Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken - White Oak

Name: Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken - White Oak
Brand: Seido
SKU: ICHI,SHIRA
Price: 21100.0 JPY
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (17 reviews)

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From 4 workshops in 2019, the wooden weapon industry in Japan is now reduced to one workshop at full capacity and one workshop with reduced capacity. Stock shortage are more and more common, so please make sure to check the availability displayed above the add to cart button upon options selection. Feel free to read our blog article for more information on the situation.

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*「In Stock」means that at least one piece is in stock.
*「Next availability」is our estimation of the next availability to the best of our knowledge (and actualized very often). Significant delays may happen depending on production conditions

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Choosing your Bokken & Jo
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Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken- White Oak

Made in Japan (Kyushu)

Flat Spine | Flat butt | Small Kissaki | Wood Tsuba

White Oak available

This Bokken is made from a single piece of oak white from the southern islands of Kyushu (Japan). It is a particularly heavy model with a rounded kissaki and a wooden tsuba. It is intended for practitioners "Kashima Shin Ryu" but it is also perfectly suited to the practice of suburi. Although the tsuba is tight to the bokken, we deliver it with a tsubadome (rubber tsuba block). This model is virtually identical to the Kurama Ryu bokken, except for the Kissaki design (Kurama Ryu model is made with "daikissaki").

This is the bokken used in some forms of Kashima Shin Ryu Aikido training, including by students of Christian Tissier Shihan.

This very specific bokken should suit not only practitioners of the Kashima Shin Ryu school but also Aikido practitioners in schools who have integrated some of its kenjustu practice.

Choice of wood species: white oak.
Available finish: Standard Finish or Seido Special Finish.
Manufacturing workshop: Aramaki

(Due to quality issues, we do not offer the Fukuroshinai for this school at the moment. We do not know if and when this product will be available).

Finish options:

In 2021, with concerns for the workers, all workshops greatly reduced the number of urethane-varnished weapons and replaced the finish with a "Candle Wax". Seido is now transitioning to a new finish offer for the majority of its weapons.

Standard Finish: At Seido, we complete the workshop finish with Camelia oil treatment by default. This is the standard Seido finish.
We do not apply any additional polishing for this finish, so some weapons might have a slightly rough surface.
For maintenance, we recommend that you oil your weapons about once a month with a vegetal-based oil.

Seido Special Finish: For this special Finish, we first apply a Camelia oil polish (oiling and sanding the weapons with oiled sandpaper), then we finish the weapon with high-quality beeswax. This finish makes the wood as smooth as it can be and guarantees excellent protection for several months.
For maintenance, we recommend at least to oil your weapons every month or so. You can also apply wax a few hours after oiling your weapons (if some oil remains on the wood, remove it with a piece of cloth or tissue).

**Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken Specifications**
Wood	Shirakashi (White Oak)
Weight	900 ~ 1000 g
Full length	105 cm
Blade length	78 cm
Tsuka length	27 cm
Tsuka diameter	39 x 30 mm
Mine	Hiramine (flat spine)
Tsuka shape	Taira (flat butt)
Kissaki	Shokissaki (Small Kissaki)
Sori	Standard curvature
Special	With Wooden Tsuba

*Due to the hand-made manufacturing, color, and weight may vary slightly from one weapon to another.

About Kashima Shin Ryu School:

An ancient school dating from the 16th century, Kashima Shin Ryu Kenjutsu is an example of a samurai campaign technique that has remained confidential for nearly three centuries. It is the practice and research of the master Kunii Zen'ya during the 20th century that allowed a slightly wider dissemination. Zen'ya had among others the inspiration to do away with the system of family lineage by appointing Master Humitake Seki as Shihanke (technical director), separating technique and management between the "Shihanke" and "Soke". This school teaches not only kenjutsu, jujutsu, but also the spear (sojutsu), the Battojutsu and some other traditional weapons. One of the teachers who popularized this school in France was Master Inaba, through among others, Christian Tissier (Aikido). It would seem, however, that Master Inaba separated from the official branch of the school. Kashima Shin Ryu Kenjutsu practice is largely focused on the development of power by forging the body (tanren) thanks in part to work using a heavy bokken reinforced by a thick wooden guard capable of absorbing powerful strikes.

