An Interview With Master Aramaki - Bokken Artisan

Our founder.... It was probably during the Taisho era, or the end of the Meiji period when my grandfather moved from Fukuoka to Miyakonojo. Why he came to Miyakonojo? Well, he realized that there were oak trees in abundance.
Our forefathers were fleeing soldiers of the Taira (Heike) family, who hid in the mountains. And one of their villages was called Aramaki and this was where my grandfather noticed the copious oak trees, decided to manufacture Bokken, and came to Miyakonojo. In Miyakonojo are the most oak trees and so he got to manufacture Bokken, then the war started, which we lost. And after that, Japanese martial arts, the Budo, got prohibited. However, thanks to General MacArthur's approval of Budo, the ban was lifted and the production of Bokken was relaunched.
But at that time, my grandfather was already sick. My father took over from him and with it, it was the second generation manufacturing Bokken. And with me, it's the third generation. So, since then, already 100 years have passed. Therefore, the founder of the Bokken of Miyakonojo, that's us.
Miyakonojo covers over 90% of the Bokken manufacturing in Japan. Now, there are 4 workshops providing the Bokken for the entire Japan, but previously, there were about 36. And those workshops used to make the handles of hoes used in agriculture, hammers, etc. The wood was used to make those handles. Utilizing that wood, there were many of those workshops for wooden handles. But they all switched to Bokken as they were selling. So there were 36 workshops.
Because in Kendo it's mainly the Yudansha using the objects, so if we only were to focus on the shape of the Bokken, but neglect its balance, the Yudansha will of course not buy it. That's why the business got bad and most companies were forced to quit. And now, only 4 workshops are left. And everyone was doing research, competing to fabricate a sword that is easy to use.

In the past, wooden swords were about as thin as a thumb. Those my grand-father was making.
So when in Japanese Kendo armors were created and worn, one wouldn't strike the body directly anymore but protected with these armors (allowing to strike harder) the Bokken got bigger (and with it more resistant). In the end, my father (2nd Gen.) received the permission by the Japanese Kendo Federation to create their Bokken type and in the end its shape was determined by that.
So the current Bokken type is already the one that my father (2nd Gen.) made. When I was little, I tinkered with news paper different Bokken shapes and studied various types - I can still remember that.
So this, the current Bokken type the Kendo Federation chose, is the one my father created. Other workshops bought our Bokken to copy its shape so now, it's the same shape everywhere.

When it comes to the Koryu Bokken, even if it's the Bokken of the same school, the type changes, its dimensions, etc., depending on the Dojo and the teacher. "Ours is correct, this is correct..." the teacher of each Dojo says this.
Anyway, I let them send me a sample, of which I manufacture a copy and send it back. Otherwise, it's impossible because I'm told by everyone that "this is the correct", or "that is the true one" or "this the original". No matter the Bokken, I ask for a sample first.
And if they are considering a second purchase in the future, I let them order one for spare that I keep here.

Yes, that happens.
I met the lead teacher of the Jigen Ryu and a Karateka, the one who is said to have fought against a tiger, master Oyama. I even got to meet him. We got a Sai from him, one of those iron Sai: "I'll leave this here as souvenir" he said. He was a master with a great physique, those kind of teachers we met.
We do not sell directly to private clients but if you'd come all the way to visit us, we'd sell you something. So teachers come to meet us, asking us to change the size, even for Nunchaku, or have it done differently. So, various teachers who want something in particular, those are the ones who'd come to meet us.
When we meet them, we can also explain to them different points about the material: "this here might get difficult", etc. That for example the fiber of the timber cannot always be aligned horizontally, and that I cannot sort out all timber to their specific expectations. That's what I explain while taking the order.

Well, our specialty...
We consider the balance, or the curvature as important. These are the points we emphasize.
I mean, you position yourself (Kamae) with the Bokken, and then if the curvature isn't well crafted, that's so disturbing.
Just like before, there was one I had to redo. Take off a bit more here and there... Even if it's just a small thing that you'd barely notice, I'd redo it.

