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Course Number and PART/JPNA253 Code and Culture

Updated August 2021

Subject Area Performing Arts Class Style Lecture

Year Available 2nd Year Term(s) Offered Spring and Fall Semesters

Prerequisites None Number of Credits 3

Instructor William Reed

Course Description PROFILE William Reed has been interested in since his first discovery of Aikido at the age of 11 in 1963. This led to a deep interest in and Japanese Culture during High School, and eventually to foreign study in in 1972. His lifelong engagement with Japanese Culture included a passion for Samurai Culture, especially in the concept of Bunbu Ryōdō , the Mastery of and Letters, which in effect was the Samurai's approach to a Liberal Arts Education.

His interest in Samurai Culture also reflects a Liberal Arts perspective, spanning from the spiritual influences of the Code, Philosophy of the great Sword Masters of Samurai Culture, as well as Zen, , Neo-, and Christianity on the Samurai, to the cultural influences of Tea Ceremony, Zen Gardens, , Sword Culture, as well as Family Crests, Armor, Castles, and Samurai Signatures.

He holds an 8th-dan rank in Aikido from the Aikido Yuishinkai , and a 10th-dan rank in Calligraphy from the Japan Calligraphy Education Association (Zen Nihon Kyoiku Shodo Renmei ). He has written several books related to Aikido and Calligraphy. He has appeared on national television and in numerous documentaries on Samurai Culture and Ninja, and is a regular columnist on Samurai Calligraphy in a martial arts magazine Gekkan Hiden . He is Director of the Japan Handmade Samurai Armor Instructors Association , featuring handmade armor in the annual Shingenko Samurai Festival, and is an ambassador for local Samurai history through the traditions of . He a recipient of the Scottish Samurai Association’s highest honor, the Scottish Samurai Taisho Award, and he is the Director of the Samurai Signatures Association. He has collaborated with some of the leading Sword Artists and Ninja performance groups in Japan. He is also the Yamanashi Director of the Hogyokukai Mugairyu International Association .

COURSE DESCRIPTION Samurai Code provides students with opportunities to consider critical thinking, ethics, philosophy, and behavior in the context of Samurai history, and its influence on Japanese Culture today.

The major modules of the Course include: Sword Culture and Philosophy, Tea Ceremony Culture and Zen, Ninja Culture, Samurai Films, Samurai Code and History. Samurai Culture is highly experiential learning, introducing students to essential creative elements of Samurai practice, with Master classes in , Tea Ceremony, and Ninja Arts, as well as experiencing Samurai Culture through films, books, and discussions.

Throughout various periods of its history, and drawing on influences from within and outside of Japan, Samurai Culture is itself a study in inter- cultural understanding. We will engage in selected readings and discussions, as well as presentations to encourage active engagement in the subject.

The Course will combine readings and video resources featuring the best of the Samurai films and stories. Through experiential learning you will meet and study from contemporary masters of centuries old Samurai Traditions in Tea Ceremony, , and Calligraphy. You will learn about local Samurai history, and how to plan your own travel itineraries to experience the best of Samurai Culture. You will have the opportunity to wear handmade Samurai Armor, and participate in historic Samurai Festivals. Students will submit detailed visual notebooks as evidence of their engagement, as well as slide presentations and a paper.

Students in this class have commented that they enjoyed the experiential and reflective learning, and have demonstrated extraordinary creativity in visual note taking as a means of recording their experiences. They also appreciate the opportunity to follow engage in Master Classes and Field Trips.

1 Trips.

We will learn how the Samurai defined and developed themselves through the principles and training of Mind-Skill-Body. Experience and engagement in Samurai Culture will help you enjoy, learn, practice, and perform the key elements of Samurai Code and Culture. You will take a step forward in becoming yourself a Renaissance Samurai.

* Class plan for this academic year based on the students' course evaluation and feedback in previous academic year ONLINE vs IN-PERSON Classes: In 2020 we were forced to conduct all of our classes Online, and while there were some limitations, we discovered some important advantages to Online training. The classes are recorded on Zoom and available for review until the end of the semester. Students from outside of Japan or who are not on Campus are able to participate. We have found video to be an important tool for teaching, both in showing how Calligraphy is done, and in being able to demonstrate what you have learned and to get feedback. In-Person classes enable you to get direct feedback, enjoy Samurai activities together with friends, and get to experience high-quality materials in Samurai Culture. We hope that we will be able to conduct some In-Person classes, depending on guidelines provided by iCLA Administration. We will do our best to offer some In-Person classes for Samurai Culture such as Sword, Tea, Calligraphy, and Ninja activities. Much of Samurai Culture is learning by doing, and in that spirit we will opportunities to demonstrate what you have learned, and even critique performance on video for feedback and improvement. We will do a hybrid of Online and In-Person Classes, which would be better than all one or the other. In case we do In-Person Classes at iCLA, we ask that you follow iCLA guidelines and common sense, by spraying your hands, wearing a mask, checking body temperature before you enter the practice

Course Objectives Samurai Mind will introduce you to the Samurai Code, the core philosophies and wisdom that defined and shaped Samurai behavior. Samurai Skill will help you experience how the Samurai Culture demonstrated their values through experience in Tea Ceremony, Swordsmanship, and Calligraphy, through the practice of Bunbu Ryōdō , Mastery of Sword and Letters.

Samurai Body will help you learn Samurai secrets for mindfulness, enhanced performance, and how to cultivate the qualities of posture, movement, and breathing which make you like a Samurai. This will help you to understand and improve in any martial art that you choose to study, and will also give you confidence in daily life.

Mystery to Mastery will help you learn how to deepen your understanding and experience of Samurai Culture through the process of engagement with Mind-Skill-Body (Shin-Gi-Tai ).