Information on How to Choose Your Bokken & Jo - Shape & Wood

Because of the current situation in the Japanese wooden weapon industry, we do not guarantee production times, from which workshop weapons come, visual aspect and color matching within weapon sets. We're doing our best, but we are limited by what is humanly possible. Please read this article and our blog carefully.

Until the end of 2019, the wooden weapons proposed by Seido were manufactured by one of the last four traditional workshops in the south of Japan, in the region of Miyakonojo (Kyushu), Horinouchi, Nidome, Matsuzaki and Aramaki. Seido was the only company in the world (including Japan) working with these 4 workshops simultaneously.
Unfortunately, at the end of 2019, the Horinouchi workshop definetely closed. The 2020 covid crisis put a very heavy burden on the remaining workshops, and since early 2021, almost all made in Japan weapons are manufactured by the Aramaki workshop.
We still have a few pieces that come, time to time, from the Nidome and Matsuzaki workshop, but not enough to allow us to give the choice to our customers.

Additionally, as published in a lengthy blog article at the end of 2020, not only the production capacity dropped by more than 50%, but wood quality also significantly lowered.
The current situation is very likely announcing the end of made in Japan wooden weapons but Seido has always been the number one wooden weapons expert in the world and still aim to be. Although we don't do magic, we have an extensive knowledge of woodworking and pride ourselves on the quality of our own Seido finish.
For this reason, we have decided to stop offering varnish vs oil polish finish and switch to "Standard finish" vs "Seido Finish", which we detail in this article.

As for which model and wood you should select, the first thing to determine is your "type of practice". Will you seldom use your weapons? Do you practice weapons at each class? What type of Aikido do you practice?
Beginners and casual weapons practitioners will opt for a light and reliable material such as red oak, and a "classic" shape Bokken. If your practice involves important clashes between weapons, then you will turn instead to the more durable white oak. If you are looking for an original wood, then Isu no Ki is for you.
Sunuke, Camelia, and Ebony woods are recommended for experienced practitioners wishing to acquire deluxe weapons, or for gifts.

Contents

Workshop Finish & Seido Finish

For all weapons: all weapons are selected for their structural integrity. We cannot guarantee that they will not have any small knot, but any weapon deemed dangerous by our staff (which includes a quality control by an actual Budoka) are taken apart and destroyed.

Standard Finish (Oiled Polished): the weapon as it is delivered to us from the workshop, with an extra oiling before shipping. Those weapons may have surface imperfections. No splinters, no cracks, no big knot, but not a perfect surface either.

Seido Finish (Oil Polish): the weapon is sanded and oiled several times. Small surface imperfections are fixed to make the weapon at smooth as possible. We focus our finish where the practitioners hands go, there may be tiny imperfections on Bokken/Shoto blades. Then we wax the weapon with high quality made in Japan beeswax.

If you do not need a perfect finish or want to see what comes out of the workshop, then we recommend the standard finish. If you are looking for 'perfect' weapons, the highest grade possible for made in Japan weapons, then we strongly recommend the Seido Finish.

The Weight of the Weapon - It depends on the shape and type of wood

Standard: Weapons

The classic Bokken or 24 mm Jo (8 BU) are the most widely used, both in Aikido, Kendo, and Iaido. The weapons have an average but reasonable weight, and are primarily intended for beginners and casual practitioners.

Light Weapons

Small weapons including "Jiki Shinkage Ryu" bokken, bokken made in buna, and jo made in Isu no Ki are specifically designed for working on accuracy and speed. This type of weapons is used in aikido schools who follow the teachings of Hirokazu Kobayashi Sensei, Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei, or in schools close to the Yagyu style of kenjutsu. These weapons are also often recommended to women, children, as well as to practitioners who suffer from shoulder pain.

