About us

About us

Kenbu, literally meaning ‘Sword Dance’ an another name ‘Ginkenshibu’, is one of the Japanese traditional arts that uses the Japanese sword (Katana) and fan (Sensu) to portray the lifestyle of the Samurai through performing to poetry written by samurais while wearing Kimono and Hakama that Samurai wore in Ancient Japan. The original forms(kata) using Japanese swords in “Kenbu” was created by the Samurai in the warring (Sengoku) period. However, it was only until the Bakumatsu period (Final years of the Edo era) that Kenbu was performed by the Ishin-Shishi, a group of Japanese political activists who possessed the spirit of the Samurai. The Ishin-Shishi combined the various sword forms that the Samurai created and made it into “Kenbu”, a performance involving the use of Japanese swords and fans while reciting poems written by themselves or samurais in the past. It is said that the Ishin-Shishi performed “Kenbu” for the purpose of boosting morale, meditation or to express their will. A single act in Kenbu usually lasts for as short as only two and a half minutes, but it carries with it the spirit and perspective of the Samurai that they have built up over the span of 700 years when they held political power in ancient Japan. It can be said that most of the aspects of the feudal way of thinking in the Samurai Culture, where social hierarchy is strictly observed and one’s rights and freedom is not recognized, strongly forms the roots of the way modern Japanese live their lives. In particular, the appropriate behavior of the Samurai such as having a strong conviction, taking responsibility for one’s words and actions, and being an upright person are highly valued morals even in modern day Japan.

We, who inherit the Samurai culture (Bushido), wish to pass it on to modern society as a traditional art form in a more easily understood manner, thus naming it “Samurai Kenbu”. By making a place where people outside of our industry can easily come into contact with Kenbu, we hope to spread traditional Japanese culture to more people as an old yet new discovery.

About us

Company Name Gimbu Co., Ltd.
Office Kyoto (Headquarters) Samurai Kenbu Theatre

Tokyo Dojo TOKYO Samurai Kenbu
Website Corporate site
www.samurai-kenbu.jp

Reservations
www.samurai-kenbu.jp
Business Objective Raising awareness of Kenbu (traditional Japanese dance) and Samurai culture
What we do Kenbu experience workshops, Kenbu performances and seminars, liasing with Kenbu schools
Capital 7,000,000 yen
Established November 2014 (Registered: 23rd October 2014)
Address 35-7 Sanchome (Higashi-iru, Sanjo-hanamikoji) , Higashiyama-ku
BF GOZAN Bldg., Kyoto 605-0005, Kyoto Prefecture
Phone number 075-751-2033
Person-in-charge Ooga Magari, Sega style Ginbu Company, Kenshi-bu Instructor Person-in-charge
Trademarks 「Samurai Kembu」「Samurai Kenbu」「サムライ剣舞」

History

November 2009
Started “Samurai Kenbu Experience” in Otsu city as Seigaryu Kenbu school
November 2010
Became independent as SEIGA Samurai Kenbu
November 2013
Moved headquarters to Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto (Samurai Kenbu Theatre)
November 2014
Established Samurai Kenbu Co., Ltd.
August 2017
Opened branch in Tokyo 「TOKYO Samurai Kenbu」
November 2019
It changed the company's name to Gimbu Co., Ltd.