Shimada Toranosuke

In this Japanese name, the surname is Shimada.
Shimada Toranosuke
Born1810 (1810)
Nakatsu, Ōita, Japan
Died1864 (aged 53–54)
StyleKenjutsu (swordsmanship)
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū

Shimada Toranosuke (1810–1864) was a Japanese samurai from Nakatsu, Ōita.[1] His father was Shimada Chikafusa. He studied Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu under Otani Nobutomo and zazen meditation under Sengai; he was also a student of Kitō-ryū jujutsu.[2] He taught kenjutsu and acted as a spiritual mentor to Katsu Kaishū.[1]

Shimada was a skilled swordsman in his youth, and in 1837 he travelled to Edo to partake in challenge matches. His ferocity and ability with the sword brought him considerable success, and he finally issued a challenge to Otani Nobutomo, who was at the time the most highly regarded swordsman in the city. During the duel, Otani allowed Shimada to win, in order to gauge the young man's response to an easy victory. Toranosuke subsequently requested instruction from Inoue Gensai, but Inoue recommended that he visit Otani again and become his student. Sceptical of studying under a man he had previously defeated, Shimada challenged Otani to a rematch. This time, Otani defeated him utterly. After this, Otani accepted Shimada as his student.[3]

  1. ^ a b Kokichi Katsu (1 July 1991). Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. University of Arizona Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-8165-1256-0.
  2. ^ John Stevens (27 August 2013). The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-0-8348-2901-5.
  3. ^ Stephen Turnbull (20 February 2008). The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. Frontline Books. pp. 170–171. ISBN 978-1-84415-712-9.