Heavy Weapons

Heavy weapons including Iwama Ryu and Keishi Ryu Bokken, 27 and 30 mm Jo, or weapons made of sunuke and ebony are used for "tanren" (reinforcement) work. These bokken may also be used to practice suburi. They allow work to develop power and enhance grip. It is not recommended to start with this type of weapon given the physical constraints that they imposed.

More Information on Available Woods

Click on the "open" buttons to compare different woods.

Ichii Kashi (Standard Red Oak)

Ichii Kashi is a term used to refer to a red wood with characteristics that are so close to red oak that they are often confused, even in Japan. The Ichii Kashi remains an excellent wood since it is the choice for the "standard" Bokken used by the Japanese army (also manufactured by our craftsman). A little lighter than the Hon Akagashi, and almost as solid, this wood makes this Bokken / Jo perfect for beginners or for the Dojo. All in all, given wood resistance, availability, sustainability, and quality, red oak is our main recommendation.

Hon Akagashi (Deluxe Red Oak)

Akagashi, the Japanese Red Oak (Quercus acutissima) is a tree that grows in southern Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku...). It requires moist soil and plenty of sunshine, since in addition to the tree species, the environment is a key factor in determining the quality of the wood. Unlike European oak, Japan oak floats in water, it is moderately hard and therefore, more resilient to shocks, making it an ideal wood for manufacturing Bokken. The red oak is also a bit lighter than the white. "Hon Akagashi" is called true red oak, as opposed to the standard akagashi (Ichii Kashi). Its color is darker than the Ichigashi (standard) and it is slightly stronger. It is now a very rare wood, and we only offer one single weapon made of Hon Akagashi at this time, the Aramaki Kotobuki Bokken.

Shirakashi (White Oak)

Shirakashi, the white Oak of Japan (Quercus acutissima), is a tree that grows in southern Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku). It requires moist soil and plenty of sunshine, since in addition to the tree species, the environment is a key factor in determining the quality of the wood. Unlike European oaks, Japan oak floats in water, it is moderately hard, and therefore, more resilient to shocks, making it an ideal wood for manufacturing Bokken. White oak is slightly heavier than red oak, slightly denser and therefore more resistant, it is the wood essence of choice for manufacturing excellence Bokken made for contacts. White oak used for the manufacture of our Bokken is selected within the limits of timber availability, but the highest quality white oak is getting rare.

Isu No Ki (Distilium racemocum)

"Isu no ki" literally means "wood chair" and it takes its name from the fact that it has long been used in the manufacture of quality furniture. This wood is also traditionally used in the manufacture of talismans since legend ascribes it the power to bind people and things (musubi). It is a harder wood, and therefore slightly less resilient than oak, but more beautiful (near sunuke), softer, and therefore more pleasant to touch. The isu no ki is from the same tree as the sunuke but younger, or taken from other parts than the trunk. Isu no Ki color can vary significantly depending on the tree age from light pink to brown (Bokken, Jo & Tanto can present different colors, even when ordered as a set). Isu no Ki wood may present imperfections and is not suitable for contact practice.

Isu-Shin (Distilium racemocum)

Isu-Shin is a wood very similar to Sunuke, harvested from younger parts of the same tree (though not as young as those used for Isu no Ki), close to the heart of Distilium racemocum. Weapons made from Isu-Shin are generally slightly lighter than those made from Sunuke. The wood's shade can vary from one weapon to another and often includes darker areas, either in lines or a marble-like pattern. Like Sunuke, Isu-Shin does not absorb shocks particularly well, so we do not recommend it for full-contact practice. However, it is excellent for developing Tenouchi and Tanren techniques. Because Isu-Shin shares the same origins as Sunuke, it is subject to logging quotas and has become very rare.
Weapons made from this wood are expected to become increasingly difficult to find in the near future.

