Japan’s Guest House is a Sight to See!

TOKYO – The palaces of Japan’s emperor and empress and the princes and princesses – ensconced behind moats, ancient walls, the lay of the land and thick foliage – are hidden from all except for aerial views and on New Year’s Day.

But there is one “palace” that is not only out in the open, it is one of the most impressive sights in Tokyo, and yet very few visitors get more than a tantalizing glimpse of it as they drive by its spacious grounds.

This is the stately Geihinkan (Gay-ee-heen-kahn) or State Guest House, which was originally the Togu (Toh-guu) Palace, built during the first years of the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

In 1872 the Togu Palace was renamed the Akasaka Detached Palace. In 1873, when the Imperial Palace buildings burned down, it became the temporary residence of Emperor Meiji. Some years later, it was used as the official residence of the Crown Prince, who became Emperor Taisho in 1912.

Patterned after the Versailles Palace of France, the Geihinkan was designed by Tokuma Katayama, a Japanese architect who studied under England’s famous Josiah Condor and was one of the first Japanese architects to design a Western style building.

The present structure, completed in 1909, stands in grounds covering an area of 117,000 square meters and is built in French neo-baroque style, with a patina-green roof and granite facades.

From 1912 until 1972 the Detached Palace served as a site for ministerial meetings. A portion of it was also used as the National Diet Library, and in the early 1960s it became an office for the organizers of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Following the Olympics, the palace underwent major renovation and was reopened in 1974 as the State Guest House. To say that the Geihinkan is grand and opulent does not do justice to it. It is lavishly furnished with thick carpeting, elegant furniture, decorative tiles, ceiling murals that include a depiction of scenes from Noh plays, and a huge one-of-a-kind chandelier in the main hall.

The huge Guest House compound is on the southwest side of the Imperial Palace grounds, just outside what was once a palace moat that is now the bed for a commuter train line. It is a 7-minute walk form Yotsuya Station, where the JR Chuo and Sobu train lines and the Marunouchi and Namboku subway lines intersect.

Numerous kings, presidents, prime ministers and other notables, including Lady Diana, have stayed at the Geihinkan. It is also used as a banquet hall for entertaining dignitaries, and as a place to sign international treaties.

It is open to the public only a few days out of the year, and entrance is reserved for those lucky enough to win an annual drawing, which is held well in advance of the day.

Anyone interested in filling out an application for the drawing can access the application site at http://www8.cao.go.jp/geihinkan/index.html. Dates for application are announced in Japanese only on the Internet.

Geihinkan by itself just means “guest house,” and there are commercial geihinkan in many Japanese cities, generally popular as elite restaurants.

The State Guest House is known publicly as Akasaka no Geihinkan (Ah-kah-sah-kah no Gay-ee-heen-kahn), or “The Akasaka Guest House,” and that is the name you should use if going there by taxi.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959 and still in print, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Getting the Real Feel of Japan!

TOKYO – Despite all of the amazing artifacts of Japan – historical and modern – and despite the sublime beauty of its mountains and coastlines, the real attraction of the island country is the Japanese themselves.

In fact, people who come to Japan and limit their sightseeing to its historical grandeurs and its modern-day façade of high-rise buildings, amazing “bullet trains,” bridges and tunnels that connect islands, shops that make Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles look dowdy, and more, are short-changing themselves.

One of the keys to getting a real feel for Japan, and thereby getting the most out of a visit, is to rub elbows (and other parts of the anatomy) with the people themselves, and simply to “people-watch” – viewing huge numbers of them, in public, as they go to and fro.

There are literally several thousand outstanding “people-watch” locations in Tokyo alone. To make things easier for visitors, I have selected several spots, each of which has a personality of its own, that would most likely be regarded as at least in the top twenty locations in the city by most experienced people-watchers.

Three of these locations are within a short walk of each other. They are the main Ginza Intersection where Hibiya and Chuo Streets intersect at Ginza 4-chome; the Sukiyabashi Intersection, about 200 yards west of the Ginza Intersection, where Hibiya Street intersects with Sotobori Street; and the Hibiya theater and restaurant district another 200 yards or further west, adjoining Hibiya Street on the south side.

Since the late 1800s, most Tokyo residents have considered the Ginza 4-chome intersection as the unofficial the center of the city. Its famous Mitsukoshi and Wako Department Stores are historical icons.

