Abstract
This paper aims to clarify some of the diverse martial arts practices during the Meiji era by identifying martial arts entertainment that was mainly prevalent in that period. It follows the activities of shinto-ryu kenbujutsu, which was founded by Hibino Raifu in the middle of the Meiji period and included performances in its practice. This paper analyzes the martial arts practiced in martial arts performances from the perspective of their performance character. The performance character refers to the nature of martial arts as practiced in a “see/be seen” relationship. How was the martial art practiced in such a relationship? The study examines how Hibino practiced martial arts entertainment while being aware of the audience’s gaze.
Chapter 2 gives a detailed description of Hibino’s life. Hibino was different from other martial artists in that he had connections with the regime side, such as soldiers, politicians, and scholars, although his origins are unknown. Throughout the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, he was supported by many people, and his performances were attended by military and political figures. He actively presented the martial arts to such audiences, including those on the regime side, in the form of entertainment.
Chapter 3 clarifies specific details of the practice of shinto-ryu, which included sword dance, practiced by a swaggerer and recognized by the audience as a dance performed by female geisha. Hibino stated that kenbujyutsu and sword dance were different, and that sword fighting represented an extension of “martial arts training”, which through practice showed the “reality and activity of the yamato spirit”. To be more specific, the demonstration was so fierce that the swords broke, and the audience felt as if they were watching a duel, and even cried. Of course, the audience included soldiers and politicians as mentioned earlier. In other words, Hibino’s martial arts performances satisfied both the masses and the critical gaze of soldiers and politicians.
As mentioned above, although the martial arts could be perceived as “violent” in the new era, Hibino adapted to
the times by actively presenting performances that met the requirements of the audience.
