{"id":7432,"date":"2017-12-30T20:41:45","date_gmt":"2017-12-30T20:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ryukyu-bugei.com\/?p=7432"},"modified":"2026-07-02T12:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:57:12","slug":"7432","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ryukyu-bugei.com\/?p=7432","title":{"rendered":"On the First Alleged Itosu Photo"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Itosu

Itosu Ank\u014d no Shashin Hakken \u2013 Dent\u014d Karate-ka hajimete Sugao (Discovery of a Photo of Itosu Ank\u014d \u2013 The Unpainted Face of Traditional Karate Man for the First Time). Okinawa Times (evening paper), February 28, 2006. \u7cf8\u6d32\u5b89\u6052\u306e\u5199\u771f\u767a\u898b\u3000\u4f1d\u7d71\u306e\u7a7a\u624b\u5bb6 \u521d\u3081\u3066\u7d20\u9854\u3002\u6c96\u7e04\u30bf\u30a4\u30e0\u30b9\uff08\u5915\u520a\uff09\u3001\uff12\uff10\uff10\uff16\u5e74\uff12\u6708\uff12\uff18\u65e5\u3002<\/p><\/div>\n

In 2006 a photo was revealed to the public, showing a mysterious man with a mustache. At that time, this man was considered to be Itosu Ank\u014d (1831\u20131915), the Okinawan father of modern Karate<\/em>. The matter was publicly described for the first time in the Okinawa Times Newspaper on 28 February 2006. According to the article, the photo had been in the possession of Kinj\u014d Hiroshi (1919\u20132013) for quite a long time. As the story goes, in 2006, Kinj\u014d, 87 years of age at that time, donated about 3,000 documents and precious Karate<\/em>-related books to Okinawa Prefecture to be used as materials to research historical facts and help make promote Karate<\/em> worldwide from its Okinawan origin. Among the donated materials was the group photo in question. At that time, the person in the photo was considered to be Itosu Ank\u014d by Kadekaru Tooru, chief specialist from the Okinawa Prefectural Office of Historically Important Documents. Since that time, the person in the photo was quasi officially considered to show Itosu Ank\u014d by the majority of Karate<\/em> experts and laymen. The pohoto also spread to all the different language editions of Wikipedia.<\/p>\n

The group photo is dated to 1909 or 1910. As regards this date, one might want to note middle school principal \u014ckubo Sh\u016bhachi (see 2 in the phot below). In May 1902, coming from the Tokushima Teacher College, \u014ckubo Sh\u016bhachi assumed office as the principal of Okinawa Prefecture Middle School (Okinawa-ken Ch\u016bgakk\u014d). In September 1903 he was reappointed and obviously remained in this office until June 1911, when he retired as principal (see timeline in: Gakk\u014d J\u014dran 2015). BTW, in the same year, the school changed its name from Okinawa Prefecture Middle School (Okinawa-ken Ch\u016bgakk\u014d) to Okinawa Prefectural 1st Middle School (Okinawa Kenritsu Dai Ichi Ch\u016bgakk\u014d), which remained like this from 1911 to 1946.<\/p>\n

According to the above, \u014ckubo served as the principal of Okinawa Prefectural Shuri High School from 1902 until 1911, i.e. throughout the early years of implementation of Karate<\/em> into the school system. Moreover, since \u014ckubo retired in 1911 and left for another prefecture to a different job, the latest date for the photo is 1911. So there is no contradiction with the 1909 or 1910 date.<\/p>\n

\"1.

1. Person considered to be Itosu Ank\u014d. 2. \u014ckubo Sh\u016bhachi, principal of Okinawa Prefectural Shuri High School from 1902 to 1911.<\/p><\/div>\n

The group photo appears to be a commemorative photograph taken on occasion of a J\u016bd\u014d<\/em> and Kend\u014d<\/em> competition. Since \u014ckubo Sh\u016bhachi is in the photo, the venue was most probably the Okinawa Prefecture Middle School in Shuri, of which \u014ckubo was the principal. Two persons wear a haori<\/em> decorated with the family crest. The man who was considered to be Itosu Ank\u014d, on the other hand, appears in just an everyday cotton haori<\/em> and hakama<\/em> without a family crest.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see how Kinj\u014d Hiroshi himself described the process of authentication of alleged Itosu Ank\u014d in the photo. Or in his own words, \u201cAs the person who donated the photograph to the Prefectural Library of Okinawa, I would like to write about its origin.\u201d (Kinj\u014d, in Okinawa Times: February 28, 2006).<\/p>\n

