Spirit of budo returns
Japan Foundation is bringing back “The Spirit Of Budo: The History Of Japan’s Martial Arts” to exhibit at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Burapha University in Chon Buri, from tomorrow to Oct 25.
The travelling exhibition first came to Chiang Mai and Bangkok eight years ago. Its tremendous success and the popularity of Japan’s martial arts overseas have driven the show to return to the Kingdom to promote a proper understanding about the history of Japanese martial arts from battlefield combat techniques (bujutsu) to popular sports or physical exercise tempering body and spirit (budo).
The exhibition has two parts. The first part features originals and reproductions of historical weapons such as bows, arrows, suits of armour, sword mountings and helmets. They will be on show along with an explanation of the development and changes in Japanese martial arts from the 8th-19th centuries.
Among the highlighted items in this collection are eight superbly designed helmets from the Warring States period (1467-1568) — an age of incessant nationwide violence — presented in their original splendour as they appeared at the time of creation.
The second part deals with the reorganisation of bujutsu to budo in the 19th and 20th centuries reflecting a time when the Japanese martial arts were confronted with — and survived — two pivotal crises.
The first watershed moment was marked by the end of feudalism and the beginning of modernisation in the Meiji period (mid-19th century). The second such moment was after World War II and the democratisation of education.
On display will be protective clothes and implements such as bamboo swords, protectors and gloves used by players and students in the present day.
The exhibition will move to HRH Princess Sirindhorn Art Gallery at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University (Sanam Chandra Palace campus) in Nakhon Pathom from Nov 19 to Dec 13.
There is no admission fee. Visit facebook.com/jfbangkok or call 02-260-8560—4.