Category Archives: Okinawa Peace Theory

At Attention! – The short story of ki o tsuke.

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Andreas Quast

Edo era gunner (artillerist) Takashima Shūhan (1798–1866) learned the Dutch language and Western-style gunnery through the Dutch stationed at Dejima, Nagasaki. Abe Masahiro, chief senior councilor during the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate, praised Takashima as the “Founder of … Continue reading →

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Long live the noodle soup: A cultural-historical slurp of Okinawa Soba

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Comparatively recent, on March 29, 2005, the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly declared October 25th as “Karate Day.” The date was chosen in reference to October 25, 1936, when several leading karate practitioners of the era officially decided on the notation Karate … Continue reading →

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Okinawan “Colonist Samurai”

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Okinawan peace theory is a difficult topic, most of all for Okinawans themselves. Often, the era of the 15 Years War and Okinawan participation in “the system” is categorically marginalized, denied, and not addressed. The reasons for this are varied, … Continue reading →

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The costumes of karate – dogi, pants, or khaki

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Andreas Quast

On March 5, 1898, Imperial Decree No. 36 promulgated the Ordinance of the Okinawa Garrison Headquarter. The headquarter functioned solely as a conscription office and no soldiers were deployed on Okinawa itself. On April 12, five officials assumed office under … Continue reading →

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What’s in a photo – Uechi Kanei around January 1949

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

I talked to a friend in the US yesterday about the old dōjō in Okinawa. She told me about this photo where there was obviously a dirt floor, as can be seen in the color photo below that she had. … Continue reading →

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Periodization issues in budō

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Andreas Quast

There is a terminological double-issue related to the periodization in Japanese budō. The first and main issue is the ambiguous definition of old vs modern schools using the Meiji restoration of 1868 as the reference point. The second issue is … Continue reading →

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The Mother of All Enbu Taikai

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Expressions such aus budōsai, enbukai, enbu taikai etc. are regularly seen in Okinawa karate and kobudo today. They are derivates of an original terminology used in 1895 at what is now known as Kyōto Meet. Okinawans were dispatched to the … Continue reading →

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The karate of the “Pechin Class”

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Andreas Quast

A colleague just argued that “karate” came from the Pēchin class of Okinawa. I think this is a oversimplification, and it is also one of those stories based on guesswork and premature conclusions. According to censuses of 1873 and 1880 … Continue reading →

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Karate ni sente nashi

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Andreas Quast

For Okinawa karate circles, imperialism and militarism are extremely difficult issues. This is because they are seemingly irreconcilable with Okinawa’s postwar karate narratives, its notional philosophies, related marketing campaigns in tourism, and most of all, the recent endeavors to list … Continue reading →

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In 1939, Okinawan young men excel at bayonet fencing

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Andreas Quast

In 1938, a physical strength department was newly established in the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and a “physical strength proficiency test” as well as a “national physical strength law” were enacted to improve the citizens’ physical strength. The “physical … Continue reading →

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