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JakobR
10th February 2004, 20:17
Hello,

I am currently doing an work on traditional and modern Japanese dojo architecture and practice. I plan to go to Japan to study the issue on site for 1-2 weeks. Where should I go and what should I see?

Thanks!

chizikunbo
14th February 2004, 21:41
Iwould go to Okinawa becuse there are more and older dojo there and many of which have their schools history on hand:D

Brian Owens
15th February 2004, 12:36
Originally posted by JakobR
I am currently doing an work on traditional and modern Japanese dojo architecture and practice.
I haven't been to Japan, so I can't give any advice on that, but I'm interested in your project.

I'd like to see it if you publish it, or even get a copy of your manuscript.

Good luck, and have a great trip in Japan.

JakobR
15th February 2004, 12:59
My work will result in an architectural project rather than a paper, but thank you! I take on the paper when I go for a PhD!

chizikunbo
15th February 2004, 15:37
Post pics please I think it would be interesting:smilejapa

don
15th February 2004, 20:43
Originally posted by JakobR
I am currently doing an work on traditional and modern Japanese dojo architecture and practice. I plan to go to Japan to study the issue on site for 1-2 weeks. Where should I go and what should I see?


I understand the dojo for the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu is 600 years old (Chiba?). There's also Tokyo's Budokan (Kudanshita) and Kyoto's Butokukan. Meiji Shrine (Harajuku, Tokyo) has a dojo or two, but I've never seen them.

(FWIW,I've been in two karate dojo that were in basements of concrete buildings (Kanazawa's was under a liquor shop in Yotsuya, Tokyo), and the JKA headquartes used to be in a refurbished bowling alley (Ebisu, Tokyo). But obviously, these weren't designed as dojo.)

I'm sure other folk here on this board can give you a better answer than this, but here it's been five days already and...

Good luck.

Brian Owens
15th February 2004, 21:30
I just thought of one: the kendo hall (I forget the actual name) in Yagyu Village . It's a bit off the beaten path, but with all the history in that town, including the remains (just the foundation now, I think) of Yagyu Castle, it would probably be worth the trip.

Now I'm going to go drop a trail of bread crumbs in some other threads to try to draw some of the guys living in Japan over here. ;)

Shimura
16th February 2004, 23:57
You should also try the dojo at the Hacimangu shrine in Kamakura. I believe one of our other posters has some really good pics of it.

Vile
17th February 2004, 08:05
I happen to have some pictures from the Hachimangu shrine.. you can check them at: http://people.cc.jyu.fi/~mijuvi/hachimangutaikai2003/
and http://people.cc.jyu.fi/~mijuvi/hachimangutaikai2004/
The first link has pictures from the actual dojo.

You might also want to check the Tokyo University dojo, Shichitokudo at the campus (nearest JR station is Ochanomizu). We were actually talking about it after last saturday's training. The building itself is propably from the 50's, while the base seems older. Anybody have any hard facts on the ToDai dojo, btw? I believe that the entire campus was pretty much levelled during the big earthquake in the 20's. And US bombers propably did their share during the 40's.

Hope this helps!

Jonathon Sumner
7th March 2004, 06:48
Originally posted by don
I understand the dojo for the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu is 600 years old (Chiba?).

I might be wrong about this, but I've heard that the original (?) KSR dojo is now under one of the Narita airport's runways, and the current dojo being used is modern. Just what I heard once. Don't take it as a fact. Maybe someone who trains there would know better.

I've been to different dojo in Japan. Ranging from the Budokan in Kudanshita Tokyo, and the Budokan in Ayase to smaller ones that are modern and older ones that were a little used up. Um... what makes the dojo what it is is the people who train there. I trained for several years at a dojo in Tokyo that was nothing more than a converted factory. It was awesome! Been to one that was a Shinto shrine and loaned space to the local kendo club and one koryu group as well. Lot's of groups use public facilities. In Tokyo, space is hard to come by.

JakobR- When you are there in Japan be sure to look in some book stores for books. You should be able to find some texts on design... either in the Budo sections or the architecture sections.

Joseph Svinth
7th March 2004, 22:06
There are several extant North American dojo that were designed by Nikkei for Nikkei. Being Nisei designs, they are utilitarian rather than elegant. The oldest is the Seattle Dojo, built in 1934 as a judo dojo, with truck springs under the floor. Another is the Nisei Vets hall in Seattle, which was designed to be a kendo club. The main floor, though, doubled as a basketball court, because even in 1940, it was easier to find kids who wanted to play basketball than it was to find kids who wanted to do kendo. A third is the judo club in Ontario, Oregon, which is a concrete-block structure. The fanciest, by far (and it's still fairly utilitarian in design and layout) is the martial arts centre in Steveston, British Columbia. Built in the 1970s with funding from BC Packers and the City of Richmond, it has judo and kendo training areas, plus an attached public library. Some years later, the JCs in Toronto got jealous (most Japanese Canadians live in metro Toronto), and so you may also want to check the JCCC's new digs (I've never seen them).

For Asian comparison and contrast, check texts such as J. Prip-Møller, "Chinese Buddhist Monasteries: Their Plan and Its Function as a Setting for Buddhist Monastic Life" (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2nd edition, 1967). Also look farther west. For example, there is Ta Er. It's out in Western China. This is a major Tibetan Yellow Hat monastery, and historically, its bishops were connected the the Great Khans. Ta Er really did have the bronze mirrors on the walls, the racks of spears, etc., that Shaolin reportedly had. Some pix: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/picture/qinghai/xining/taer_monastery/

The Kodokan structures would certainly be worth checking. The Kodokan was at various sites over the years, and in the early 1960s, the JKA moved into the Kodokan's old headquarters.