Yeah, of course, I can tell immediately.
Even if I were only to see the tip of the Bokken I'd know who's workshop's piece it is. And then you have the curvature and the balance - it's easy to tell. So that's why, as said before even if we make samples from paper, we have our bad habits, everyone of us, putting more effort into the left, or only the right side. Or the tip lacks polishing, even though the craftsman intended to finish it off nicely - and that's that person's habit, overlooking something, etc. And those habits are clearly visible on the Bokken.
So when I see a Bokken, from Tokyo, the Kansai or Kanto region, samples made during the Edo period, I think "wow, how amazing!" What fantastic Bokken these craftsmen made in the past. Well, they also had a lot of time so they could do it. But still, really amazing Bokken with a great balance. So it happens that I get to see one of those samples and I doubt that I could make a copy of it, of a Bokken so beautiful and well-balanced.
Craftsmen of that time were the best. The way the blade's thickness is adjusted toward the tip, I can still recall its image. These Bokken, there was really great work done by those ancient craftsmen.

What I like the most...
I like the Kissaki part (the last 10 cm toward the tip), that's the most appealing to me.
The most challenging part... probably the Tsuka (handle). The handle is the one that I have to rework a few times. I grasp it like this and think "that' should be ok" and then I can feel a bump, or that it is a little too small after I finish it. So yeah, it is really the handle that is the most challenging.
And what I like is the Kissaki part. It's the most satisfying thing to do, shaping the wood with the plane.

Pieces from woods like Ebony, about 70% of them are made by hand. Machine blades can't really stand the wood hardness. You make a small mistake with the machine and they break. Blades worth tens of thousands of yens broke. So I do them by hand, this is more natural, while checking the balance all along the process.
Loquat is pretty dense as well. The sides are so tough. And when I plane the wood once it's dry, I just keep thinking "ah, it's so hard". The Sunuke is still easier to work, and the wood comes off the planes in big pieces. But loquat is so firm and dense. And one might not guess it, but it's heavy. So no surprise the loquat was often used in the past to make the Bokken.
People back then really made a discovery using loquat... it's so dense and hard.

France:
With that kind of machine, it's almost impossible to work the tip. This 3 Sun tip here. That's the part you can't do with the machine. This here is where the art comes in. And you can't do it unless you're a craftsman. Yeah, you can immediately tell, checking like this. The thickness is rather well done though. You can more or less make a faithful copy of the curvature and the chamfering if you just buy another Bokken and get the shape from there.

Portugal:
This is pretty nice, right? The finish. We fix the wood with a vise called Manriki (invented by the craftsmen of Miyakono) to work it. But how did they do it? Is the polishing done with some kind of machine? Yeah, that's a good one. The balance is also good, the weight is there. This timber is also really good.

United states:
Isn't that kind of timber used for Baseball bats? Yeah, there are some peculiarities. The timber also... If only there was abundant material... Up to 10 or 20 pieces, that's still possible but as soon as 200 pieces are to be put out everyday - the material...
Easy to get splinters, that kind of soft wood. Where you strike, Japanese oak doesn't become like that. The latter absorbs the shock, leaving just a dent. That kind of soft wood has rough fiber, you may get splinters that you feel with your hands. That's what happens with soft wood, when you strike, well, after striking. All of them did a really good job.
No matter from which country, the craftsmen are pretty talented.

As long as there is the material, you could do it anywhere. That's the same for us.
I once wanted to test the white oak from abroad, so I bought some, studied it, checked its strength. We still have it at the back.
A company supplying timber from abroad got to visit us once and if one day there's no more Japanese oak, we start to purchase from them.
That's how far the discussion went.
But there's still some left, so we're not importing it yet. But we are thinking that far now. Because we will be eventually running out of timber.
I'm a bit afraid that the supply from abroad won't be stable. So you might run out of an imported timber like purple ebony, that cannot be supplied anymore, after you finally got used to work it. And you have to search for another supplier. So if you rely on supply from abroad, you'll for sure find yourself at a dead end.

