Ichijoji

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

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...
Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Rinki Ohen – adaptability to all circumstances

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From Jujutsu ken bo zukai hiketsu (1887), one of a number of publications dating from the beginning of the Meiji era, aiming to explain mart...
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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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