A high-level sports team based in Kakegawa Castle Town
Japan’s holy trinity of famous warlords are Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. These are men who strived to unify the country amid a period of civil unrest.To them, Kakegawa Castle (in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture) served as a stronghold toward the realization of unification. It was known as the most famous castle in the Tokai region and for having the country’s first full-scale, wooden castle tower. In 1994, Kakegawa Castle was rebuilt by the city and faithfully restored to its former glory.
Thirty years on, it is now a symbol of Kakegawa City, and many tourists from around the world come to admire its beautiful castle keep.
Kakegawa City is also home to a high-level sports team, the NEC Platforms Red Falcons.The team competes in the JD.LEAGUE, with the top female softball players of Japan, who have won the gold medal at two consecutive Olympic Games and maintain a high ranking internationally.Like Kakegawa Castle, this league also attracts top talent from all over the world, and the team is playing full out, aiming to be the number-one softball team in Japan.
As a beloved local team, the NEC Platforms Red Falcons attract many fans to Kakegawa City to watch official JD.LEAGUE games. Recently, however, the players are trying their hands at something new…They’ve become reporters for Media Journal-ONE! Their mission is to make sure that the fans who visit for their games can enjoy all Kakegawa City has to offer!
Softball players Nayu Kiyohara and Hinami Hara reporting on KIMIKURA
Since Kakegawa is famous for tea production, Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medalist catcher Nayu Kiyohara and hard-hitting third batter Hinami Hara went to sample Kakegawa tea at the stylish cafe matcha KIMIKURA Kakegawa Station Flagship Store.Ace southpaw Arina Oba and captain Saya Matsumoto went to discover Kakegawa Kachoen, a theme park that is home to 600 birds of 100 different species.Read on to learn about the player’s favorite spots in Kakegawa that the locals also love.
Our athlete correspondents for this edition are Arina Oba (right) and Saya Matsumoto (left).
For this article, our correspondents visited a popular spot that is related to the symbol of Kakegawa City: Kakegawa Castle. See what they experienced!
Young softball players travel back in time to medieval Japan
Takeuchi: Hello, I’m Minori Takeuchi, and I play infielder for the NEC Platforms Red Falcons.I want to express my gratitude to all our fans who support us so enthusiastically.You’re the ones who give us the power to win, and so we, the members of the NEC Platforms Red Falcons, want to thank you by making your visits for the round games in Kakegawa even more fun. That’s why we’re reporting on our favorite spots in our hometown, in the hopes that you’ll have the chance to visit them and that they’ll make you fall in love with Kakegawa.
Kanai: Hello, everyone.I’m Amane Kanai, and I also play for the NEC Platforms Red Falcons.After the report on the matcha KIMIKURA Kakegawa Station Flagship Store by Nayu Kiyohara and Hinami Hara, and the report on Kakegawa Kachoen by pitcher Arina Oba and captain Saya Matsumoto, we will bring you a fun report on one of the best spots in Kakegawa!
Our athlete correspondents for this edition are Minori Takeuchi (right) and Amane Kanai (left).
Takeuchi: The symbol of Kakegawa City is Kakegawa Castle, which was once the Tokai region’s famous castle.It was the first ever castle in Japan with a fully wooden-structured keep, and it has been reconstructed to restore it to its past glory. Every spring, many visitors come to marvel at the 130 cherry trees blooming nearby.
Kanai: When you step onto the castle grounds, it feels like traveling back in time to medieval Japan. The area around the castle also has many restaurants and cafes serving up tasty lunch dishes.It’s a lovely spot for sightseeing where you can stroll around the castle grounds and discover the local dishes of Kakegawa.
Takeuchi: My teammates will tell you more about the castle and local foods later. For now, let us take you to a special place where you can immerse yourself in the medieval warrior experience.
An impressive selection of colorful armor!
Kanai: Just in front of the Midoribashi Bridge spanning the castle moat, there’s a white building that looks like a warehouse.It’s actually a shop called Enshu Kakegawa Yoroiya. That’s where we’ll be visiting today!Just looking at the exterior, I felt like we’ve traveled back to medieval times.Let’s head inside!
The interior is filled with a variety of goods.
The shop has many suits of armor on display.
Takeuchi: Wow! As soon as I walked in, a splendid array of colorful suits of armor caught my eye.I always think of armor as black, but some of these suits were flaming red or even gold. The helmet designs were all so cool too.
Kanai: Shop owner Kazuyoshi Shigeta says, “The colors and helmet designs of each suit of armor reflect the philosophies of the warlords who wore them.”Mr. Shigeta’s clothes reminded me so much of a ninja. It was like we’d traveled back in time to the Warring States period (laughs)!
