Ignorance is blister.

I have been practising Kendo for two thirds of my life, which, being a European kenshi, puts me safely in the category "Survivors".
I have been travelling a lot, thanks to Kendo, too, and I can surely say I have seen much.
Now that I live and work in Japan, though, I discover myself prey of strange and unusual fits of fury. I cannot find a better word to describe my reaction to the daily, continuous discovery of new equipment items, be they custom-made shinai, high-tech summer kendogi or shiai-hyperspecialised kote.

It is a fact that in Japan the availability of new items is not something of today. In Europe we were still struggling with finding a bogu (any bogu) to start practice, while here the master craftsmen were creating all possible variation of  armour. Now we think that globalisation and internet shopping have changed all this, but believe, from where I stand, this is NOT true.

There are two main reasons: both of them are cultural and, in my opinion, both should be corrected, because they are in the way of our Kendo progress.

The first reason can be summarised in the "I-am-not-good-enough-for-it" Syndrome. "Would I look arrogant if I buy a bamboo Do?" "Will my sensei get angry at me if I buy a hand-stitched Bogu?" these are REAL questions I had to answer in my daily work. Apart for giving me a lot of thought regarding the moral standing of a sensei with an envious side, if the economical aspect is within your possibilities, striving to have the best equipment possible would be considered obvious in any other physical activity, make it ski or tennis, but even simple WALKING (would you go for too small or too large shoes?).
In Kendo, for some strangely ingrained attitude, it is good to suffer with wrong sized Bogu, it is healthy to bleed in badly padded and worn out Kote, it absolutely reasonable to get epicondylitis using too heavy, wrongly shaped shinai. Yes, because we are the descendant of the Samurai and suffering is our destiny.
Let me immediately tell you that the real descendants of the Samurai use equipments that fit their needs perfectly and if they have to show endurance you can be sure that is about fighting with all their heart and their might against the opponent, not against their equipment. Suffering because we have been sloppy (or extra-money-tight)  in selecting or sizing our Bogu is NOT GOOD.

The second cultural reason is, appropriately, lack of culture, meaning lack of information regarding what is available out there. There is A LOT. And be warned, there are also fashion items and badly thought-of inventions, but that is part of the game in a mature and extensive market, that offers so much.
When I started Kendo, oh gosh, it was lucky to receive one of the second-hand, student bogu the AJKF would donate every year. The Men was too big? a bit of padding et voila`! The Kote were torn? Endless afternoons of fun, punching your fingers with a needle. The Hakama was too short? Naked ankles are sexy after all. THOSE TIMES ARE OVER!
Just ask, the information are available, if you are searching for the right item for you, probably it is already OUT THERE! Ask, and do not buy blindly: there are reason why items have different prices even if they look the same, there are possibilities of customisations that not necessarily are reserved to kenshi millionaires, there is even room for some quirkiness, because we are individuals, even if we are all striving to hit Men-uchi in the same way.

Housen in the spotlight

When I came to Kyoto for the Enbu Taikai, last year, I met Housen for the first time. Actually, I did not know they were Housen - I just stopped in admiration in front of their stall, close to the Butokuden.
I was really impressed by the beauty of their shinai and bogu bags: the colours, the patterns and the obvious quality of the fabrics. No, at the moment I did not need a bogu bag or a shinai bag, but I wished I had an excuse to buy something. Mr. Hatano, the owner of this small family run company, took a picture of me, carrying around a fantastic, traditional patterned bougu/shinai set and told me it would be published on the new catalogue, together with those of  young, fierce looking Japanese kenshi and famous Hanshi sensei.
He kept his word. I became a fan.

It was therefore natural to enclose Housen products into Kyoto Budogu collection. Living in Kyoto and having keiko here, Housen bags immediately started to spring to my eyes wherever I went - and they were everywhere. How could that be, that I did not know about them before last year? I have an average of three shinai bags, full of shinai of course, in every place where I keep a bogu - that makes no less than 12 shinai bags, why I never got an elegant Housen one?
Being store manager of Kyoto Budogu, I felt the need to know more about these beautiful items and about the company itself. This year, again at the Kyoto Taikai, I took an appointment and together with my colleague Sara I devoted a Saturday to this little expedition.
Housen is based in Tatsuno, in Hyogo Prefecture and was established 27 years ago. Mr. Hatano came to pick us up at Himeji station and drove us to the factory. The company still retains the workshop feeling, since all items are order-made. I was hoping to find some ready assortment (I had my eyes already on a beautiful Ichimatsu shinai bag), but that was not the case. Each item is cut, embroidered and finished according to the specifications of the order. We sat in the showroom and we had tea, while we were introduced to the Hatano family (Mr., Mrs. daughter and son) and to the philosophy of the company.

