Japan is famous for its samurai warriors and some of strongest came from the Kagoshima region. Historically called the Satsuma domain, the area was ruled for over 700 years by the powerful feudal lords of the Shimadzu clan.
The people of Kagoshima today are still very proud of their samurai roots, no more so than Shigemizu Kenrou. An employee at Hioki City Hall, he has decided to use his free time to promote the rich history of the area.
On weekdays he works a desk job in a typical Japanese local government office, but when the weekend rolls around he turns into a full on samurai decked out head to toe in traditional armour to promote warrior culture and the Hioki region through hardcore rock music.
Join us for a chat with Shigemizu and find out why he chose to use hardcore rock to promote the rich history of Hioki, and how you too can try out wearing samurai armour at the Hioki City Yoshitoshi Gungi-jo (literally War Council).
Make sure to also check out this translation of the Jisshin-ko Iroha-no-uta to see the traditional samurai lessons that inspired Shigemizu!
For full details on this video check here…
Satsuma Biwa photograph ©Sengan-en
Historical paintings by Nagano Tsuyoshi ©Shoko Shuseikan Museum
—————————————————————————–
Hioki City Yoshitoshi Gungi-jo
Google Map:
Website:
Social Media:
—————————————————————————–
People of Kagoshima
Website:
Social Media:
—————————————————————————–
AloJapan.com