Sunuke (heart of Distilium racemocum)

The Sunuke (Hamamelidaceae) comes from 250 and 400 years old "Isu no ki" trees. Logging quotas established by the government of the archipelago on this tree make it a rare and precious wood. With its dark brown color, Sunuke is a very dense and heavy wood, it sustains shocks relatively poorly. The "cheap" Sunuke Bokken are usually dyed. Our weapons are all guaranteed 100% natural Sunuke. The Sunuke weapons are particularly heavy and are not suitable for full contact practice. They are excellent however for practice Suburi or to practice Kata for the development of Tenouchi and Tanren work. Note that Sunuke made weapons weight can significantly vary depending on available material.
Sunuke has become a very rare wood and it is expected to become unavailable for weapon products relatively soon.

Tsubaki (Camelia Japonica)

The Tsubaki (Camelia Japonica) is a tree that is found throughout the southern part of Japan and it can reach over 500 years of age. This tree is used since immemorial times in Japanese crafts to make various objects of everyday life such as dishes and furnitures. Its uniform color makes it an ideal wood for making decorative Bokken, though they are also ideal for practice. In recent years, the camellia has been used to replace the legendary Biwa wooden Bokken. Indeed, the Biwa is extremely rare and expensive (regular price for a Bokken in real Biwa is approximately 100,000 JPY, the Bokken sold at cheap rate under the "Biwa" label are in reality made of Tsubaki). Camellia is very close to the Biwa, both by its appearance and by its characteristics, both impact resistant, lightweight, and very pleasant to the touch. Unlike Sunuke, Tsubaki is more flexible, resilient, and therefore stronger. However, it is lighter, making it an excellent practice Bokken for flexibility and precision, especially for women. Certainly less strong than white oak, we do not recommend it for full contact practice, but it will sustain shocks relatively well.

Ipe (Tabebuia serratifolia)

Ipe is similar to Sunuke in terms of weight, and similar to Shima Kokutan in terms of resistance yet, a little heavier. Ipe (Tabebuia serratifolia) is one of the many woods that is called "ironwood" because of its extreme weight and hardness. This means it is not meant for contact practice, but rather for Suburi practice, light contact, and for display. Not that is breaks easily but when it does, it splinters in a way that may be dangerous. It would also surely break Bokken made of other woods easily, hence dangerous for hard contact practice.

Tagayasan (Senna Siamea) - OUT OF STOCK Since Dec 2020

Tagayasan, officially called Senna Siamea or Siamese cassia is a medium-size tree, that mainly grows in Southern Asia. The timber combines characteristics of Sunuke and Asian Ebony (Shima Kokutan). In Japanese it is also called "Tettoboku", which means "Iron sword wood", because it is considered as one of the hardest wood possible, so hard that it does sometimes break the metal tools used to carve it.
Its weight is close to Sunuke, but it is as dark brown and resistant as Shima Kokutan, (Asian Ebony). Because Tagayasan wood is rigid and does not absorb shocks very well, we advise against using it for intense contact practice. However, as a piece of display, light partner work, solo practice and of course, , it is an exquisite product.

Hon Biwa (Japanese Loquat)

The term of Loquat (also called Japanese Medlar), or "Eriobotrya Japonica" in scientific terms, includes several subspecies, and the type of wood used for the production of this particular model is the one that has been used for hundreds of years in Japan for the manufacture of exceptional weapons. Mainly grown for it's yellow fruit, is a small tree (average of 3 to 4 m) that needs an extensive amount of time to reach 5 to 10 m, the minimum height required to harvest long enough node free material to produce a Bokken. If the tree itself is widely spread around the world, old and massive enough trunks are very rare and Loquat tree of more than 5 m are subject to drastic cutting quotas which explain the massive increasing in price over the past decades.
Well selected high quality Biwa makes the best wood possible for Bokken manufacture. Bokken made from biwa are incredibly resilient, solid, well balanced, and very pleasant to touch.

Buna (Fagus crenata)

Buna (Fagus crenata) is a wood that grows throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It is very popular in the art of Bonsai for the beauty of its barks and leaves. This wood has a very clear yellow color with darker shades, it is pleasant to the touch, strong and very light. This wood is used in the manufacturing of Bokken for its lightness and its original appearance. We recommend this model for practitioners seeking a light weight but who still need a Bokken that can sustain accidental impacts. It is particularly suited for children and practitioners suffering from shoulder pain.