Well yes, the Japanese population is decreasing. After all, young people avoid dangerous or "dirty" jobs. You can't say that this is exactly why, but it's a job that was mechanized. In the past, one craftsman would carve a squared timber with a plane. How many pieces? Probably less than 20.
Now with the mechanization, one person alone can make 150 pieces [This concerns the main shaping step only]. So because it has all been mechanized, it's not necessary to be numerous anymore, as it has become much easier. So, because mechanized, the craftsmen became fewer. That's why...
So we here, in the end, have everything mechanized, like the other workshops, everyone doing it their own way. But before that, we, about 36 people, were all kind of lined up on the workbenches in the factory - this is how we used to carve all day long. But still, as one person couldn't do more than 20 pieces a day, even with 30 people, we couldn't get that much done. That's how it used to be.
This mechanization came with my generation, roughly when I left school, and with it less craftsmen were needed. Examining it like this, and that we could manufacture still that much thanks to the mechanization, that's why we maybe received the award of "contemporary craftsmen".

Well, such a small company, or a place where we are succeeding a tradition, we wish to have a bit of support from the administration, right?
And that also concerns the salary or something like that. It takes 3 to 5 years until someone becomes an artisan, and I have to pay a salary, but actually don't get anything that can be used. But in one way or another, that's how one becomes an artisan, fabricating for the company. And this is also how in return it becomes a revenue for the company. But for 5 years, we get nothing and that's in the end like giving away money, while teaching. Exactly how it was in the old time.
But like this, there's no continuation for the company. I'd really like to get plenty of young people, paying them a good salary. But that'd be bankruptcy if we'd do something like that. So, we have no choice but to get the work done with the people we have around.

Ah, yeah, he's still a student. But even if he would take over - what would happen? Within that flow. And without any support of the administration. Fending for themselves. Finding employees and material.
But saying this, for Japanese Kendo, you really need those Bokken. After all, it has to be produced. Among these employees, if one gets injured, only by that, the production gets interrupted.
It is really hard, thinking about the future. That's why we're doing our very best now. But the future is the future, and it'll be my son thinking about it.

Well, it's not as if the quantity was high enough to have something to choose from. There's nothing we can do but to just lay in stock whatever we can get and from there, use the pieces we have according to our products. We can no longer sort out the small pieces as we used to, but just have to use it for Shoto [short sword] or other short products. The quantity of timber is too little.
Before, we would choose only straight wood older than 50 years, etc. Or if the center was black we wouldn't take it. In the past, we were buying only the best, after much complaint and negotiations. But if we'd work like that today, we wouldn't have enough timber to work on.
That's how it is now....

Well... not really the cutting, but rather already when the logs are cut into planks. Close to the log's core, you get a straight grain pattern, but towards the sides you get the cross grain pattern. That's because the annual rings of the tree are like that.
So that's why you always have both, the straight grain and cross grain in one plank, when cutting the logs into planks. Well, if you have like a cedar, a log of cedar wood of 80 to 100 years cut into squared balks, only about 2 to 3 feature such straight grain. So concerning the Bokken, it became really difficult to make them with such nice straight grain. I cannot waste any timber, I have to make the best out of the entire material. When we use the cross grained timber, the Bokken will warp side wards or if that pattern runs over the Mine, the spine of the Bokken, it will warp upwards.
It's because wood is a living material, it warps as it pleases. But it's also a question of how you store it. If it is properly placed straight on the floor and in the shade there's no big problem, but if it's diagonally leaning against a wall, it'll warp. And that's everybody's own responsibility, reflecting your own personality.

Yes, (orders for) Jo have been increasing, but at the same time, the material gets rarer, so it gets more and more difficult. I really want to use the timber with nice straight grain from our stock. But it's impossible to only use those parts. And I feel really sorry for that. But I also have to send something out, and in the end, I have no choice.