Mr. Shigeta explaining about armor
Takeuchi: While we marveled over the realistic suits of armor, Mr. Shigeta said, “These have all been faithfully reproduced by artisans based on historical documents.”It’s not every day that we get to see authentic suits of armor like these. If you look closely, you can see how there are layers of numerous plates sewn together with cord to form the body.Mr. Shigeta explained, “These plates are a strip-like component of armor, and they’re called kozane.Kozane can be made of steel, but leather is more common.Some are even made of Japanese paper.”
Kanai: The way that artisans sew the kozane together takes a great deal of skill.The gloves that we use in softball are also made of leather, and they’re also made up of many different parts that are sewn together.Thinking about the similarities with our gloves made me feel connected to the armor.Mr. Shigeta says that making many holes for the thread contributes to reducing the weight. That made me think about the stamina that these medieval warlords must have had if they could walk mile after mile in these suits of armor and even do battle with swords!
The swords are impressive too
Takeuchi: The swords displayed by the suits of armor are also very impressive.Mr. Shigeta said that these were practice swords, which are usually used in sword-based martial arts like iaido. They aren’t sharp enough to cut anything, even if you sharpen them, but even just the sight of them is imposing.Mr. Shigeta told us, “Swords are sacred, and you should show respect before taking one in your hands.” We bowed once before carefully lifting a sword with both hands. Wow, it was heavy! Each sword weighs more than a kilogram, but the length of the blade definitely makes it feel heavier.They’re also definitely longer and heavier than our softball bats.I held a sword by the grip and struck a pose like a medieval warlord. I can imagine how hard it must be to hit an enemy with something so big and heavy.
Instead of her usual bat, Takeuchi takes up a sword to imitate a warlord
Kanai: Just like the suits of armor, a great deal of thought went into the design of the swords of medieval warlords.A braided cord is wrapped around the hilt, just like the grip tapes on our bats, so it fits perfectly into your hands.This both supports the structure and enhances the grip. It also looks stylish and cool.We use grip tape to make the bats fit nicely in our hands, and some of us choose tapes in our favorite colors or designs. That’s an interesting commonality between swords and softball bats.
Takeuchi: The metal part that fixes the blade and the grip is called the menuki, and it is beautiful too, gold-plated with intricate designs.Mr. Shigeta explained that the menuki were designed to convey a meaning: an aspiration of the sword’s owner or a message to their family. That made me look more closely at these small parts, and it dawned on me that people viewed their swords as extensions of their selves.That idea made me want to treat my bat with the same kind of respect so that it will become a part of me.
Hand-crafted down to the smallest details
Kanai: “This small metal piece is used to fix the grip and the tang,” says Mr. Shigeta.“Originally, it served to increase the grip and make it better fit the holder’s hands, but over time, it became more decorative, and designs evolved to include auspicious motifs, animals and plants.”He also says that the menuki is perfectly aligned with the center line of the blade, which is called the menuki-dori.I had heard this word before! In modern Japanese, menuki-dori means the main road or boulevard in an urban area, but I never would have thought that the expression originated from the gorgeous decorative part of a Japanese sword. It’s amazing to think that we use the vocabulary of traditional swords in normal speech today.
Trying on the armor
Takeuchi: Now, we get to try on the armor. How exciting!Enshu Kakegawa Yoroiya offers more than 3,000 items, including modern suits of armor and tools, practice swords, blunt-edged swords, and period props, as well as Japanese souvenirs and themed merchandise related to ninja, the Warring States period, the last days of the Shogunate, and other periods of Japanese history.They also offer photoshoots where you can take pictures in front of Kakegawa Castle in suits of armor, period costumes, or even ninja attire.
Finally being fitted for armor
Kanai: “We rent out our goods to TV film crews and for weddings and a variety of public events.Actually, you may have seen our armor in the NHK drama Dosuru Ieyasu?,” says Mr. Shigeta, pulling out a golden suit of armor called kindami gusoku. “The actor Jun Matsumoto wore our replica of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s armor in that show.”This replica of the famous shogun’s armor, which Ieyasu was believed to have worn as a teenager in the run-up to the historic Battle of Okehazama, costs a staggering 2.7 million yen! I think Minori should wear this one, because she’s our team’s slugger (laughs).