For really old-timers, the Mitsukoshi Department Store building on the NE corner of the intersection was the main Post Exchange for the U.S, military during the 1945-1952 occupation of Japan, and there was a U.S. run hamburger and milk shake cafeteria in the basement of the Wako Department Store building on the NW corner of the intersection.

The Sukiyabashi Intersection, just a few blocks away, is probably the most filmed, and therefore internationally the most familiar, intersection in Japan…the special attraction being the amazing display of nighttime neon signs on the NE corner. Sony’s main product display building is on the SE corner of the intersection, and the Hankyu Department Store is on the SW corner.

The nearby Hibiya district is the location of the Tokyo branch of the famous Takarazuka Theater, which features all-female revues on the scale seen in Paris and Las Vegas, along with several other theaters and food courts in the basements of adjoining office buildings, as well a number of narrow restaurant alleys.

The Roppongi district, a few subway minutes from the Ginza/Hibiya areas, is a maze of narrow streets that are home to hundreds of bars, nightclubs and restaurants that run the gamut from plush to dives. The district is a major draw for foreign residents, film stars, fashion models and others wanting to make some kind of statement.

Shibuya, a few minutes further on in a southwesterly direction (on the Yamanote commuter Loop Line that encircles central Tokyo), might be called “young town,” as it is a night-time and weekend mecca for young people, drawn to the area as a meeting place (at “the dog” in Shibuya Plaza in front of Shibuya Station), and for its plethora of apparel and accessory shops, restaurants, bars, bookstores, record stores, etc.

Then moving one station to the north on the Yamanote commuter train line we have the Harajuku district and Omotesando Blvd., which now competes with Chuo Avenue [the main Ginza thoroughfare] as the city’s most popular strolling street.

In addition to the upscale fashion shops and restaurants fronting on Omotesando, the district’s maze of side streets are chocked full of shops carrying the kind of far-out clothing favored by the far-out young. In fact, it is the dress, make-up and behavior of the thousands of young people who flock to Harajuku on holidays and the weekends that attracts hordes of sightseers.

Next on our list is Shinjuku, the second station going NW from Harajuku, with its department stores, office buildings, hotels, and notorious Kabukicho entertainment and restaurant district, a short walk from Shinjuku Station. Often described as sleezy and dangerous because many of its establishments are run by gangs (domestic and foreign), it is generally as safe as Sunday School, and draws huge numbers of people who are attracted by its reputation and what it has to offer.

One could easily add such well-known locations as Akasaka, Aoyama, Asakusa, and go on down the alphabetical line, all with their own special appeal, but the few noted should be enough to satiate the most avid people-watchers.

All of Japan's cities have from a few to dozens of shopping and entertainment centers that swarm with people day and night, and especially on all holidays and weekends. The several hundred towns throughout the country also offer distinctive people-viewing opportunities that are based on the primary economic acivities in the vicinity -- from farming and fishing to making handicrafts, logging and tourism.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959 and still in print, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Visitors Can Watch Svelte Female “Samurai”

TOKYO – In Japan’s hundreds of dojoh (doh-johh), or martial arts gyms, throughout the country it is now common to see young women wielding wicked looking “swords” made of sheathes of bamboo, and shouting ki (kee) or some other sound at the top of their voices.

These young women say that they have taken up kendo (ken-doh), or “the way of the sword,” because it provides them with a direct connection with Japan’s traditional culture and makes them feel “more Japanese,” filling a void in their lives.

This new phenomenon is being analyzed left and right by sociologists, psychologists and run-of-the-mill commentators, some of whom question the motives of the young women. One popular theme is that the women are not so much interested in regaining the spirit of the samurai as they are in “looking good” in skin-tight clothing as they cavort on the dojo floor.

Another explanation is that the young women find that practicing with a makeshift sword is an empowering experience because it allows them to demonstrate that they can become skilled in doing something that was traditionally seen as a male thing.

Practice in using swords was a major part of the lives of the warrior class that ruled Japan from 1192 until 1868, particularly male members, who were required to begin engaging in daily practice drills from the age of seven.

The samurai class was abolished in 1870 and the wearing of swords was banned in shortly thereafter, but kendo itself did not disappear. The military, the police and schools inaugurated kendo programs as a means of developing character and a fighting spirit.

In more recent decades the spirit of the samurai was kept alive in the public mind by kabuki, noh, movies, and long-running television serials. The appearance of the Tom Cruse film The Last Samurai in 2003 resulted in several books on samurai becoming best sellers, including one that was published in 1716 and another one that was published in 1905.

