Yui and Hiroyuki moved from Tokyo to Kosaka in 2021 to escape the big city. But more than that, they came here to pursue their shared dream of a life based on that of the samurai. Because what many people don’t know: Very few samurai led a life in noble castles.

Many of them farmed, trained in martial arts and only went into battle when necessary. This is also known as “Hannou Hanshi”, which means “half farmer, half warrior”.

Hannou Hanshi, half farmer, half warrior

This is exactly what the two of them practice today: on the one hand, they are involved in organic rice cultivation using the original method, in which ducks are kept in the fields to control pests. On the other hand, they practice various martial arts such as Iai, Kenjutsu, Jojutsu, Jujutsu, Karate, etc., which originate from Kobudo, a traditional Japanese martial art.

different martial arts such as Iai, Kenjutsu, Jojutsu, Jujutsu, Karate, etc.

They also combine Japanese arts such as singing or dancing in special performances.

They call the result Bugeido, a combination of Budo and Geido, which roughly translates as “the way of fighting and art”

In their dojo, located in the same building as the ENJ office, they train students and pass on their knowledge. So if you want to learn how to use a katana or get a taste of the samurai world, this is the place for you! There is always lots of laughter and fun with Yui and Hiroyuki, both are blessed with a lot of patience and are naturally good teachers.

In addition to the regular training sessions, which anyone can join, there is the option of arranging individual or group lessons. Special samurai training camps and online lessons are also in preparation.

Discover Tohoku and learn authentic Japanese martial arts!