In 1953, Miyagi Hisateru (1895\u2013?) published his book \u201cKarated\u014d\u201d. In it he talks about his training under Yabu Kents\u016b and Itosu Ank\u014d<\/a> (see, Miyagi 1953). Miyagi graduated from the Okinawa Prefectural Teacher College in \u00a0March 1916, became an elementary school teacher afterwards and 1921 went on to T\u014dky\u014d in pursuit of becoming a novelist. Under the pen name Miyagi Satoshi he worked for the Kaiz\u014d Company and went on to win the Kaiz\u014d\u2019s writer\u2019s award with his 1934 publication entitled, \u201cMy hometown is the Globe\u201d (Koky\u014d ha Chiky\u016b<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\"Front

Front row from left: Albert Einstein, Kaiz\u014d Company president Yamamoto Sanehiko.
Back row, right: Miyagi Hisateru (Satoshi).
Photo source: Ryubun21<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

In 1956, aiming for providing a comprehensive magazine for the Karate<\/em> circles, Kinj\u014d Hiroshi launched his monthly magazine \u201cGekkan Karated\u014d.\u201d At that time he decided to ask Miyagi Hisateru to write an article about Itosu Ank\u014d which was to be published in the first issue (Miyagi, in: Gekkan Karated\u014d, May 1, 1956, page 46). For this article, Kinj\u014d tried everything to obtain a photograph of Itosu, but finally wasn\u2019t successful. However, Kinj\u014d vividly remembered one of Miyagi descriptions of Itosu: \u201cWearing a cotton Hakama<\/em>, and with both legs opened, he appeared as if he walked in Kiba-dachi<\/em>.\u201d Later, when Kinj\u014d found the group photo, this memory was one reason he believed that this photo showed Itosu Ank\u014d: Because the person in the photo, and contrary to the other persons\u2019 haori<\/em>, had an everyday cotton haori<\/em> without a family crest.<\/p>\n

Around December 1980, Kinj\u014d boarded a plane to participate in the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the establishment of his old school, the Okinawa Prefectural 1st Middle School. Arasaki Seibin (1912\u20131989), an emeritus professor of T\u014dky\u014d University and one of Kinj\u014d\u2019s middle school seniors handed him the group photo in question saying,<\/p>\n

\u201cIchiji no Tanm\u0113 [venerable old gentleman Itosu] is in there.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, he did not indicate which person in the photo was Itosu Ank\u014d. At that time Miyagi also said<\/p>\n

\u201cThe photo is from the personal album of Tokuda Antei.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tokuda Antei (1884\u20131979) entered the Okinawa Prefecture Middle School in Shuri in 1905, the year Karate\u00a0<\/em>was introduced as a compulsory school subject of physical education. He graduated five years later, in 1910, in the 22nd <\/sup>graduation class of the middle school. After that, he entered the Okinawa Prefecture Teacher College in Shuri, where he continued to receive\u00a0karate\u00a0<\/em>instruction as a member of the Teacher College\u00a0Karate<\/em>\u00a0Club for a period of one year, until 1911. As can also be seen in \u201cTokuda\u2019s Memorandum\u201d (see Kinj\u014d 2011: 367\u201368), he experienced the original\u00a0Karate<\/em>\u00a0taught in the Okinawan school system by Itosu Ank\u014d, Yabu Kents\u016b and Hanashiro Ch\u014dmo, as well as the Karate of venerable Kiyuna from Tamaudun and others, including Funakoshi Gichin, and also the Kobud\u014d of Yamann\u012b Usum\u0113, i.e. venerable old man Chinen Sanr\u0101. <\/em>In other words: The photo came from the personal collection of an eyewitness and personal Karate<\/em>\u00a0disciple of Itosu.<\/p>\n

Around 1985 Kinj\u014d Hiroshi asked Itosu Ank\u014d\u2019s adopted heir, Itosu Ang\u014d, about his expert opinion as regards the group photo. However, Ang\u014d replied that he couldn\u2019t remember if Itosu Ank\u014d had a mustache or beard so he couldn\u2019t determine who was Itosu in the photo. Kinj\u014d wrote \u201cAt that time I suddenly remembered Arasaki Seibin\u2019s words, that the photo is \u2018from the personal album of Tokuda Antei\u2019 and so I thought it would make the most sense to ask him directly.\u201d Immediately after returning home he tried to call Tokuda at his home in Ikebukuro, T\u014dky\u014d, but was unable to reach him even after many more tries. Of course, today we know that Tokuda Antei already passed away in 1979.<\/p>\n