Now there is a full-fledged kendo boom going on in Japan that is part of a revival of the samurai spirit, which provided the foundation of the traditional culture for many centuries.

There is no doubt that practicing kendo dramatically increases one’s courage, self-confidence and outgoing spirit—something that most young Japanese girls of today already have in abundance without any kendo training.

Residents and visitors to Japan who would like to see some of these young women going through their kendo paces can catch the action at Tokyo’s Shinjuku Sports Plaza dojo and the Iguchi Community Center in suburban Mitaka.

Kendo masters point out that the moves in this new “samurai exercise” are not the traditional moves of genuine sword fighters. They say it is an adaptation of the “art form” of sword fighting developed for kabuki, noh and the movies, in which there is no physical contact.

[See my books, THE JAPANESE SAMURAI CODE -- Classic Strategies for Success, and SAMURAI STRATEGIES -- 42 Martial Arts Secrets from Musahi's Book of Five Rings.]

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business , first published in 1959 and still in print, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Japan Fast Becoming World-Class Travel Destination

TOKYO – There is a movement underway to redefine Japan’s image as a travel destination -­ to take it well beyond the traditional symbols of Mt. Fuji, geisha and the country’s famous “Bullet Trains.” These images are not being discarded or downplayed. They remain powerful attractions. But there is much more to Japan than these famous symbols.

Leaders in this movement point to the world image of France as the Mecca of food lovers and high fashions; to the image of Spain for its traditions of music, romance, bullfights and sunny beaches; and to the United States for its image of wide open spaces, Western cowboys, Hollywood films, titans of finance and industry, and such attractions as the Grand Canyon, gambling casinos, theme parks, and the freewheeling social behavior of Americans­-all of which have made these countries favored travel destinations.

Other popular destinations such as China, England, Greece, Italy and Mexico have their own unique, deeply embedded, positive images that derive from their culture and history. But the image of Japan is not as clear, not as familiar, and not as appealing...for both historical and cultural reasons.

One obvious reason for the vague and highly selective image of Japan is because the country was virtually isolated from the most of the rest of the world until the last decades of the 19th century, and until the mid-20th century it was seen as a country ruled by militarists who were determined to dominate East and Southeast Asia.

Another equally obvious reason why the rest of the world has generally not been interested in Japan as a travel destination is the fact that­-with the exception of Korea and China-­there were few if any historical, racial and cultural ties…and in the case of these two neighboring countries, the depredations against them by the Japanese military in earlier years created a reservoir of distrust and enmity that people who lived through those times cannot forget.

But times have changed dramatically. The warrior code and feudalistic form of government that controlled the lives of the Japanese for centuries ended in 1945. With personal freedom for the first time in their history, the long oppressed character and qualities of ordinary Japanese­ -- distinguished by an extraordinary degree of honesty, diligence, order, efficiency, hospitality, friendliness, and work ethic -­ -came to the fore.

These characteristics played a vital role in the astounding emergence of Japan as the second largest economy in the world, surpassed only by the behemoth of the United States­ -- and they are now among the elements that make Japan -- ­unbeknown to many -­- one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world.

Over and above the stunning scenic beauty of the Japanese islands, the historical artifacts derived from Shinto and Buddhist influences, and the exotic Oriental elements in the traditional arts, crafts and customs of the Japanese, there is another factor that sets the Japanese apart and gives life in the country -- ­for residents and visitors alike­ -- a special ambiance.

This special factor is the character and behavior of the people themselves, especially their attitude and behavior toward clients and customers in business, and toward guests in the hospitality and travel industries.
In no country is the solicitous caring for guests and travelers more highly developed than in Japan. It is, in fact, an art that has been an integral part of the culture for generations, refined and practiced until it became a part of the national character.

When this element is added to the sense of security and the unsurpassed physical convenience and comfort of traveling in Japan -- ­the hotels, the inns, the trains and subways -­- and to the availability of gourmet quality food from the around the world, an entertainment industry that is second to none, and endless shopping opportunities…you have a travel destination that is second to none.

All levels of the Japanese government from the Prime Minister on down, along with the public at large and businesses in general, have become acutely aware of the importance of tourism­ -- economically, politically and culturally­ -- and have joined in efforts to showcase the real Japan­ -- the unknown Japan -- ­of today.

