Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Saturday, August 29, 2009 Sunday, August 30, 2009 Introduction to Iaido: Lecture and Demonstration Lecture Transcript By Seigen Esaka Sensei, 10th Dan Hanshi (Master Instructor) Joined by: Takeshi Yokosawa, 7th Dan, Kyoushi Chikako Yokosawa, 7th Dan Andrej Diamantstein, 6th Dan Renshi Thomas C. Helm, 6th Dan Renshi Translation by: Ryuko Takahashi グッドアフタヌーン レディース アンド ジェントルメン、 マイネーム イズ セイゲン エサカ 江坂静厳と申します。日本の古武道のひとつ居合道、その最も古い流派のひとつと される「無双直伝英信流」を５０年以上学んでおり、現在全日本居合道連盟という団 体で、１０段範士の称号を持ち、関東地区連盟の会長を務めています。 I am Esaka Seigen. For more than 50 years I have practiced a form of Japanese Kobudo (traditional Japanese martial arts) called Iaido, specifically, the school called “Musou Jikiden Eishin Ryu,” (Peerless Direct Transmission True Faith Style), which is said to be the oldest. Presently, I hold the 10th degree Hanshi (Master Instructor certification) within the all Japanese Iaido federation and I serve as the Kantou (the greater Tokyo area) regional chairman for the organization. このたびは皆さんに、私の学ぶ居合道を通して、日本の文化についてお話をする機 会をいただき、誠に有難うございます。大変楽しみにして、やって参りました。 On this occasion, I am truly grateful to have the chance to discuss Iaido and Japanese culture with all of you. I have looked forward to this immensely, and now I am finally here. 1 「サムライ」という言葉は、アメリカの皆さんも良く御存知の単語であると聞きまし た。皆さんは「サムライ」に、どんなイメージをお持ちでしょうか？ I have been told that you often hear the word “Samurai” in America. I wonder what kind of image the word “Samurai” brings to mind for Americans. サムライ、つまり武士は千年ほど昔から日本に存在していた、いざというときに戦 うことを生業とする人々です。 The Samurai, or the Bushi, who existed in Japan from about 1000 years ago, were the group of people whose occupation it was to fight at critical times. １９世紀後半に、武士という身分が廃止されてからも、武士によって造られた様々 な文化が日本人の生活の中に生きています。 However, in the late 1800’s, the class of Samurai was abolished, but the ways of the Samurai continued to exist through various aspects of their culture in the lives of the Japanese people. 居合道を含む古武道も、居合道で使用する日本刀も、そのひとつです。 Kobudo, which includes Iaido, as well as the Japanese sword used in Iaido are examples of those aspects that have persisted. また、仁・義・忠・孝・礼・勇・恥・誠といった日本人が好む美徳も、長年の間武 士が培い・重んじてきた、いわば「武士の道徳」が発祥です。 Also, compassion, justice, loyalty, piety, gratitude, courage, humility, and integrity – those virtues the Japanese are fond of – all originated from the “Samurai Morals” that were cultivated and highly valued by the Samurai. 刀は長い間、武士が常に身に付け使用していたもので、単なる武器というだけでは ありません。それは魂や威厳や名誉の象徴であったり、神の象徴であったり、家の 宝であったり、現在では美術品や古美術品の性格もあります。 For generations, the Samurai always wore his sword on his person; it was not merely a weapon. It symbolized the spirit, dignity, honor, and the divine; it was a family heirloom; and today it can be a work of art or a treasured antique. 武士と日本刀の歴史について少々お話しましょう。 Now let me speak briefly of the history of the Samurai and the Japanese sword. 日本の歴史の中で、武士らしきものが現れるのは、１０世紀末から１１世紀初頭で 2 す。 In Japanese history, Samurai-like people began to appear in the late 900’s to about 1080 A.D. １１世紀初頭の、歴史に残るいくつかの大きな戦いは、集団化した大規模な武力戦 で、刀剣に鋭利性と強靭性が強く求められました。 The beginning of the 11th century, marked by several large conflicts, saw a rise in large-scale armed battles, creating the demand for sharper and stronger swords. はじめ、大陸で使用されていたような、真っ直ぐな「直刀」を使用していたものが、 この頃から日本刀の特徴である反りがある「太刀」のかたちへと変化した時代でもあ りました。 