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• The art of Noh

I belong to the Shin’yō-kai Noh society (amateur group) and learn shimai and utai (chanting) under Shingo KATO, a Shite-kata of Kanze school of Noh (2015 ～)

I study different aspects of Noh at the ‘Wa to Wa’ Terakoya (Tōkō-ji Temple, Hiroo, Tokyo) held by Noboru YASUDA, a Waki-kata of the Shimogakari-hōshō-ryū school of Noh (2011～)

Why Noh theatre? Because Noh theatre is the quintessence of Japanese culture. Vibrant sounds of the music and the chant, the visible and the invisible worlds, Buddhist ideas about life and death, historical figures and Shinto gods, Japanese sense of beauty, traditional poetry, the yūgen aesthetic of elegant beauty, the harmony of Yin and Yang, Zen philosophy and practice, martial arts, etc.

The word ‘Noh’ (能 Nō) means ‘talent’, ‘skills’. These skills one should learn directly from the Master.

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• AIKIDO

I studied Aikido at the Kishinkan Dojo under Teruo MATSUMOTO Sensei (Sixth Dan, disciple of Koichi TOHEI Sensei). (2008-2018)

Aikido changes your perception of the world and cultivates reverence for life.

There is one episode when aikido saved “my life”. I did not notice the glass wall and walked into it banging my forehead against it. I fell backwards. In fact, I took a backward roll and it allowed me to come right back up. It was an ushiro ukemi technique (後ろ受け身). Apart from the bump on the forehead, I had no other injuries. A woman, who happened to be near, watched my “technique of falling safely” with great amazement.  I was surprised myself. I had mastered the technique on an unconscious level!

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• Brush Calligraphy

I attended a calligraphy class for 5 years and received my third dan. (2007 – 2012)

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• Zazen

I started practicing zazen when I lived in Russia and I continue practicing it in Japan. From 2007 to 2010, I have been practicing zazen at the Chōkoku-ji Temple (Tokyo branch of the Eihei-ji Temple) and since 2011, I am practicing zazen at the Tōshō-ji Temple.

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• The   I-RO-HA   HI-FU-MI   AIKI  Breathing Calligraphy

Kōki YAMAMOTO Sensei, a master of Aikido and a master of Brush Calligraphy, has created a bold new direction in calligraphy, enabling everybody to move the brush in accordance with the follow of vital energy. At present, in order to introduce the work of Kōki YAMAMOTO Sensei to the world I am translating his book.

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• HIKŌ – composition and chanting of waka poems

At the ‘Hoshi to Mori’ (“Stars and woods”) hikō society, we learn how to compose and chant waka poems. (2018 ～)

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• Shirakawa Shinto

At the Shirakawa Gakkan (it was the second basic course held at the Shirakawa Shinto Tokyo Office in Shinjuku and the Higashi Shrine in Nerima), we learned about the origins and history of Shirakawa Shinto and about the kami. In the practical training, we learnt norito and traditional ways of kami worship. (2013)

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• I Ching

I started studying I Ching in Russia during my post-graduate studies. In Japan, I continued studying I Ching at the ‘I Ching study group’ with Shigeto KUROIWA Sensei. (2010 – 2015)

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• Cultural exchange between Japan and Russia

While in Russia, I set up the Nihon-maru cultural centre (Sogetsu ikebana classes, Japanese film festivals, a martial arts festival, festivals of Japanese culture, exhibitions, etc.)

At the “Japan-Russia Exchange Society”, I teach Russian and introduce Russian culture to Japan through “Russian language camps”.

The NPO “Japan-Russia Exchange Society” promotes cultural exchange at the citizen level in order to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and Russia. It also introduces Russian people to Japanese culture.

* “NIHON-MARU“. Why such an unusual name for a friendship society? I once saw a map of Okinawa Prefecture and was amazed – it was the colour of a deep blue ocean! By comparison, the map of Russia is only green, yellow and brown… I got an impression of Japan as a huge and beautiful ocean liner sailing in the Pacific Ocean, the Nihon-maru.

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