The Very Serious Way of the Sword and the Very Silly Kabuki

Dear Family,

Last week I witnessed a phase of Japanese training in “The Way of the Sword.” I saw 500 students assembled in a large sports hall all barefoot and dressed in robes, women white and men black, with many friends and family in the bleachers. The officiators arranged them in 50 rows about 10 deep and had them assume the favored Japanese sitting-on-their-heels position on the floor. They then gave each a test paper, which on a signal all turned over, placed on the floor in front of them, hunkered down and began taking the written test. When all were finished they turned in their papers, very politely with a bow and two hands, and took up their wooden simulated samurai swords called bokken. They then came forward in pairs, 20 at a time, and engaged in a series of slow-motion thrust and parry moves full of ritual, bowing and etiquette. No sword touched any opponent, and after each movement, the participants carefully retreated to the original positions about 20 feet apart, politely bowed and began the next movement.Following a series of 4-5 movements, the participants retired and a new set of 20 began. It was more like a dance than a martial arts contact sport.

Growing up in Idaho in referring to something silly, I sometimes heard the phrase, I think from my mother, “that’s like kabuki theater.” On arriving here I learned that kabuki theater has been a Japanese institution for 400 years and that Fukuoka features a famous Grand Kabuki Theater called Hakataza. Yesterday for my birthday, I attended a presentation of kabuki theater at the Hakataza, Pat thought it silly (she was right) and didn’t want to attend, besides she has too much work to do. Someone’s got to mind the store. The segment I saw was comic-sad, not real slapstick, but the staging and costuming were magnificent and the experience extraordinary. They only do it in February, and a Kabuki theater presentation is in 6-10 segments and runs the whole day. Everything was sold out except 16 cheap seats they hold for same-day sale on first come-first-served basis. I arrived early, stood in line, got my one segment, watched the show from a great front- row 3^rdbalcony seat and was back at my desk by noon, relishing yet another memorable Japanese cultural experience.

We are starting to see a huge influx of new missionaries here. The volume of Pat’s work as mission secretary is proportional to the number of missionaries coming and going, so with this upswing, her workload has suddenly expanded. She is feeling the pressure, and we worked a couple of 12-hour days this week. In addition to her constant flow of personal secretarial work, she now organizes and farms out portions to me, a sister who works in the mission home, and some of the office missionaries. I am thrilled as I have leaned back with my feet up on the desk and watched her do this work. She works really hard and with amazing concentration at her job. She has learned to do things on the computer that she couldn’t even have imagined a year ago. I marvel as I have watched the Spirit enable her to do all that is expected of her.

Pat and I really enjoy teaching one of three simultaneous English classes taught in the local ward building each Wednesday. Last week a new young man from Nepal attended our class, and afterward asked how he could learn more about Jesus Christ. We were glad to accommodate him. We try to offer the English classes as a gift to the community with no strings attached. There is a lot of interest in learning English among the Japanese, and it’s exciting to see how often the classes lead to this kind of a teaching opportunity.

Sending our love and greeting over the kilometers (sorry, we don’t do miles anymore) we remain your faithful far-eastern correspondents, 

Mom and Dad