While Kinj\u014d still couldn\u2019t identify the person in the photo as Itosu Ank\u014d, he remained confident for several reason that Itosu was the figure in the group photo: The cotton hakama<\/em> as mentioned by Itosu\u2019s student Miyagi Hisateru, the memory of the white beard, or mustache, by Itosu\u2019s adopted son Ang\u014d, and the presumed age of Itosu Ank\u014d in 1909 or 1910 when the photo was taken. Moreover, the fact that Arasaki Seibin explicitly mentioned that Itosu is in the photo and that the photo is from the personal album of Tokuda Antei, a direct student of Itosu. However, since Kinj\u014d thought this not enough solid evidence, he refrained from any public announcement of the existence of the group photo at the time.<\/p>\n

It was only in 2006 that Kinj\u014d donated the group photo to the Okinawa Prefectural Library. There, as a result of a comparison and verification carried out by Kadekaru Tooru, chief specialist from the Okinawa Prefectural Office of Historically Important Documents, the mysterious person on the group photo was tentatively identified as being Itosu Ank\u014d. As Kinj\u014d stated himself,<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom Kadekaru Tooru I have received special cooperation in connection with identifying the photo of Itosu Ank\u014d\u201d<\/p>\n

Kinj\u014d 2011: 299<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

One of the reasons for\u00a0Kadekaru Tooru\u2019s assessment was that he digitized the photo and used computer enhancement to reveal more detail. When he closely inspected the hands of the mysterious person in the photo he found what he considers to be Makiwara calousses.<\/p>\n

However, in 2019, it was clarified that the person in the photo is actually not Itosu Ank\u014d, but Miyake Sang\u014d. I will write about the verification of this at a future time.<\/p>\n

\n

Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Shuri middle school was called “Okinawa Prefecture Middle School” \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u4e2d\u5b66\u6821 from 1899 to 1911, and “Okinawa Prefectural 1st Middle School” \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u7acb\u7b2c\u4e00\u4e2d\u5b66\u6821 from 1911 \u00a0to 1946. Since 1972 it is called the “Okinawa Kenritsu Shuri Kot\u014d-gakk\u014d” \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u7acb\u9996\u91cc\u9ad8\u7b49\u5b66\u6821 or “Okinawa Prefectural Shuri High School”.<\/p>\n

Biblio:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gakk\u014d J\u014dran. Heisei 27 Nendo. Okinawa Kenritsu Shuri Kot\u014d-gakk\u014d (School Handbook. Fiscal Year 2015. Okinawa Prefectural Shuri High School). 903-0816 Naha-shi Shuri Mawashi-ch\u014d 2 Ch\u014dme 43 Banchi. \u5b66\u6821\u8981\u89a7. \u5e73\u6210 \uff12\uff17 \u5e74\u5ea6. \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u7acb\u9996\u91cc\u9ad8\u7b49\u5b66\u6821. \u3012903-0816 \u90a3\u8987\u5e02\u9996\u91cc\u771f\u548c\u5fd7\u753a\uff12\u4e01\u76ee\uff14\uff13\u756a\u5730.<\/p>\n

Itosu Ank\u014d no Shashin Hakken \u2013 Dent\u014d Karate-ka hajimete Sugao (Discovery of a Photo of Itosu Ank\u014d \u2013 The Unpainted Face of Traditional Karate Man for the First Time). Okinawa Times (evening paper),\u00a0 February 28, 2006. \u7cf8\u6d32\u5b89\u6052\u306e\u5199\u771f\u767a\u898b\u3000\u4f1d\u7d71\u306e\u7a7a\u624b\u5bb6 \u521d\u3081\u3066\u7d20\u9854\u3002\u6c96\u7e04\u30bf\u30a4\u30e0\u30b9\uff08\u5915\u520a\uff09\u3001\uff12\uff10\uff10\uff16\u5e74\uff12\u6708\uff12\uff18\u65e5\u3002<\/p>\n

