After The Rain

          Recently I found out about a little gem called Ame Agaru or After the Rain. How I missed it I will never know, since it was released in 1999. It was the last screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa and directed by his former Assistant Director of 28 years, Takashi Koizumi. To add to the film's great pedigree is none other than Shiro Mifune, the son of the late, great Toshiro Mifune. He plays the lord of a fief who tries to employ the main protagonist.
          The story is set during the Tokugawa era and, to me at least, seemed to be more of a commentary on what a swordsman, or by extension any martial artist, should be, not what we all too often associate with samurai.
          The story starts out  with a ronin (master-less samurai) traveling with his wife, only to be stopped at a little inn next to a river. It has been raining for  several days and the river is impassible. While staying at the inn, the ronin, Ihei Misawa, and his wife, Tayo Misawa find themselves getting along with the other travelers who are also stuck at the inn. In order to keep everyone in a good mood through the dreary days, he even finds a way to feed them and keep them entertained. Thus he manages to keep the peace, which is all he really wants.
          After the rain stops, they still can't cross the river, so Ihei decides to go for a walk. While on his stroll he reflects on his life and what he might one day become. His thoughts get interrupted when he comes across a group of men arguing over something, then drawing swords. Once Ihei sees this he immediately steps in to stop them from hurting each other. Unbeknownst to him, the local lord sees him and his skill and steps in to thank him for stopping the men from killing each other.
          Thus begins the relationship between Ihei and Lord Nagai Izuminokami Shigeaki, played by Shiro Mifune. This is where I am going to stop, since I don't want to relate the entire plot here. However, I will say that there are several excellent duels in this movie that you really need to see. When you do, pay close attention to how the Ihei uses, or doesn't use, his sword.
           As I stated earlier, this film seems to be a commentary on what a swordsman should be. I say it like that in part due to the ending. While some may cry foul and want to see more, the film really leaves us with a sense of what will be for our hero without "finishing" the story. Had the director gone that far, the theme of the story would have changed from what a swordsman should be, to the story of a man becoming a samurai. Some may not see a difference, but there is a broader philosophy that I think Kurosawa wanted to convey.
          Below is a link to the film on YouTube. It is complete, with subtitles. I recommend that you watch it either here or somewhere else. If you can get the DVD, all the better. But good luck, it wasn't released in the US so far as I know!

Yagyu Village

Here's a neat little article on Yagyu Village. I don't think I was aware of some of these legends.

The Japan Times

Some Kendo Goodness From KW

Here are a few videos from Kendo World's YouYube page.

The first here is Shinto Munen-Ryu. It's kind of cool, at least for me, to see some katas or  demos from other styles.  Remember folks, no one school is better than another. each has its own champions!

The next video is the 2013 All Japan Invitation 8th Dan Championship. (In Kyoto)

 

Finally, here is something you won't see too often. An exhibition match between two senseis - in this case Ota-sensei and Makino-sensei. Ota (on the left) is 99 years old! Makino is only a few years younger! That they can still suit up and "bring it" is nothing short of awesome!

 

You can always go over to Kendo-World.com or to their YouTube site to see plenty more. Enjoy!