Last week, Touken Matsumoto hosted the 6th Okinawa Token Ichi in Naha, Okinawa. I saw quite a few familiar faces which warmed my heart, and also many new ones, whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time.
Due to a mistake in planning, I was unable to use the same location at the time as I previously used it during the December events. This time, we were 3 weeks early, and therefore, missed the bonus season which affected us and the visitors a little. However, we got to spend some time together, which I think everyone enjoyed.
I also conducted a small lecture for a number of eager enthusiasts at the beginning of their years of studying the Japanese sword, its history and culture. I was impressed by how attentively they were listening to me, which I found most inspiring.
Okinawa was originally its own nation, known as the Ryukyu kingdom. It therefore has no history with the Japanese sword before becoming part of Japan as a nation, during the Edo period. It is therefore important to me to share the knowledge and passion for this part of our culture. I’m confident that in time the interest will become a lot bigger.