By all of the measures and standards of tourism that count, Japan ranks near the top of the list of the world’s best travel destinations, and once this becomes known it will surely receive the recognition it deserves.

[See my book, JAPAN MADE EASY -- Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Japan!]

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
_____________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959 and still in print, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

For a complete list of his titles (each one with a link to Amazon.com's Buy Page) go to his personal website: www.phoenixbookspublishers.com.

How Karate Could Help Change the Culture of Hate, Intolerance & Violence

Changing the Culture of Hate, Intolerance & Violence
With a Simple Proven Training Process

Boyé Lafayette De Mente

TOKYO -- It goes without saying that hate, intolerance, discrimination and violence have been the mark of mankind since the dawn of human history—and all efforts to curb this characteristic behavior through laws, religions and other forms of influence have failed.

In fact, male-dominated religions, the largest, most organized and most powerful of these efforts, have fueled rather than diminished the hatreds, the intolerance, the discrimination and the violence that have plagued humanity since day one.

But despite the evils that have been inherent in the dogma and teachings of religions and the propensity for evil that is part of the primitive nature of men in particular, ordinary people in many societies have achieved a level of civilization that is praiseworthy.

However, most countries in the world remain awash in irrational and violent behavior because their cultures are generally incapable of instilling in people the mindset that is necessary to build and sustain rational, positive, humane, and constructive societies.

The reasons for these cultural failures have been known to many people for ages, but the very evils that have traditionally plagued mankind have prevented most societies from being able to create the kind of cultures they should have.

And yet the answer to this challenge is not mysterious or unknowable. In fact, it is simple common sense. The answer is that cultures should not program their children to hate, to be intolerant, to discriminate, and to engage in violence.

The problem is that the beliefs and institutions that control present-day societies make it virtually impossible for people to agree on and work together to develop and implement training programs that would transform the way children are raised, and most parents do not have the knowledge, the incentive, the opportunity or the experience to undertake the necessary training themselves.

As simplistic, and perhaps as other-worldly as it may sound, there is one training program that all children could be enrolled in at an early age that would go a long way toward instilling in them all of the cultural attributes that are the most desirable and admirable in human beings—and the only thing their parents would have to do is enroll them in this program and keep them in it from around the age of five to fifteen.

Churches, schools and other social and governmental institutions would not have to be involved in any way. It requires only a decision and a commitment by parents to give their children the opportunity to develop the kind of attitudes and behavior that would fundamentally and dramatically improve their chances for success in all areas of life.

This program is nothing more than the physical, emotional, intellectual and philosophical training provided by the modern-day version of karate (kah-rah-tay), the martial art that originated in Okinawa when that chain of islands was conquered by a Japanese warlord in 1609 (in cahoots with the Tokugawa Shogunate) and the and the residents were forbidden to have weapons of any kind.

Karate literally means “empty hand,” and originally referred to a way of inflicting serious injury or death on a person using only the hands. During the following centuries of the Tokugawa era [1603-1868] this way of fighting was gradually subsumed into the training of the samurai who ruled Japan, and later became a part of the training of Japan’s imperial army and police forces.

After the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 and dissolution of the samurai class in 1870 karate was transformed into a sport aimed at developing the character of the individual, with special emphasis on respect for others, concentration, self-confidence, diligence, a sense of order, perseverance, honesty, courage and compassion.

Today most people around the world are familiar with the word karate as a result of movies, video games and comic books, and they tend to see it as a fighting technique. But it is no longer aimed at developing prowess in combat. It is aimed at building the kind of character and behavior that all parents would like to see in their children.

The number of karate training centers around the world is growing as more and more parents come to understand its remarkable benefits—how it can improve the character, personality and behavior of their children.

I believe that the physical, intellectual and philosophical discipline offered by karate training could go a long way toward reducing, if not eliminating altogether, many of the evils that continue to afflict mankind.

See by book, Samurai Principles & Practices that will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities and Choosing Careers; The Japanese Samurai Code, and Samurai Strategies.

Copyright [C] 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
_____________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Asia since the late 1940s as a member of an intelligency agency, student, trade journalist, editor, and the author of more than 50 seminal cultural-insight books on Japan, Korea and China. For a full list of his titles (each one with a link to Amazon.com's buy page) to go his personal website: www.phoenixbookspublishers.com.