First of all, we spoke about the embroidery, which plays a very important role. Housen offers very handsome bags, but also embroiders names, character and symbols on them, in a very high quality. The Kanji are made in a way that shows the "stroke of the brush", as if the calligrapher himself would have taken control of the computerised sewing machines that are used for this task. The name of the owner is never sewn on top - it would not be considerate respectful, since the body of the bag would carry usually the masterpiece of the calligrapher or some inspiring sentence, that should be pondered by the owner of the bag. Housen also takes responsibility to select the thread colours that would go together with the fabrics: no flashy contrasts are allowed, since - in the words of Mr. Hatano - "Housen bags are meant to last for decades and a flashy  look would bore and wear out the owner, who would abandon the bag well before the end of its lifespan. This is not desirable."
Housen bags are meant to last. The policy of the company is to create sturdy, beautiful objects that the Customer would buy again, not out of necessity, but out of admiration.

Mr. Hatano showed us the factory: the sewing machines for the embroidery, the stacks of leather and fabrics and the cutting templates, but also the details of the crafting of some items that were laying on the working tables. The painful care of each little detail left us in awe. He showed us also the prototypes - those which passed into production and those which didn`t - the new fabrics that will enter next year collection, the ways to optimise this manufacturing process, which remains time- and material-consuming. A special treat was to assist to a photo session, in a professional photographer`s studio. The pictures are used to create the new catalogue, but also to put the items in context, together with the kenshi who order them - high quality photos that appear in the advertisements on the celebrated Kendo Jidai pages.

We came back to Kyoto impressed by the thoroughness of their care and expertise, and more convinced than ever that offering Housen products on Kyoto Budogu is a privilege and a real honour.

The signature Ichimatsu fabrics

Housen label

Four of four: Furinkazan

The first question I wished to answer with my test was: why is Furinkazan by far the most popular shinai in Kyoto Budogu?

Well, for sure it is a beauty. The smoked bamboo has such an attractive colour that makes it a joy to see. 

It is also pretty clear that the quality of the bamboo is very high. 

I have in mind a parallel with red wine: only the best vintages are selected for storing and keeping and aging... only the superior grapes can be refined by time and by a further process. 

The same for bamboo: only the highest quality can become Furinkazan. No frail, stained or inferior bamboo would be economically viable for an additional treatment. This is simple, financial, common sense.

One factor is the look - then maybe the name. I quote from Wikipedia:

Fūrinkazan (風林火山), literally "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain", was the battle standard used by the Sengoku period daimyo Takeda Shingen, quoting chapter 7 of Sun Tzu's The Art of War: "as swift as wind, as orderly as forest, as fierce as fire, as unshakeable as mountain."

Kagemusha has always been my favourite Kurosawa`s film, obviously I can instantly connect with the meaning of Furinkazan. Well, it is only a shinai, but the endless rows of ashigaru carring the 4 banners with the four colours of Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain on their backs is still an image I cannot shake.

Good, all this for the looks and the folklore. Let`s concentrate now on the function. 

Technically, Furinkazan is still a Dobari shinai. But... if I were to define the feeling of handling a Furinkazan, I could not find a better expression than "ZERO GRAVITY SHINAI".

Furinkanzan simply disappear in your hands. After testing the other shinai, I was always conscious of their main feature: the weight in the hands, the fast tip, the size or the shape of the grip. 

With Furinkazan none of the above applies. It is the NEUTRAL shinai. It does not offer any distraction, it is perfectly balanced, you simply forget about it. You only have to worry about your aite and about doing your "thing". It does not take your attention, it follows your movements without stressing your arms. It is like a docile, well trained dressage mare that makes every figure look natural and effortless.

The beautiful Furinkazan has definitely the gift of obedience. Very recommended for all.