The first swords, like those from the continent, were straight, and were called “Choku-tou.” It was during this period, the Japanese sword's characteristic curvature came into being, becoming the “Tachi.” 敵を突き刺すことを狙いとする直刀に対して、 “打つ・斬る”という日本的戦闘方法 により適った太刀の形状が主流となりました。 In contrast with the straight sword, which served to stab the opponent, the Tachi was better suited to the Japanese method of combat, “striking and cutting,” and thus became the main form of the Japanese sword. １１９２年には、それまでの貴族政権を倒して、日本の歴史で始めての武士の政権 「鎌倉幕府」が発生します。刀剣の作風も、貴族的で優雅なつくりから、武士的な力 強く華やかなものへと変化していきます。 In 1192, the ruling aristocratic government fell from power. For the first time in Japanese history, the samurai government, the Kamakura Shogunate, was born. The style of swords also changed from the aristocratic, elegant form of the court sword to the brilliant and powerful Samurai blade. １３世紀後半、蒙古の大軍との戦いが２度ありました。外敵との大規模な戦いを通 して、戦闘の方法や、刀・槍・薙刀・弓・鎧等・武器の造りにも大きな影響があり ました。 From 1250 to 1300, there were two great battles with armies from the Mongol Empire. These large-scale battles with foreign armies had a great influence on the methods of warfare as well as the structure of the weapons – the sword, spear, halberd(naginata), bows and arrows, armor, etc. 3 刀で例を挙げれば、更に強度や耐久性・鋭利性を上げる工夫がされました。 With the katana, for example, efforts were made to further increase its strength, durability, and sharpness. これまでは柔らかい鉄を弱い火加減で焼き上げていただけのものでしたが、この時 代にまず、硬い鉄をよく鍛え・強く焼き・急激に冷却して硬度を上げる技術が発生 します。 Up until the Mongol invasion, the swords were forged with soft steel and with relatively low heat treatment. However, during this period, the Japanese began forging swords with harder, higher carbon steel, heating them to higher temperatures followed by sudden cooling to increase the hardness. 更に、これら硬軟両種の鉄を適度に組み合わせて鍛えることで、日本刀の最大の特 徴である、折れず曲がらず良く斬れる、柔軟でありながら強靭な構造が生み出され ました。 Further, soft and hard steels were forged together combining flexibility and strength creating the greatest features of the Japanese sword; it is extremely sharp yet does not break nor bend, with a structure that is flexible yet sturdy. １４世紀から１６世紀末までは、様々な戦いが相次ぎ、政治的・歴史的には大きな 変化が続きました。現在に名を残す武将が次々現れ、勢力を競った時代です。 From the 1300’s through the end of the 1500’s, various battles were fought in succession, and Japan underwent continuous political and historical change. It is this period when famous warlords, whose names we still know to this day, competed for power one after the other. この頃になると、徒歩を主とした集団戦が増え、馬に乗っての戦いが主だった時代 とは刀の姿が変わります。80cm 前後の長寸の太刀から 60～70cm と短めの刀へ、刃 を下に向けて腰に釣り下げていたものが、刃を上に腰の帯に差す姿へと変化してい きました。 It was during this time, large-scale battles involving foot soldiers increased and fewer were fighting on horseback. Consequently, the length of the sword changed from roughly 30” to between 24 and 28”. Swords were no longer worn hanging from the belt with the edge facing down, but were inserted into the belt with the blade facing up. 50cm 前後の「脇差」が製作され、大小２本の刀を腰に差すようになったのもこの頃 です。 4 Production of a second short sword, of about 20”, the “wakizashi,” which was worn together with the katana also began around this time. この頃、1542 年には居合道の始祖が生まれたとされています。江戸幕府を開いた徳 川家康もこの頃生まれています。 