Murasaki Kokutan (Purple Ebony) - OUT OF STOCK Since 2018

Also called Tetsuboku (ironwood), purple ebony has a very pleasant smell and a very characteristic amber color, the wood is slightly rough to the touch. It fits between Asian Sunuke and ebony. Its density makes it a heavy wood, perfectly suited for practicing of suburi, ideal for practitioners who like to practice with a heavy bokken. It is however necessary to keep it away from humidity and temperature changes that could have an adverse effect on the quality of the wood.

Shima Kokutan (Asian Ebony)

Shima Kokutan (Ebenaceae diospyros) is a broad leaf evergreen that grows mainly in South Asia and throughout Indonesia. It is a very slow growing tree, and only trees over 200 years old can be used in the manufacture of Bokken. Shima in Japanese means "striped", it is so named because this wood is characterized by clearer (brown) lines inside its black ebony. This tree produces a very heavy and very hard wood commonly used for furniture and luxury items. It will be suited to the practice of Suburi or for decoration. Very hard, very dense, it absorbs shocks relatively poorly and is not advised for practice with contact. Note that Kokutan made weapons weight can significantly vary depending on available material.

Hon Kokutan (African Ebony)

African Ebony has been used for thousands of years for many purposes, but unsustainable harvesting the past decades resulted on drastic cutting quotas and therefore in a massive price increase. Due to its hardness, African ebony is very difficult to work, which is also one of the main reasons for ebony item expensive price. The ebony used by our craftsmen is legally imported in Japan in small quantities.
The wood is exceptionally dense (one of the heaviest wood on earth), strong, and stiff, and makes wonderful Suburi Bokken but is not meant for heavy contact practice.

Comparison of Different Wood (for Classic Shape Bokken)

Wood	Origin	Bokken Weight	Toughness	Utilization	Price
Ichii Kashi (standard red oak)	South Japan - Kyushu	450 ~ 500 g	***	Beginner	*
Hon Akagashi (deluxe red oak)	South Japan - Kyushu	480 ~ 580 g	****	Contact	**
Shirakashi White Oak	South Japan - Kyushu	500 ~ 600 g	****	Contact	**
Isu no Ki	South Japan - Kyushu	480 ~ 580 g	***	Kata - Women	***
Sunuke	South Japan - Kyushu	600 ~ 700 g	**	Suburi - Present	****
Tsubaki (Camellia japonica)	South Japan - Kyushu	450 ~ 500 g	***	Women - Present	****
Hon Biwa Japanese Loquat	South Japan - Kyushu	520 ~ 580 g	*****	Everything !	******
Buna	South Japan - Kyushu	350 ~ 400 g	**	Children - Women	**
Ipe	South America	600 ~ 700 g	**	Suburi - Present	***
Tagayasan	Southern Asia	600 ~ 700 g	**	Suburi - Present	***
Shima Kokutan Asia Ebony	East Asia	700 ~ 750 g	**	Suburi - Present	*****
Hon Kokutan African Ebony	African (Gaboon or Cameroon)	750 ~ 800 g	**	Suburi - Present	******

As a living material, wood color and weight may vary significantly from one weapon to another.

Engraving

All our wooden weapons can be engraved. Simply add the customization to the product before adding it to the cart.
Please note that engravings are made at our workshop twice weekly, and that it extends shipping time usually only from 4 to 6 days.

