Today, I went to the Canada Post to pick up a parcel that I could not recall who it was from. In the long cardboard box, I found a new Samurai blade … oh, yes, I ordered it a week ago. I opened it at the StarBacks at Bloor … the manager there came right at my face and said, “Not here sir!” I said(smiling), “… well it is not a real one … sorry to scare you …” One female worker said, ” Can I touch it?”
My ancestor Gosuke Takeya is one of the youngest last Samurai fought at the civil war in Japan in 1869, as one of the “Nihonmatsu Shonentai(Boy troop of Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima prefecture)” when he was only 14 years old. He was a member of the 16 child Samurai troop … many got killed at the war, but he survived and lived in Meiji, Taisho, and Showa era. He kept himself silent, but started telling stories when he reached 50 years of age. There is a Black and White feature film of “Nihonmatsu Shonentai” made by Shochiku Film in 1940 and I hope I can bring the film to Canada and create a multimedia exhibition in Toronto as an homage to him! I may not be a Samurai in traditional sense … I believe in LOVE and PEACE but in spirit I still may be a Samurai who puts an importance in respect and fairness. I am creating a street fight performance piece at the moment, where a Samurai and a Fencer fights over love of paints!! My Samurai blood is so excited about this!!