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nodachi
25th January 2003, 11:33 PM
Let me paint a picture for you and you can explain it to me...

Went to the Chiba Budokan to watch a demonstration of all the various budo dojos and clubs in the area. There were demonstrations of kenjitsu, iaido, ittoryu, naginata, funny weapons that look like axes with long strings attached to them (sorry, don't know the name), tae kwan do, karate, old japanese kimono lady dancing with a parasol (sp?) and fan, that stringed instrument that I forget the name of was being played at times, and this (which is what I would like explained):

At one point there was what looked like samauri drama on tv. A fake battle was staged, people ran around with katana and when someone would "die", then there would be a conveniently place rolled up bamboo mat nearby ready to be cut to simulate that person getting cut and then the"dead" swordsman would play dead. There were also staged bamboo trees that would occasionally get cut.

What I don't understand is that after the battle was decided, all the swordsman are in black, but then someone drags a man all in white out of the staged door. He is then dragged next to another rolled up bamboo mat and a fake beheading is staged.

When the man in white was dragged out, everybody started to laugh, except for the ignorant gaijin who is asking now... who is that man? Was it some famous story that was being played out or was it just a funny scene because he is some important person of this area and it is funny that he was being dragged out and killed or what?

Enlighten me. Sorry for the longwindedness, but it was an interesting night. Thank you in advance.

munenmuso
26th January 2003, 12:58 AM
I remember the story of the forty seven ronins. There was also a battle between the ronins and the retainers of the castle beseiged. The lord of the castle went into hiding, but when the battle was won by the ronins, he couldn't be found.The ronins looked for the fallen lord who was in disguised. There was a bit humor and ridicule when he was found and arrested by the ronins. Then this lord was executed by them by decapitation. Maybe the "play" you saw is a reenacment of the famous ronins.

BTW, did you count the samurais?

nodachi
26th January 2003, 06:35 AM
Sorry, I was trying to sort out what it all was and was too intrigued to think of counting them all. There might have been 47 though, roughly.

Paburo
27th January 2003, 11:21 PM
hey nodachi, maybe you saw a rare version of the famous play chushingura...

http://paburo.cjb.net/chuushingura.htm

see if it's the same

nodachi
28th January 2003, 08:20 AM
Sounds pretty close to what I saw. It was really quick as there were lots of other groups doing things that night, but it seems to match.