Ichijoji

Sumi-e, strategy and swordsmanship - inspired by the arts of Miyamoto Musashi

Monday, 31 August 2026

3 Outlaw Samurai

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3 Outlaw Samurai:  Kikyo (Mikijiro Hira),  Shiba,   (Tetsuro Tamba),  Sakura (Isamu Nagato)   (N.B. I have written the names in this blog En...
Monday, 27 July 2026

Musashi's lost sumo wrestlers

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  A detail of the sumo scene attributed to Musashi - I must admit  that I thought it was an "oni" at first. I started out writin...
Sunday, 10 May 2026

Kiaijutsu II – explanation and interpretation

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We'll be meeting this concept later – the painting is by the famous Zen painter, Sengai An Introduction to Kiaijutsu Kiaijutsu is an odd...
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About Me

Chris Hellman
The title of this blog, Ichijoji, refers to the site of the battle between Miyamoto Musashi and the massed forces of the Yoshioka clan. It was also, as it happens, not more than ten minutes away from where I used to live, on the eastern edge of Kyoto. It is, for me, powerfully redolent of the mystery and romance of Japan. Musashi himself is an emblematic figure, and his skill in a range of arts to which I have devoted years of study myself -swordsmanship, strategy and sumi-e, make it an apt title for this blog.
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