can see a powerful and sometimes graceful dance with swords and fans, along with poetry.
There are 1 hour light lessons and 2 hours full lessons, both with and without costume rental. You can choose your favorite pattern from over a dozen different costumes.
For foreigners who want to learn more firmly, lessons are also offered for 3 days (15 hours). In addition to trial lessons, weekly fixed sword dance and fan dance classes are also held, and there is a promotion examination once a year and a diploma is issued.
The traditional performing art of Japan
“Samurai Kembu Theater” is a facility where you can experience “Kenbu” (a sword dance), a traditional performing art that conveys the samurai culture to the present age. You can wear the costumes just like Samurai and challenge authentic dancing with swords and fans. In the commemorative photograph of free time, instructor poses in front of gold folding screen, so you can take instagrammable picture. Because trial lessons are mainly in English, it is also popular with foreign tourists. Learn how to handle a sword such as the direction of the cutting edge, how to swing, how to house it to the sheath.
The Kembu (a sword dance) is a traditional performing art to dance to Chinese poetry and a Japanese poem with a sword and a fan. It is thought that the prototype of dance existed from Nara or Heian period, but is said that the modern Kembu was born after the Meiji Restoration.
The lesson performed in English
In Samurai Kembu lesson, the participant changes into full dress of the samurai and learns the dance using a Iai-Katana (practice sword used in iaido). In addition to the exhaustiveness which not only how to handle sword but also the manners such as the ways of the bow teach, the lesson performed in English is very popular.
Turn completely into a samurai
The fee rate is divided into a full-scale lesson or a simple lesson; adult 4,000-9,000 yen, 3,000-8,000 yen less than 11 years old. The lesson takes approximately 1 to 2 hours. In the end, you turn completely into a samurai and take a ceremonial photograph. Just observation is OK.
The sense of values and the spirituality of the samurai
The Kembu is one of the traditional arts of Japan. It is the dance matching recitation of the Kanshi (Chinese poetry) and the Waka (31-syllable Japanese poem) with the attire of the samurai with a sword and a fan. It takes approximately two and a half minutes to finish the dance of 1 program, and the sense of values and the spirituality of the samurai are condensed. The samurai culture is one of the origins of the Japanese culture, the sense of values and beauty continues being valid in the modern Japanese mind.
Experience a Japanese-style
The Samurai Kembu theatre is the most recommended for the demand to experience a Japanese-style that you can know “the samurai culture and the origin of Japan”.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
| Name: | Samurai Kembu Theater |
| Adresse: | 35-7 Sanchome (Higashi-iru, Sanjo-hanamikoji) , Higashiyama-ku | B1F Neo Art Bldg., Kyoto 605-0005, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Access: | Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai-sen line "Sanjo-eki Station” (1 minute walk) |
| Tel: | (+81) 75-751-2033 |
| Price: | There are variou plans. *Demonstration 3,000 yen (Adult) 2,000 yen (Elementary School Students or Under) *Lesson 4,000 - 11,000 yen (Adult) Please refer the official web page. (Japanese Page is here.) |
| Official site: | http://www.samurai-kembu.jp/ |
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