Itosu Photo Discovered ~ The First True Face of a Karate Legend. Tues 28 Feb 2006, Okinawa Times Evening Paper [2nd edition] p5 Society Section. English translation by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy.<\/p>\n

Kadekaru Tooru, Ikehara Hitomi, Shinzato Sayaka: Kinj\u014d Hiroshi Uji Shoz\u014d Karate Bud\u014d nado Kankei Shiry\u014d ni tsuite (About the historical materials related to Karate and Bud\u014d etc. from the possession of Mr. Kinj\u014d Hiroshi). Okinawa-ken Ky\u014diku Iinkai Shiry\u014d Hensh\u016b-shitsu Ky\u014d (Bulletin of the Historiographical Institute of Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education) #30, 2005, pp. 175-190. \u5609\u624b\u95dc\u5fb9\u30fb\u6c60\u539f\u3072\u3068\u307f\u30fb\u65b0\u91cc\u5f69\uff1a\u91d1\u57ce\u88d5\u6c0f\u6240\u8535\u7a7a\u624b\u30fb\u6b66\u9053\u7b49\u95a2\u4fc2\u53f2\u6599\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u3002 \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u6559\u80b2\u59d4\u54e1\u4f1a\u53f2\u6599\u7de8\u96c6\u5ba4\u7d00\u8981\uff0830\uff09\u30012005\u5e74\uff1a175-190\u3002<\/p>\n

Kinjo Hiroshi (Transl. Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy): Itosu Anko Okina. The Restorer of Karate.<\/a> Okinawa Times (Morning Paper), March 20, 2006.<\/p>\n

Kinj\u014d Hiroshi: Karate Ch\u016bk\u014d no So Itosu Ank\u014d Okina Futatabi (J\u014d). Ichiji no Tanm\u0113 \/ Shashin no Jinbutsu tsuini Tokutei (Again, The Ancestor Who Rejuvenated Karate: Itosu Ank\u014d Okina (Part 1). Ichiji no Tanm\u0113 \/ Person in the Photo Finally Identified). Okinawa Times (evening paper), February 28, 2006. \u91d1\u57ce\u88d5\uff1a\u7a7a\u624b\u4e2d\u8208\u306e\u7956\u30fb\u7cf8\u6d32\u5b89\u6052\u7fc1\u518d\u3073\uff08\u4e0a\uff09\u3002\u30a4\u30c1\u30b8\u306e\u30bf\u30f3\u30e1\u30fc\/\u5199\u771f\u306e\u4eba\u7269\u3064\u3044\u306b\u7279\u5b9a\u3002\u6c96\u7e04\u30bf\u30a4\u30e0\u30b9\uff08\u671d\u520a\uff09\u3001\uff12\uff10\uff10\uff16\u5e74\uff13\u6708\uff12\uff10\u65e5\u3002<\/p>\n

Kinj\u014d Hiroshi: T\u014dde kara karate<\/em> made (From t\u014dd\u012b to karate<\/em>) . Nihon bud\u014d<\/em>kan, B\u0113sub\u014dru Magajin-sha, T\u014dky\u014d 2011. 439 pp. 20cm. ISBN: 9784583104294. \u91d1\u57ce\u88d5\uff1a\u5510\u624b\u304b\u3089\u7a7a\u624b\u3078\u3002\u65e5\u672c\u6b66\u9053\u9928\u30fb\u30d9\u30fc\u30b9\u30dc\u30fc\u30eb\u30fb\u30de\u30ac\u30b8\u30f3\u793e, \u6771\u4eac2011\u3002<\/p>\n

Miyagi Hisateru: Itosu Sensei no Insh\u014dki. Gekkan Karated\u014d S\u014dkango. May 1, 1956, page 46. \u5bae\u57ce\u4e45\u8f1d: \u7cf8\u6d32\u5148\u751f\u306e\u5370\u8c61\u8a18. \u6708\u520a\u7a7a\u624b\u9053\u5275\u520a\u53f7\u3002\u662d\u548c31\u5e745\u67081\u65e5\u767a\u884c, 46\u9801.<\/p>\n

Miyagi Hisateru: Karated\u014d. Nichigetsu-sha, 1953. \u5bae\u57ce\u4e45\u8f1d: \u7a7a\u624b\u9053.\u65e5\u6708\u793e1953<\/p>\n

Quast, Andreas:\u00a0How tradition really works<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>