Letter from Martial Arts Master in Africa

Dear Mr Boyé Lafayette de Mente:

After reading through your News & Reviews I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your efforts to share your vast life's experiences with all who might be attuned. Your books are most appealing, particularly the three on Kata; Samurai Principles & Practices; and Japanese Samurai Code.

My name is Bob Davies, I am 60 and based in Durban, South Africa. have been studying and teaching the Japanese and Chinese martial arts for 40 odd years and have, over the last 10, become more deeply involved in the classical sword and spear system of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu. Recent training visits to Japan opened a whole new appreciation of the positive contribution that aspects of the Japanese cultural mindset could have towards a turnabout in declining social inter-relationships, and personal development.

This latter-day exposure has led me into a deeper awareness of the spiritual aspects of our nature, which achieved a greater sense of direction after walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage over the end of last year. This has recently materialised in the realisation that a period of dedicated spiritual study would be appropriate to achieve a deeper understanding of my potential and desire to be of positive service to others; I will be starting a 1000 day retreat from the beginning of next year. The exact form and substance still has to unfold.

Not sure why I am sharing this with you, except that I would have liked to share some real time chatting with you to hear more about your life.

Well Done Sir - Stay in strength and health,

Bob
"Striving to be proud of everything I do today".

Author Promotes Samurai Way to "Brainwash" Preteens & Teens

PARADISE VALLEY, AZ (BBN)--I believe that samurai-type training should be introduced into educational systems worldwide, and have published a "samurai training manual" to help achieve that goal.

I have identified the principles and practices that made up the educational and training process of samurai youths, and published them in a book entitled: Samurai Principles & Practices That Will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities & Choosing Careers.

The book covers all of the basics of the samurai training—setting goals, discipline, diligence, perseverance, respect for others and one’s self, personal appearance, keeping things in order, living frugally, using intuitive and emotional intelligence, and tapping into cosmic power.

Japan’s famous samurai warriors ruled the country from 1192 until 1868. During the latter centuries of their reign their training went beyond martial arts to include such cultural pursuits as poetry, painting, calligraphy, history, philosophy and social behavior, making them one of the most remarkable groups of people the world has ever seen.

Schooling in the skills and knowledge necessary to produce a samurai began in early childhood, and was a lifelong effort. Training in karate, kendo and meditation were the paths to learning the skills, morality and motivation that made the samurai so successful, and I believe the modernized version of this type of training should be incorporated into the educational system of Western countries.

The present-day systems of parenting and educating in the U.S. and elsewhere obviously fail to provide the physical, intellectual and emotional framework that youths need to even approach their full potential—and that now includes Japan. The introduction of American culture into Japan following the end of World War II in 1945 resulted in the virtual demise of samurai-type training of the young within a single generation.

The negative effects of this cultural shift were painfully conspicuous by the 1980s, prompting a growing number of Japanese to individually take up training in kendo or karate and the practice of meditation to reintroduce a sense of order and spiritual power into their lives.

[It was the heritage of the spirit of the samurai that made it possible for tiny resource-poor Japan to overcome the destruction of World War II and become the world’s second largest economy in less than 30 years.]

Obviously, parents and teachers must take the lead in creating the environment necessary to build positive samurai-like qualities into the mindset and behavior of students, but I also hope my book will appeal directly to the millions of students who are into Japanese-made manga (comics), video games, super secret agent ninjas, and samurai films.

Samurai Principles & Practices That Will Help Preteens and Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities and Choosing Careers [based on the present-day sports version of the martial arts of the samurai] is available in both digital and paperback versions from Amazon.com and other online booksellers, Borders Bookstores, Barnes & Noble, and other leading retail outlets.

It is distributed to the trade by Ingram Book Company and Baker & Taylor. A detailed description of the book is also available on my website, www.phoenixbookspublishers.com, along with my other titles on the way of the samurai.

How the Martial Arts of Japan's Samurai & Ninja are Spreading Around the World

Samurai & Ninja Skills Have Become
One of Japan's Top Exports -- How it Happened!

Boye Lafayette De Mente

PARADISE VALLEY, AZ (BBN)--The martial arts that made Japan’s samurai warriors and ninja among the world’s most formidable and feared fighters are now spreading around the world in a cultural invasion that is having a profound influence on the lives of a growing number of people—especially youngsters and teenagers.

After the nearly 800-year reign of Japan’s samurai class ended in the early 1870s a number of martial arts masters began the process of changing kendo (the way of the sword), judo and karate into modern-day sports designed to instill the most desirable attributes into their practitioners, from a sense of fair-play and courage to rigorous discipline in the pursuit of goals.