Interviews with Bokken craftsmen

Customer Reviews

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100.0

匿

匿名 (Tokyo, JP)

控えめに言って極上
標準仕上げで購入しましたが、それでも大変丁寧な仕上がりでした。
削りのケバも一切なく、しっとりと吸い付くような木肌の感触。また、これは個体差のあるものかもしれませんが、木目ものたれが少なく、丈夫そうな角度でのカットがされていました。

自宅にて、もうしばらく寝かせて、デビューさせようと思います。

よい品をご提供いただき、感謝しています。

鹿

鹿島神流 (鹿島神流、合気道)

品質がよかった。
商品を手にした感想は良い樫材を使っていると思いました。造りは荒牧製なので心配はしていませんでしたが、短期乾燥による材木の変色や曲りを懸念していましたが問題ありませんでした。同じ道具でも星道ショップさんは他店よりも質の高い武具を扱っていると間違いなくお薦め致します。

B

Bobby (United States)

Awesome!
I ordered the Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken in red oak. It was shipped and delivered to me very quickly which is always great. The feel and balance of this bokken is awesome! I couldn't be more happy with this order. Seidoshop is the greatest, thank you so much!

S

Stéphane Nguyen

Bokken chêne blanc, finition spéciale Seido
Très joli, doux et lisse au toucher avec la finition spéciale Seido ! Agréable à manipuler. Léger bémol, le bokken que j'ai reçu est un légèrement courbé (visible à l'oeil nu) vers la droite.

A

Angelo (Okami aikido - Belgique)

superbes bokuto
Nous avons reçu 7 bokuto kashima en chêne rouge et un en chêne blanc. Tous irréprochables! Qualité des bois et réalisation parfaites. Livraison ultra rapide. Pour les futurs acheteurs : tenir compte que le chêne blanc est quand même bien plus lourd que le chêne rouge

素

素人剣士 (鹿島神流)

早い！
注文したらその週に届き早くて驚きでした。私は学校の体育時間で剣道した程度の素人ですが健康のために素振りをと考えて購入しました。職人さん動画を見て欲しくなったのですが、素人ながら触った感触がとても良く、気分転換にもなるので、これからも続けて行きたいと思います。

起

起きて半畳寝て一畳天下取っても一合半 (鹿島神流)

待った甲斐がありました
　納期半年。今回の木刀は「当たり」でした。
店頭で木刀を選ぶときは
1.木目が真っすぐ通っていること。斜めだったりするとそこから折れる可能性があります。
2.節が入っていない事

　この2点を注視していますが今回のは木目が真っすぐで節も入っていません。木の根元に近い材が当たったのでしょうか?
　また、オプションの「星道仕上げ」も素晴らしい。触った時の「しっとり感」は今まで手にした木刀の中で経験したことのないものでした。

　ただ懸念は木材の不足。海外需要も伸びている中で後世のために武道用木材を植林育成する山を所有することを流派、団体の垣根を超えて資金調達、ボランティア管理する仕組みを作る時が来ているのではないかと考えさせられました。

P

Pierre RODRIGUEZ

BOKUTO Kashima
Magnifique BOKUTO ! SEIDO, comme d'habitude, Très pro.. Merci.

K

Karsten (Norway, Tenshinkan)

Wonderful quality and quick delivery
I found both balance and finish of this bokken quite impressive, and it arrived quite quickly.

T

TIGRE (VINCENNES)

BOKUTO
J'ai commandé récemment un bokken Kashima Shin Ryu en chêne blanc.
Je suis très satisfaite de mon achat.
Tout est très bien expliqué sur le site de Seidoshop, notamment en ce qui concerne les frais de douane. On n'a aucune mauvaise surprise.
Le colis est arrivé dans les temps. Très bien emballé.
La qualité du suivi de Seidoshop est remarquable, et toute l'équipe est vraiment au service du client.
Les membres de l'équipe se présentent sur Seidoshop, et c'est important de pouvoir visualiser son interlocuteur quand on commande en ligne. Ça donne une dimension humaine telle qu'on peut la trouver "en live" quand on se déplace pour aller voir un artisan.

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For compliance reasons, reviews placed in French and Japanese and imported here on February 2024 do not display as 'verified'.
When importing Japanese reviews, the impossibility to automatically determine the presence of a familly name forced us to label all Japanese reviews as 'anonymous' (Familly names in roman characters have been filtered out).

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Kashima Shin Ryu Bokken - White Oak: ¥21,100

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Made to Order | Production: ~ | No Exchanges/Refunds
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