Taisha-ryū Historical Research Group
TAISHA-RYŪ HISTORICAL RESEARCH GROUP
Taisha-ryū Historical Research Group
[ 28.10.2025 ]
Dear friends of the Hyōhō Taisha-ryū!
and the history of koryū! We are delighted, for a third year in a row, to be able to publish for you the Annual of the Bulletin Taisha-ryū Historical Research Group !
In this edition of the Annual Bulletin of the Taisha-ryū Historical Research Group we focus on the role of the Yano Family (矢野家) of Hyūga Province (日向国) and their connection with the political and military landscape toward the end of the 16th and during the 17th century, especially the long-standing conflict between the Itō (伊東) and the Shimadzu (島津) Clans. Marume Yorikura (丸目頼藏) – brother and student of Kurando – had issued several transmission documents to Yano Chūzaemon – lord of Sebira Castle (瀬平城) in the Obi Domain (飫肥藩). We further explore the religious conflict caused by the cult of Mt Udo (鵜戸山) and the Christian connections of the Itō and Yano. We further look at the possible connection between Taisha-ryū and the staff dance of Kuraoka (鞍岡) in the north of what is nowadays Miyazaki Prefecture (宮崎県).
We wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts in 2024 and look forward to your continued support for our research into Taisha-ryū’s history this year! You can support us through PayPal at:
taisharyu.history@gmail.com
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have feedback, questions or you are interested in previous issues!
G.K.
2025 Issue Overview:
The Yano Family and the Taisha-ryū Legacy of Miyazaki Prefecture
One of the shorter, but no less important transmission lines of Taisha-ryū is to be found in the Yano Family (矢野家) of Hyūga Province (日向国), who were heavily involved with the political and military landscape of that part of Kyūshū toward the end of the 16th and during the 17th century, especially the long-standing conflict between the Itō (伊東) and the Shimadzu (島津) Clans in that area.
Marume Yorikura (丸目頼藏) – brother and student of the founder Marume Kurando – had issued several transmission documents to Yano Chūzaemon – lord of Sebira Castle (瀬平城) in the Obi Domain (飫肥藩) conquered by the Itō towards the end of the Momoyama Period and the beginning of Tokugawa rule in 1601. However, the end of large-scale military campaigns did not conclude the story of the Yano Family’s involvement in the major matters of the Domain and the shogunal government. They were key players in the religious conflict caused by the cult of Mt Udo (鵜戸山) and were affected by the Christian connections of the Itō as well as by the anti-Christian policies of the Tokugawa regime.
In a completely different district, we find a possible connection between Taisha-ryū and the staff dance of Kuraoka (鞍岡) in the north of what is nowadays Miyazaki Prefecture (宮崎県). This is a martial tradition with roots which go at least as far back as the Edo period. While it is, however, at best tenuously connected with Taisha-ryū proper, it certainly carries a legacy inherited from Taisha-ryū’s mother style – Kamiizumi Nobutsuna’s Shinkage-ryū.