We were both shocked to learn the cost
Takeuchi: I was so intimidated by the price and by all the dazzling gold (laughs).But, with help from Mr. Shigeta, somehow I mustered the courage to put it on.Actually wearing the armor was totally different from what I’d expected.Most of your body is protected by the hard surfaces, but the joints are very flexible and practical.Mr. Shigeta says, “The kindami gusoku may look lavish, but we believe that wasn’t the case at all. It was probably made from ordinary materials, just like the armor for normal soldiers.”That makes sense; the armor was designed for practicality because it was meant to be worn in real battles.
Kanai: In any case, the combination of a variety of convex, gently flexible parts meant that it fits perfectly.As Mr. Shigeta fitted the armor for me, he pointed out how it was designed for both comfort and functionality. “The rounded surfaces minimize the contact area, which makes it harder to penetrate the armor with a sword or a spear.”The chausses are similar to the shin guards that we, softball players, use to protect our legs from flying balls, but these feel lighter and they fit better.I wonder if we’d be allowed to use them in our games (laughs).
Just like the shin guards that softball players wear
Takeuchi: Your armor was very nice, Amane. I like the deep navy color.The gold-plated decoration on the back of the helmet is eye-catching too.It’s designed to look like the paper streamers that you see in Shinto shrines.“This suit of armor is modeled after one worn by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, the lord of Kakegawa Castle,” said Mr. Shigeta, smiling while fitting Kanai.“He later became the daimyo of the Tosa domain (which is known as Kochi prefecture today). I hope your softball career will be as successful as his rule.”By the way, this suit of armor owned by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo costs 1.1 million yen!
Wearing the armor made us feel like warriors
Getting the perfect shot in front of Kakegawa Castle
Kanai: We already felt like medieval warriors in these suits of armor, and then we borrowed practice swords for a photo shoot in front of Kakegawa Castle!We already felt like medieval warriors in these suits of armor, and then we borrowed practice swords for a photo shoot in front of Kakegawa Castle!
Making our way to the nearby Kakegawa Castle on foot
Takeuchi: Despite the weight, the armor is very comfortable, even for modern people. They didn’t bump or rub uncomfortably on our joints or bones as we walked.Wearing it drove home to me that most notable thing about the armor worn by warlords is its impeccable balance between practicality and aesthetics.
Kanai: Mr. Shigeta gave us some tips for a picture-perfect pose.He is a practicing member of the Suio School of Iaido based in Shizuoka City, so his instructions were authentic and also easy to follow.We also learned that in order to swing a sword, which is much heavier than a bat, you need a wider stance and a lower center of gravity than we use in the batting box.
A photo with Kakegawa Castle in the background
Takeuchi: In terms of commonalities with softball, I found it interesting that the face and head protector has a mask to guard your face.“Your face is protected with a mask called a menbo,” explained Mr. Shigeta. “They come in a variety designs, for example, the face of an old woman or of a demonic spirit. The designs were intended to destabilize your opponent psychologically.It also served to hide your face, concealing your emotional state.”In softball games, we look at our opponent’s faces to try to guess their strategies or what pitch they’ll throw next. Similarly, we also try to hide our own emotional state when we’re feeling vulnerable.It was interesting to learn that medieval battles also involved psychological tactics, just like our softball games.
Following the instructions to strike the best pose for each warlord
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Shigeta!
Kanai: Mr. and Mrs. Shigeta were so warm and hospitable, and they shared many interesting stories with us. We gave them autographed signboards to express our thanks, and then we took another photo all together.Mrs. Shigeta, who used to play softball in her school days, kindly offered to come watch our Kakegawa round games!Thank you for a wonderful day, Mr. and Mrs. Shigeta of Enshu Kakegawa Yoroiya!
Thank-you signboards with our autographs
Takeuchi: After everything Mr. Shigeta taught us, I realized that softball has a great deal in common with martial arts. That made me proud to be a softball player.I also felt lucky to get to put on a gorgeous suit of armor like Tokugawa Ieyasu wore, and it made me feel powerful.Also, as a Japanese person, I was inspired by the passion of the medieval warlords and samurai. It made me want to show my own passion out on the diamond and play in a way that would make a samurai proud.
Kanai: My experience at Enshu Kakegawa Yoroiya taught me about the mentality of medieval warlords. They were determined to achieve the goals they had set for themselves and summon their courage to go into battle.Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, the lord of Kakegawa Castle, once said, “You can never hope for fortune if you are not prepared to sacrifice your life to find it.” I will take these words to heart so I can find the courage to play my best.
We received a farewell gift as on our way out
That concludes our first report by NEC Platforms Red Falcons players Minori Takeuchi and Amane Kanai. When you visit Kakegawa for their JD.LEAGUE official games, we hope you’ll also check Enshu Kakegawa Yoroiya, one of the team’s favorite spots!
