About Samurai Sword Soul

 

 

Samurai Sword Soul (SSS) is a samurai theater company, founded by Yoshi Amao in 2003.

Since then, Samurai Sword Soul’s numerous performances: an engaging mix of comedy routines, humanistic-theme drama, and thrilling sword fights, have been attracting a wide range of audiences in New York. Their sword technique is based on Waki Ryu Tate, which was created by Keihei Wakisaka; the spirit of Seido Karate; and Kendo (Japanese fencing) technique. Now imbuing traditional Japanese sword fighting arts with a more contemporary essence and their own artistry, they have established a unique “Samurai Sword Soul Style.”

 

It is very hard to find authentic TATE (Japanese sword stage fighting) performance in the United States. Samurai Sword Soul is the only theater company in New York which employs TATE in their demonstrations and samurai dramas. SSS’s mission is to spread the Bushi-Do, The Way of the Samurai, and to introduce TATE to people who are not familiar with it. SSS believes their samurai spirits reach the audiences of all ethnicities, ages, and genders. They regard the Samurai Virtues: Rectitude (義 gi), Courage (勇yū), Benevolence (仁 jin), Respect (礼 rei), Honesty (誠 makoto), Honor (名誉 meiyo), and Loyalty (忠義 chūgi) as the code of conduct that is still relevant in our time.

 

Samurai Sword Soul debuted at the 2003 Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Since then, SSS has returned to the festival every year in a prime-time slot. In 2003, SSS was invited to perform on the TODAY on NBC for a demonstration for “The Last Samurai premier event.” SSS has made many other TV appearances, including NBC, NY-1 News, WB-11, CBS, FOX TV, Fuji TV and NHK, and in newspapers such as New York Times, Daily News, New York Sun, Metro New York, Japion, and Daily Sun. They perform extensively in many major festivals and events such as the Anime Festival at Jacobs K Javits Center, Japan Day in Central Park, and Sakura Matsuri in Washington DC, as well as museums and schools through out New York City. Samurai Sword Soul choreographs and performs in samurai films as well.

 

 

CREDITS

TV :   Today Show @ NBC, Good Day New York @ FOX TV, Oh my NY! @ Fuji TV (Japanese Broadcast)

 

FESTIVALS : New York International Fringe Festival, Sakura Matsuri @ Brooklyn     Botanic Garden, Japan Day @ Central Park, Anime Festival @ Jacob K Javits Center, National Cherry Blossom Opening Ceremony @ Walter E. Washingtion Conventional Center, Sakura Matsuri Festival @ Washington DC, Sakura Matsuri @ Mill River Park in Stamford,  JAM (Japan Arts Matsuri), 

Cherry Blossom Festival @ Essex County Branch Brook Park in NJ, KIKU Festival @ New York Botanical Garden

 

PERFORMANCES : Target Free Thursday @ David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, The first Japanese Delegation, 1869 @ Museum of the City of New York, 

The 150th Anniversary of the First Japanese Diplomatic Mission to the U.S. @ Japan Information & Culture Center Auditorium,  “An Evening with Samurai” @ Embassy of Japan, WDC, American Dream Party @ Japanese Ambassador’s Hotel, NY

 

For more info, please clich HERE.