Samurai Language will help you understand the Culture of the Samurai through the words that describe the Armor, Castles, Clan Crests, , Heraldry, and Ethical Codes of the Samurai.

Samurai Film is one of the most enjoyable ways to learn about the Samurai in various periods of Japanese history through dramatic films that tell their stories.

Sword Kata contain beautiful movements that encode many of the teachings of the Samurai. We will study Kata from the Shogun’s select Yagyu Shinkage Ryu , ’s Enmei Ryu , the Mugairyu from the Period to the , and Yamanashi’s own Tachisuji Ichien Kata from the Seishinkan Dojo. Samurai Tea Ceremony has roots in the with Sen no Rikyu, and was an integral part of the lifestyle and communication for the Samurai. You will experience this at iCLA and in a field trip to Erinji Temple.

Message to students There are many ways to study and experience Samurai Culture, from books, films, armor, castles, virtual travel, and Samurai Training. I will try to provide a broad menu of experience with flexibility in what you want to focus on in your Final Paper. To help you in practicing writing for your final paper we will do frequent short presentations, whereby students will spend 20~30 minutes researching and makeing notes on a topic, and then Prerequisite There is no prerequisite for Samurai Code and Culture.

2 Indicative Self-learning Preparation: 1 hour per week Review: 1 hour per week Preparation for final paper: 10~15 hours. It is recommended that you write about the relevant section each week as we go, and not try to write your entire paper at the end. 3000 words amounts to roughly three pages for each of the five sections of the course. It will be very clear to me how much preparation and research you dedicate to the paper, and the paper represents 20% of your grade, so it could easily help determine your final grade. I will only grade your final paper, but every 3 weeks I will review what you are expected to have in your paper for that section of the course.

Grading Criteria Your grade is determined on your performance and improvement in five categories. Assessment is based on a 3000 word paper with 20% covering each of the following 5 sections, and many topics to choose from within these categories. The class will be interactive, with discussion, including opportunities to ask questions and summarize what you have learned. You must attend at least 20 of the 30 classes in order to pass the course. I will take note not only of attendance, but also of participation in class with video turned on. If screenshots consistently show your video to be turned on, this can have a positive impact on your grade as an indication of participation.

Samurai History (20%) • Samurai History provides the backdrop and context for learning about the Samurai Culture, which evolved over time and left many traces even on modern Japanese Society. Various Resources will help you navigate the Eras and Profiles of leading Samurai. Samurai Philosophy (20%) • The Philosophy of the Samurai was shaped by the Bushido Code, in classic books by Samurai Masters, and by diverse Spiritual influences. Samurai Culture (20%) • Samurai Culture can be experienced in virtual or in-person workshops with the Samurai Sword, Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, and Ninja Practices. Samurai Stories (20%) • Samurai films, signatures, and symbols tell their story in dramatic and visual form. Samurai Budo (20%) • Samurai Culture produces Budo, in the form of ancient and modern martial arts, and has become the focus of a new form of travel known as Budo Tourism.

Organization The course is organized around 5 Themes, with one Topic per week. You will be able to cover your favorite in greater depth in your final paper. In Week 16 you will have a chance to do a show and tell with your best work. Here are the Rubrics for Samurai Code and Culture. PERCENTAGE SAMURAI THEMES WEEKLY THEMES DELIVERY RESOURCES ASSESSMENT OF GRADE Key features, figures, Books and Resources Samurai Final Paper on Topic Players, Samurai History formations, challenges, 20.0% Eras Samurai Profiles Stories, Stages dramas, resources

Bushido Code Resources, Relevance, Role of Final Paper on Topic Samurai Philosophy Book of Five Rings Philosophy and Sacred to the Influences, Characteristics, 20.0% Samurai and the Sacred Samurai Relevance

Sword and Kata, Tea Final Paper on Topic Sword Samurai Sword Samurai Samurai Culture Ceremony, Ninja Culture and IAIDO, Tea Ceremony, Ninja 20.0% Tea Ceremony Ninja and Nindo Liberal Arts Culture

Samurai Films Samurai Final Paper on Topic Film Samurai films, Kaoh, Gekkan Samurai Stories Signatures Samurai Armor and Review, Visual Notes, Form and 20.0% Hiden, Armor, Kamon, Castles Symbols Meaning

Final Paper on Topic Ancient Budo Modern Samurai Spirit NHK, Virtual Samurai Budo Ancient and Modern Budo, Budo 20.0% Budo Budo Tourism Tourism, Documentaries, Tourism

3 Plagiarism policy Plagiarism is the dishonest presentation of the work of others as if it were one’s own. Duplicate submission is also treated as plagiarism. Depending on nature of plagiarism you may fail the assignment or the course. Repeated act of plagiarism will be reported to the University which may apply additional penalties.

Required Materials and Textbooks Reference to materials needed will be provided on Edvance, so it is important that you check the online lessons posted each week. Materials may be provided in PDF documents, as links to online resources, or as books in the YGU Library. There may be some costs for nearby local transportation on a field trip to Erinji, and for Tea Ceremony Tea and Wagashi.

Course Schedule Week 1 Books and Resources

Week 2 Samurai Eras

Week 3 Samurai Profiles

Week 4 Bushido Code

Week 5 Book of Five Rings

Week 6 Samurai and the Sacred

Week 7 Samurai Sword

Week 8 Samurai Tea Ceremony

Week 9 Ninja and Nindo

Week 10 Samurai Films

Week 11 Samurai Signatures

4 Week 12 Samurai Armor and Symbols

Week 13 Ancient Budo

Week 14 Modern Budo

Week 15 Budo Tourism

Week 16 Show and Tell Best Work

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