In 1542 the founder if Iaido was born, as was Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Edo Shogunate. 同じ頃、「士農工商」という身分制が設けられ、上から武士・農民・職人・商人の順 に身分の上下が定められました。 At that same time, the Japanese caste system was established: Samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchant in that order from top to bottom were now locked into their caste. 刀剣史上は 1596 年を境に、それ以後に作られた刀を「新刀」、それより前に作られ た刀を「古刀」と区分します。 Swords made after the victory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1596, marking the end of the age of civil wars, were considered “Shin-tou” or “New Swords,” and swords made before then were known as “Ko-tou” or “Old Swords.” 江戸時代は 1603 年から 265 年間。将軍を頭に武士が世を治める平和な時代が２世紀 ほど続きます。戦が絶えてなくなり、武道は実戦から形式的なかたちになり、刀も 象徴的役割が大きくなります。 The Edo period lasted from 1603 to 1868: 265 years. The Shogun maintained the world in peace with the samurai class at its head for more than 2 centuries. Wars died out and martial arts became less combat oriented and more formalized, and the sword came to hold a largely symbolic role. 江戸末期 19 世紀半ばからは諸外国船の来航が始まり、１世紀以上続いた鎖国から開 国へ向けて、国内は、国の方向性について異なる方針を唱える 2 大勢力に分かれて 争い、騒乱の時代を迎えます。再び戦が続発し、皮肉なことに刀剣の実戦的存在価 値が復活します。 Around 1850, the closing years of the Edo period, foreign ships began arriving. After more than a century of isolation, Japan went from a closed country to one opening to the rest of the world. Internally, two trends with opposing objectives split the ruling power into opposing factions that created a period of mayhem. War once again broke out, and ironically, the status of the sword as a weapon for actual fighting was restored. 5 1867 年、15 代将軍がその地位を放棄することで江戸時代が終了するまでの約 100 年 間に作られた刀を「新新刀」と呼びます。それ以降は「現代刀」となります。 The swords made within the 100 years prior to the abandonment of his title by the 15th Shogun and the end of the Edo period in 1867 are called “Shinshin-tou” or “New new swords.” Swords made after that are called “Gendai-tou” meaning “modern swords.” 江戸時代が終了し、歴史的にも「近代」となります。武士の特権廃止、廃刀令によっ て、日常生活において帯刀することはなくなりました。 With the end of the Edo period came modern times for Japan. The Samurai class was abolished and carrying swords in public was prohibited. Thus wearing swords in every day life came to an end. 以降、武道は実戦の訓練という性格を薄め、刀は殺傷の道具という用途を失います 。 Thereafter, focus on the actual combat characteristics of martial arts weakened, and the sword lost its use as a means to kill and wound. その後も現在に至るまで剣術は稽古されていますが、心身を鍛え己の品性を高める というのが主な目的と言えます。 To this day, kenjutsu (swordsmanship) has continued to be practiced, but in present times its main purpose has been to build the mind and the body. 私個人の歴史について少々お話しましょう。 I will now speak a little about my personal history. 私は、1925 年生まれで、現在 83 歳です。 I was born in 1925, and I am 83 years old now. 剣道は 1938 年、12 歳の中学校入学と同時に始めました。当時の少年は皆何かしら の武道を習う時代で、剣道か柔道が中学校の正課でした。私は、父が剣道の師範で もありましたので迷わず剣道を始め、試合の選手に選ばれたりもして、大変熱中し たものです。 In 1938, I began the study of kendo when I entered middle school at age 12. In those days all boys at that age practiced martial art, with kendo and judo being regular courses in middle school. My father was a kendo instructor so I chose 6 kendo and began to practice without hesitation. I was chosen to compete in matches, and I had a great zeal for the art of kendo. それから第 2 次世界大戦がありました。私はまだ若かったので、戦いに参加するこ