Chikaraishi
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(also or ''bijuru'' ( Okinawan) are heavy rocks used at least since the 8th century CE in Japan to develop or demonstrate physical strength. Commonly found within
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
shrines, they were used for competition,
divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...
, physical fitness and entertainment; some famous examples have also become tourist attractions, and many have been recognised as Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese Government. Competitive stone-lifting is still continued in modern times, and a number of competitive forms of stone-lifting exist, employing different physical techniques.


History

Strength-stones are found throughout Japan, often at
Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
s. In 2005 around 14,000 strength-stones were recorded in shrines around Japan. Of these, around 300 are designated as Important Cultural Assets. Many are inscribed with the names and feats of those who lifted them. The oldest-known inscribed stone is from Shinobu, and dates to 1664. The first recorded incidence of strength-stone lifting is attributed to the samurai
Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa (鎌倉権五郎景政) (born 1069) was a samurai descended from the Taira clan, who fought for the Minamoto clan in the Gosannen War of Japan's Heian period. He is famous for having continued to fight after losing an ey ...
in 1089, however the practice itself is much older, dating to before the 8th century. The ''
Nippo Jisho The or Vocabulario da Lingoa de Iapam (''Vocabulário da Língua do Japão'' in modern Portuguese; "Vocabulary of the Language of Japan" in English) is a Japanese-to- Portuguese dictionary compiled by Jesuit missionaries and published in Naga ...
'', also called the ''Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam'', a
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
Portuguese dictionary published in 1603, includes the term ''chikaraishi'' in the written record as early as the 17th century. The ''Nippo Jisho'', published in
Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...
and associated with the
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
João Rodrigues (1561 or 1562 – 1633), identically records both the modern pronunciation and written form of the term ''chikaraishi''. It is one of the few traditional sports not solely the preserve of the
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
class, being popular among peasants and sake brewers. Both professions valued the
manual labor Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word ''manual'' ...
of young people, and similar practices called ''kyokumochi'' also existed, which involved lifting sacks of rice or barrels of sake. The sporting aspect of stone-lifting developed in
Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...
around the seventeenth century, likely evolving from the sack-lifting contests of the
stevedore A dockworker (also called a longshoreman, stevedore, docker, wharfman, lumper or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships. As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockwork ...
s and labourers. Historically, the lifting of strength-stones was exclusively practiced by men. The practice of lifting strength-stones was especially popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries (roughly coinciding with the
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
), with organised competitions occurring. Stones used in competition were usually inscribed with their weight, measured in (a unit of approximately ), and if not naturally smooth, were often sculpted into a roughly oval shape. Some strength-stones have become tourist attractions due to the legends attached to them. In
Nerima is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons ...
, for example, tourists still visit Sobei's Horse-Headed Kannon Stone, a strength-stone associated with the tale of Kato Sobei from 1840. According to the story, Sobei was awarded possession of a heavy stone that he managed to lift. However, his horse collapsed and died under the weight of the stone, and in its memory, he erected the stone as the horse's grave marker. Another famous stone is the ''Benkei-ishi'', a huge rock supposedly moved from present-day
Himeji, Hyōgo 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...
,
Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
to its current resting place on Mount Shosha by the folk hero
Benkei , popularly known by the mononym Benkei (), was a Japanese warrior monk (''sōhei'') who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185). Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue war ...
(1155 – 1189). The ''Benkei-ishi'' can be viewed at
Engyō-ji The is a temple of the Tendai sect in Himeji, Hyōgo, Japan. History It was founded by Shoku Shonin in 966. The complex of buildings is at the top of Mt Shosha approximately 25 minutes by bus from Himeji Station. The mountain summit can be ...
, high above Himeji.


Purpose

A general lack of recorded evidence makes it difficult to ascertain the intended purpose of stone-lifting. It has been assumed that the practice was for competition, physical fitness or entertainment purposes (
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...
wrestlers have been known to perform such feats between bouts for the entertainment of their audience). Records of competition techniques and winners (such as the 1836 list of "Men of Strength in Edo", which ranks competitors by weights lifted) indicate a competitive aspect. Strength-stones are used in modern times for strength training, particularly in the
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
where such practices are known as ''
hojo undō is a Japanese language term, translated as "supplementary exercises", that refers to conditioning exercises used in martial arts, especially in karate. training was designed to develop ambidextrous physical strength, stamina, muscle coordinati ...
''. Special stones are manufactured for this purpose, usually with a wooden handle to aid their manipulation; such stones are also known as ''chi ishi''. It is a common practice in
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
, used in solo training to improve stances and upper body strength.


In divination

The prevalence of the stones in Shinto shrines and temples has led to speculation that rock-lifting was used for divining the future, a practice known as . The ease with which a petitioner lifted the stones indicated the likelihood of his preferred outcome occurring. ''Ishi-ura'' was notably practiced in ancient
Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...
, now modern-day
Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...
. Smaller versions of these stones were sometimes placed by a child's bed, in the belief that this would strengthen the child.


As a sport

Several forms of competition were employed in stone-lifting, each sometimes using a particular type of stone. was the simplest form, requiring competitors to hoist a rock of about , known as a , from the ground to above the head. It was permissible for participants to pause and readjust their grip once the rock was at chest height. contests required that the stone be lifted to the shoulder; this form employed heavier rocks (up to ), known as a , and allowed the use of a rope wrapped around the stone. In competitions, the aim was to carry the stone as far as possible, the winner naturally being the man who carried it the greatest distance, whilst contests featured extremely heavy stones that were lifted with the feet by competitors lying on their backs. Rocks that were too heavy to be lifted clear of the ground were employed in , using a type of stone called the , the aim of which was to raise a stone so that it was balanced on its edge. Stone-lifting contests still take place in the modern era. The city of Sōja, Okayama hosts an annual competition in which local teams participate.


See also

*
Lifting stone Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout Northern Europe, particularly Iceland (where they are referred to as ''steintökin''), Scotland, Ireland, Basque Countr ...


Footnote

:A.The ''Nippo Jisho'' romanizes "chikaraishi" as "chicara ixi"; the difference in spelling reflects the early Portuguese
romanization In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Latin script, Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and tra ...
of the Japanese language, not a difference between the early 17th century and modern pronunciations of the name.


References

{{strength Sports Sport in Japan Shinto shrines Japanese architectural features Japanese architectural history Strongmen competitions