[Kaga Onsenkyo] The Ancient Martial Art 'Fuden-ryu Sojutsu' Passed Down in the Castle Town of Daishoji

At Enuma Shrine, located in the castle town of Daishoji, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the ancient martial art 'Daishoji-han-den Fuden-ryu Sojutsu', passed down since the first year of Hoei (1704), is still being preserved. This spear art, which uses a long-handled plain spear measuring one jo and two shaku (approximately 3.6 meters) and teaches practical techniques such as thrusting and striking, was once practiced by the samurai of the Daishoji domain.

Currently, training takes place within the grounds of Enuma Shrine, and observation and体験 (experience) are possible. You can experience Japanese martial arts while feeling the history of the castle town.

What is Daishoji-han-den Fuden-ryu Sojutsu?

'Daishoji-han-den Fuden-ryu Sojutsu' is an ancient martial art passed down since the first year of Hoei (1704).

It teaches battle techniques such as thrusting and striking, utilizing a long-handled (one jo and two shaku, 16-sided thick shaft) plain spear, which is an advantage of the spear. The plain spear, due to its simple structure, has infinite applications, and mastering its techniques requires training that emphasizes the unity of 'mind, spear, and body'.

The founder, Genbei Yoshinari Nakayama, found the ideal of spear techniques in the form of 'wind,' which moves freely and without form, and named the school 'Fuden-ryu' from this philosophy.

Enuma Shrine and Fuden-ryu Sojutsu Enuma Shrine, Daishoji

Fuden-ryu Sojutsu was transmitted in the first year of Hoei (1704) by Okumura Rokuro Sukeshige, a retainer of the Daishoji domain. Subsequently, it was inherited as the official martial art of the domain until the Taisho era, and a sojutsu dojo was established in the vicinity of Enuma Shrine (the former site of the Daishoji domain's Jinya), where retainers diligently practiced.

In Reiwa 6 (2024), the Daishoji Branch of the Ancient Martial Arts Bushinkai was established in the Chikukeikan of Enuma Shrine, breathing new life into the spear art in its original location. While continuing to foster successors, the martial art Fuden-ryu Sojutsu, cultivated by the samurai of Daishoji, is being passed down to the present day.