But these martial arts remained virtually unknown in the U.S. until 1927 when Kentsu Yabu, an Okinawan karate master, staged a public demonstration of karate at the Nuuana YMCA in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Interestingly, among the Caucasian spectators who witnessed the demonstration were members of the First Methodist Church of Hawaii who became students of the art and soon began to hold public demonstrations of their own. Over the next several years other Okinawa karate masters were invited to teach in Hawaii.

Pioneer American martial arts masters like Thomas Young and Ed Parker got their training in clubs operating in Hawaii in the 1930s and 40s, and both were to play leading roles in helping to spread the practice of martial arts to the mainland from the 1950s on.

But the first martial arts dojoh on the mainland of the U.S. was opened in Phoenix, Arizona in 1946 by ex-sailor Robert Trias, who had been stationed in Japan and had studied karate under a Japanese master. Trias established the United States Karate Association in 1948. Other servicemen who had also studied martial arts in Japan began opening training studios on the mainland.

By 1951 the U.S. military had picked up on the idea of making Japanese style martial arts a part of its regular training programs, a move that was backed by the famous World War II Air Force general Curtis LeMay, himself a student of Japan-trained master Emilio Bruno who was in charge of martial arts training for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), headed by General LeMay.

Bruno taught over a dozen karate instructors for the SAC, and they later toured military installations throughout the U.S., giving demonstrations.

In 1952 Japan’s great martial arts master Mas Oyama was invited to give a series of karate demonstrations to the general public across the U.S. His ability to break boards and bricks with his hands, covered by The New York Times and national media, created a sensation and was instrumental in making karate a household word.
From 1955 on this fanfare resulted in large numbers of martial arts masters being trained in Tokyo by the Japan Karate Association specifically to open dojoh in the United States.

It was also in 1955 that former sailor Robert Trias conducted the first known karate tournament in America: The First Arizona Karate Championships. Held at the Butler Boys Club in Phoenix, participants were chiefly members of the Arizona Highway Patrol who were Trias' students.

By 1951 pioneer martial arts enthusiast Ed Parker had moved from Hawaii to California where his growing student list included such Hollywood names as Darren McGavin, author Joe Hyams, television executive Tom Tannenbaum, producer Blake Edwards, and the late film stars Nick Adams, Frank Lovejoy, Audie Murphy and—believe it or not—Elvis Presley.

Thereafter, Tannenbaum and Edwards, among others, were instrumental in bringing a long line of films featuring karate scenes to the screen. Dozens of books and a steady flow of magazine articles continued to promote Japanese style martial arts training.

By the 1980s movie and television fare, especially films featuring such real-life martial arts champions as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan, had become a staple of the entertainment diet and a factor in martial arts as a way of life.

Dojoh masters had also begun appealing to women and children of all ages, touting the security factor for women and the character-building benefits for children.

But despite the fact that training in martial arts as a sport and a character builder is now an important industry around the world it has only scratched the surface of its full potential.

The result of introducing boys and girls as young as five or six years of age to the discipline and philosophy that is part of modern-day martial arts is absolutely remarkable. It provides them with the structure, the discipline, and the emotional, intellectual and spiritual foundation they need to become well-rounded adults and function effectively in society.

My own efforts to promote the benefits of martial arts include a newly published book entitled Samurai Principles & Practices that will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities & Choosing Careers.
The book is available from Amazon.com, other online booksellers, and through bookstore chains. Booksellers may order the book from the Ingram Book Company.

I wrote the book primarily for dojoh masters to use in their efforts to encourage more parents to enroll their children in karate training courses. [For a list of my other books on the way of the samurai, see my personal website: www.phoenixbookspublishers.com.]

Author Says "Code Words” Are Keys to Understanding Other Cultures

Cultural Ignorance, Misunderstandings &
Intolerance Critical Threat to Humanity

Boye Lafayette De Mente

PARADISE VALLEY, AZ (BNS)--It has become painfully obvious that defining people by their race while virtually ignoring their ethnicity is both dumb and dangerous, and the importance of understanding cultures is a new mantra for business leaders as well as diplomats and politicians.

For most people, however, understanding the cultures of others is a process that requires long periods of living in and personally experiencing the cultures, often preceded or combined with extensive studies of research by anthropologists and sociologists.

