A is a Japanese

smoking pipe A smoking pipe, often simply referred to as a pipe, is used to inhale (or taste) the smoke of a burning substance, typically (though not exclusively) used to consume a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance; this most commonly refers to a to ...

, traditionally used for smoking ''kizami'', a finely shredded

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

product resembling hair.

History

The word ''kiseru'' is said to have originated from the Khmer word ''khsier'' around the 16th century, while it is also said that the word originated from the Portuguese ("which is drawn"). It is believed that pipe smoking was introduced to Japanese high society, such as 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 ...

, the Buddhist priest classes and rich merchants. Tobacco has been known in Japan since the 1570s at the earliest. By the early 17th century, ''kiseru'' had become popular enough to even be mentioned in some Buddhist textbooks for children. The ''kiseru'' evolved along with the equipment and use of

incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

associated with the Japanese incense ceremony, ''

kōdō is the art of appreciating Japanese incense, and involves using incense within a structure of codified conduct. ''Kōdō'' includes all aspects of the incense process, from the , to activities such as the incense-comparing games and . ''Kōdō ...

'': * The ''kō-bon'', an incense tray, became the ''tabako-bon'', a tobacco tray. * The ''kōro'', an incense burner, became the ''hi-ire'', a tobacco embers pot. * The incense pot became the ''hai-otoshi'' or ''hai-fuki'', a jar to contain the ash. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, many samurai and ''

chōnin was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. Social class The ''chōnin'' emerged in ''joka-machi'' or castle t ...

'' smoked tobacco, and often carried a ''kiseru'' in a special case called a ''kiseruzutsu''. ''Kiseru'' were considered status symbols for their owners, due to being made from precious metals and having intricate designs adorned on them. There was also a high cost on importing tobacco, which was considered an extravagance of the rich. The ''kiseru'' would be the main way to smoke tobacco until after the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

of 1868, when cigarettes were introduced and rapidly became popular. However, ''kiseru'' would remain popular in rural areas and among people wishing to preserve its culture. By 1929, there were 190 workshops and 400 artisans producing ''kiseru'' in Japan. Nowadays, there are only a few artisans left still making ''kiseru''. However, there remains some interest in ''kiseru'' and its aesthetics among the youth. The word ''kiseru'' today is more commonly used to refer to the practice of defrauding the railway system by buying two cheap tickets to get past the entrance and exit gates while not paying for the distance between them. This is likened to a kiseru as there is only metal at the ends, and nothing in the middle, a metaphor indicating that money (metal) only covers the beginning and end.

Construction

There are two main types of ''kiseru'': ''rau kiseru'', which are made of three parts; the , , and , and ''nobe kiseru'', which are made with a single piece of metal. Metal such as brass or silver is beaten to shape the mouthpiece and bowl, then the sides are joined with silver solder. The mouthpiece and bowl are often engraved with intricate and decorative designs.

''Kiseru'' as a weapon

The length of a typical ''kiseru'' usually measured between , and their metal ends made them suitable impromptu self-defence weapons in emergencies. Much heavier and longer ''kiseru'' were often carried by common people living on the fringes of society, such as the

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

, gamblers, and gangsters, which were designed to be used as weapons. These pipes were called ''kenka kiseru'' (喧嘩煙管; fighting pipes), ranging anywhere from . These pipes were often made of cast iron or brass, making them effective truncheon-like weapons for striking opponents. The samurai were also known to use ''kiseru'' as weapons, often for rare occasions when a samurai would be parted with his swords but still required a means of self-defence. Like the ''kenka kiseru'', they were made completely from cast iron or brass and were called ''buyōkiseru''. A typical ''buyōkiseru'' was about long, and could be easily carried in an ''obi'' without raising suspicion. Because ''kiseru'' were so often used as weapons during the

, several classical martial arts schools incorporated secret techniques into their curricula. A style of fighting armed with a ''kiseru'' was commonly referred to as '' kiseru-jutsu'', and used similar techniques to those used in ''

tessenjutsu Tessenjutsu () is the martial art of the Japanese war fan (tessen). It is based on the use of the solid iron fan or the folding iron fan, which usually had eight or ten wood or iron ribs. The use of the war fan in combat is mentioned in early Ja ...

''.

Citations

General and cited references

* Sander L. Gilman and Zhou Xun, eds. (2004). ''Smoke: a global history of smoking''. .

External links