The Sense of physical intuition in Japan
Japan has recently experienced a “yukata boom,” where one can often see couples wearing yukata at events such as summer fireworks shows. Yukata is a traditional form of clothing in Japan. Also, near the Tokyo (Kojimachi) Campus of Globis University, one also has many opportunities to see people wearing kimonos, due to the proximity of the tea room of the Tokyo Omotesenke. So, then, when you think of young people dressed in kimonos and yukata, what kind of images come to mind?
Recently, yukata have become fashionable, with brilliant print designs and more accessories and goods. However, I get the sense that something is out of place. If you observe closely, you can see that the way people physically stand while wearing yukata is not as beautiful as it could be.
People’s lifestyles have changed greatly since the days when Japanese wore kimonos and yukata. Now, most daily customs--clothing, diet, and living quarters--have become quite Westernized. With these changes, Japanese people’s own physical intuition—their sensory perception of bodily feelings--has begun to fade away.
Professor Takashi Saito of Meiji University, in his book “Taking Back Physical Intuition—the Revival of Koshi and Hara Culture” (original title “Shintai Kankaku wo Torimodosu—Koshi and Hara Bunka no Sairai”) published by NHK books, writes the following (translated by GLOBIS):
(Note: Koshi and hara are two Japanese terms roughly translating as the areas around the lower back and stomach, respectively. In addition, these words carry significant physical, spiritual, and, therefore, cultural meaning. Koshi and hara act as the physical and spiritual foundation for the body and mind, the platform on which the upper body rests upon. Finally, when Prof. Saito writes the hara character, he uses the“ground” and “body”radicals to emphasize the meaning that “one’s body is firmly rooted to the ground.”)
“Recently, the weakening sense of one’s existence has become a frequent problem. In order to feel that one truly exists here and now, the assistance of physical intuition, not just the psychological aspect, is necessary. In present-day Japan, how many people can say that their koshi is truly supporting their body on its axis?”
“If the traditional sense of Japanese ‘physical culture’ could be put into just one phrase, I would call it ‘Koshi-Hara culture.’ If you talk with people in their 80s and 90s, you will hear many phrases using ’koshi’ or ‘hara.’”
“‘Fix your koshi (Sit tight and settle down)’ and ‘Decide with your hara（gut）’ are basic vocabulary. I once heard a man in his 90s say, ‘In the past, those who were given responsibilities were the ones who had hara (guts) that were prepared (meaning one who is prepared for anything).’ These phrases using koshi and hara include a spiritual aspect, but, fundamentally, they are rooted in fact that there is physical intuition in the koshi and hara.”
The physical intuition to which Prof. Saito is alluding has continuously been passed down to today’s martial arts and performing arts, and has a very deep relation with Ki.
Recently, yukata have become fashionable, with brilliant print designs and more accessories and goods. However, I get the sense that something is out of place. If you observe closely, you can see that the way people physically stand while wearing yukata is not as beautiful as it could be.
People’s lifestyles have changed greatly since the days when Japanese wore kimonos and yukata. Now, most daily customs--clothing, diet, and living quarters--have become quite Westernized. With these changes, Japanese people’s own physical intuition—their sensory perception of bodily feelings--has begun to fade away.
Professor Takashi Saito of Meiji University, in his book “Taking Back Physical Intuition—the Revival of Koshi and Hara Culture” (original title “Shintai Kankaku wo Torimodosu—Koshi and Hara Bunka no Sairai”) published by NHK books, writes the following (translated by GLOBIS):
(Note: Koshi and hara are two Japanese terms roughly translating as the areas around the lower back and stomach, respectively. In addition, these words carry significant physical, spiritual, and, therefore, cultural meaning. Koshi and hara act as the physical and spiritual foundation for the body and mind, the platform on which the upper body rests upon. Finally, when Prof. Saito writes the hara character, he uses the“ground” and “body”radicals to emphasize the meaning that “one’s body is firmly rooted to the ground.”)
“Recently, the weakening sense of one’s existence has become a frequent problem. In order to feel that one truly exists here and now, the assistance of physical intuition, not just the psychological aspect, is necessary. In present-day Japan, how many people can say that their koshi is truly supporting their body on its axis?”
“If the traditional sense of Japanese ‘physical culture’ could be put into just one phrase, I would call it ‘Koshi-Hara culture.’ If you talk with people in their 80s and 90s, you will hear many phrases using ’koshi’ or ‘hara.’”
“‘Fix your koshi (Sit tight and settle down)’ and ‘Decide with your hara（gut）’ are basic vocabulary. I once heard a man in his 90s say, ‘In the past, those who were given responsibilities were the ones who had hara (guts) that were prepared (meaning one who is prepared for anything).’ These phrases using koshi and hara include a spiritual aspect, but, fundamentally, they are rooted in fact that there is physical intuition in the koshi and hara.”
The physical intuition to which Prof. Saito is alluding has continuously been passed down to today’s martial arts and performing arts, and has a very deep relation with Ki.
Tomoya Nakamura