But there is an easier and faster way of getting into and understanding the mindset of people--a way that I use in my “cultural insight” books on Japan, Korea, China and Mexico.

While working in Asia as a trade journalist in the 1950s and 60s I learned that the attitudes and behavior of the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans were summed up in a relatively small number of key words in their languages—words that explained why they thought and behaved the way they did.

I first became aware of the role that these key words played in the mindset and behavior of the Japanese in my attempts to explain their way of thinking and doing things to American importers who began flocking to Japan in the early 1950s.

I made use of this approach in my first book, Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, published in 1959, introducing such terms as wa/wah (harmony), nemawashi/nay-mah-wah-she (behind the scenes consensus-building), tatemae/tah-tay-my (a facade or front) and honne/hone-nay (real intentions, real meaning) to the international business community.

The more I got into the Japanese, Korean and Chinese way of thinking and doing things the more obvious it became that they were culturally programmed and controlled by key words in their languages, and that these words provided a short-cut to understanding them.

I then went on to write a series of “cultural and business code word” books on China, Korea and Japan, and eventually added Mexico as well.

People in all societies, especially older societies, are in fact primarily programmed by their languages--and learning the meaning and everyday use of key words in their languages is far more effective than any psychological testing.
My books that are based on this “cultural code word” concept include Japan’s Cultural Code Words, China’s Cultural Code Words, Korea’s Business and Cultural Code Words, and Mexican Cultural Code Words.

All of these titles, except for the Korean book, are also available in paperback editions under different titles, including The Japanese Have a Word for It, There’s a Word for It in Mexico, and The Chinese Have a Word for It.

[As a result of my trade reporting experience in early post-World War II Japan I was the first to introduce the now popular Japanese words kaizen (kie-zen), meaning continuous improvement, and kanban (kahn-bahn), just in time parts delivery, to the international business community.]

My latest book using the "cultural code word" approach is Elements of Japanese Design--Guidelines for Understanding & Using Japan’s Classic Sabi-Wabi-Shibui Concepts. In it I identify and explains the concepts and principles that are the foundation of the design of Japan’s arts, crafts and modern-day products, and are having a profound influence on designers around the world.

These ancient Japanese concepts and principles, all expressed in key words, are rapidly becoming the universal standard for well-designed products.

[A list of my books, with descriptions of each title, is available on my personal website, www.phoenixbookspublishers.com.]

Book Encouraging Samurai-Type Training Lauded by Karate Master

Martial Arts Master Uses

Author's Book to Attract Students

Boye Lafayette De Mente

PARADISE VALLEY, AZ (BNS)--Fred DePalma, internationally known Kenpo karate martial arts master and founder of the Arizona-based DePalma’s Team USA Martial Arts training centers, is now recommending—and selling—one of my new books, Samurai Principles & Practices that Will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities and Choosing Careers.

DePalma’s Team USA Martial Arts, headquartered in Mesa, Arizona with 12 training centers in the Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area and around the state, has been offering instruction and training in Kenpo karate since 1986.

A 7th Degree Kenpo master who was trained by Grand Master Greg Silva, DePalma is a former national champion and the winner of over 700 awards and trophies. He has been teaching martial arts since 1981.

“Students and enthusiasts of Kenpo karate have many reasons for their interest in this and other martial art styles,” DePalma says. “Some are drawn to the physical fitness and weight-loss aspects of training. Others seek to add discipline and self-control to their lives. Still others are concerned about safety and self-defense,” he adds.

DePalma said he recommends “samurai principles and practices” because it spells out in detail the physical, mental and spiritual instruction that Japan’s famous samurai families used to train their children, making them one of the most remarkable groups of people the world has ever seen.

“Of course, both the methods and purpose of the samurai-type training have been modernized,” DePalma says. “They are now designed to instill such ideal character traits as discipline, respect for others, self-respect, self-confidence, courage, honesty and perseverance in pursuing goals,” he added.

“The effect of this kind of organized and monitored karate training on children and teens is absolutely remarkable. It transforms their character,” DePalma adds.

The “samurai principles & practices” book, available from all of the DePalma training centers as well as regular book outlets, is primarily aimed at parents to encourage them to enroll their young children and teens in martial arts classes.

For information about the location of DePalma training centers in Arizona, call (480) 892-3949 or see www.depalmaskarate.com. For information about the author's book, go to: www.phoenixbookspublishers.com.