Well, they [politicians] also are busy with their own stuff. But when it comes to the people, well...
Although I was told many things already, until now, there was nobody who sincerely took action to make things move. - "It's tough. Let's see what we can do" - that's about how far it gets. Because those people, they have to ask their superiors and this is where it doesn't go further.

Well, compared to oak, camellia is a better wood. This is because there's no more loquat we use the camellia to replace it. Its brilliance is similar, though its weight is a bit lighter. The shiny color it really like it. You can't tell. In the past, the best Bokken were always ordered from that famous loquat.
But now, there's almost no loquat left anymore. As you saw before at the workshop, from 3 trees, how many swords could I make again? Now also [a minute ago, we cut the scene] I were brought another 3 planks that are damaged.
So from the 3 trees, I could make only 6 Bokken or so. From a core without deficiency. That's how it has become. So from those 3 logs of loquat that were over 100 years old, I could only make 6 Bokken. Wondering how long it was stocked [dried], almost 10 years or so. Yeah, it dried for close to 10 years.

Well... For Aikido.. I'd only recommend white oak.
When it comes to camellia, there are some deficiencies, talking about the quality of the timber. It warps a bit... Like the Bokken [from the US, made of Hickory] you brought. And really, the deficiencies are quite frequent. If you let it dry too much, it gets very light, the camellia. To use as Bokken. But for decoration purpose, as gift or such, or to do some Kata, then it's fine, I'd recommend it.
If you really want to practice with full contact, I wouldn't recommend camellia . Its surface, it's aesthetic is really beautiful and the wood grain, too. Well, that's personal though. But camellia is often bought by those who like nice timber. [Jordy says he loves camellia wood]
Yeah, indeed, those who like wooden products appreciate camellia wood. Yeah, especially when you opt for an oil polish finish instead of varnish. Then, the camellia becomes really pretty. I really like it.

There is! There still is, but that's on the mountain of the forestry district. That's a state-owned mountain. Almost the entire Kirishima region and the mountain itself, they belong to Japan. But there's plenty. And that's why, we, all of us working in this field, Master Matsuzaki and Nidome, we went to the forest service field office together to file a petition. We asked for allowance to use the oak, the red oak (Ichiikashi) in the vicinity of Kirishima.
But they answered "Ah, we're sorry, but that's within the preservation district, there can't be any timber cut down."
So we replied: "But there's plenty, it should be fine to clear a bit. It'll just get in the way anyways."
"No, no, you can't" they said.
But yes, there is plenty. It would be great if we could use that. But... well, if the trees get too big the wood quality gets bad. So now, those trees are perfect for use. And there's plenty in the Kirishima region.
Since you plan to go [right after this meeting], please bring a chain saw along and bring me some logs [big laught].

When I wander around, I can find some. There are a few big loquat growing in some people's gardens. I immediately stop by to negotiate with them, to cut those trees. That is how I got all the loquat collected I have.
The loquat is not available anymore on our wood markets. So if we don't find it and cut it ourselves... And that's why not all of us still offer it.
Hmm... How many loquat Bokken do we send out a month? Well, about 5 to 6 I'd say.
If we have to make too many, I have to spend another day to go search for loquat. So the balance is just fine now.
In the course of a year, I have to find about 10, 12, 13 trees, wandering around.
Sometimes, the people cutting timber in the mountains, they know about us and give us a call:
- "We just cut some loquat, do you want it?"
- "Yes, sure, please!" and then they even bring it.
But only the core, the best part. When it comes to loquat, it has branches already at the bottom of the trunk. And they cause these knotholes that cut through the wood grain pattern. For a Bokken, we need 1 m of straight wood. If from 1.10 m a branch grows, we can use those 1.10 m. But if at the very bottom of the tree branches are growing, no matter how big the tree itself is, we couldn't make Bokken from it. Because those knotholes cut through the wood grain. It seems that there's plenty of loquat, but there are no usable ones.
That's the difficulty, finding those.

Yeah, that's why, I'm growing them, over there!
There are many. And we're lucky that the loquat at the corner of our house, makes many offshoots.
So we plant them in different places.
It's not going to be in time for me though.