Alexander C. Bennett has two PHDs in Human Studies and Sciences
from the University of Canterbury and Kyoto University.
He holds the ranks of 7th dan Kyoshi in Kendo, 5th dan in Iaido and Naginata,
3rd Dan in Jukendo and Tankendo.
He is professor at Kansai University of both Kendo and Japanese Culture and History,
vice-president of the International Naginata Federation, Member of the international committee of the
All Japan Kendo Federation, director at the Japanese Academy of Budo, cofounder of the
Kendo World Magazine, and author of several books in English and Japanese.
Yeah, well, I mean, first of all, I don't consider myself that high up at all.
I mean there's some pretty amazing people there,
but I do agree with you: not much has changed, you know, in 20 years.
Anybody who does have amazing skills, you know, linguistically and also the ability to really work within a...
Well work, not necessarily within, but with the Japanese organization,
probably making lots of money somewhere rather than focusing their efforts on these cultural pursuits
that seem to be fraught with contradiction and, you know, don't often make a lot of sense.
But I know a lot of people who, over the years, you know...
They've lived in Japan for several decades and they have, you know, earned a lot of respect
from Japanese people because of their excellence in the martial art that they do
and also their understanding of how to, you know, operate within, you know, the constructs of Japanese society
which is often, sometimes very difficult to navigate.
But inevitably, one day, they just pack up and leave.
And I know so many people like that.
How about you? Do you know a few people like that? They just....
Suddenly it's like: "Wow, he's gone!" or "She's gone!".
"I never would've seen that!"
They just get to the point where it's like: "I had enough."
And I think I can understand that because it's very easy to get bogged down with...
Can I use a bad word?
Bogged down with bullshit in this country, especially in the world of Budo, but everywhere actually.
And you know there's many wonderful things about living in Japan, there's also many frustrating things
because when you come from a different background or different country, you have a different perspective.
And, you know, this is certain things that you learn in Japan, you got:
"Wow, this is an awesome thing!"
you know, "great way of doing things", but you also see the:
"Well come on guys, let's just get on with it here!", you know.
Stop being... you know, tying yourself down with these ridiculous,
unfounded notions of "tradition" and "This is what we do!" and stuff..
I come across this all the time: in my work, in the dojo and it's just...
You can put up with it for a long time and you just go: "Yeah, yeah, that's the way it's done in Japan."
"Whatever, whatever."
But one day, and it's happened to so many people that I know, they just go:
"That's it. I'm checking out!" you know?
And I hope that doesn't happen to me but it's happened to people who I never thought it would happen to.
And they'd really, really come a long way in Japan and suddenly they just disappear off the radar.
I was very lucky, working at a university, the Kansai University
because my university still has the sabbatical system, okay?
And I was able to use that a couple of years, well not even a couple of years ago, when was it...18!
18 months ago, I guess.
And I was allowed six months, I wanted a year but six months so…
I went back to New Zealand for "research", okay?
I call it a...
Actually, you know, I joked about it being a detox, which is really what it was.
But it was really important that I went away from Japan for 6 months.
And what I did, when I went back to New Zealand is, I went into the mountains of the South Island
and just walked around these mountain parts and just camped out
and had as little contact with people as I possibly could.
And just refocused my mind and once again try to work out:
"What the hell am I doing in Japan?",
if I get so frustrated or, you know, sometimes angry with all the sort of stuff
and I start losing sight of why I decided to come to Japan to learn Budo in the first place.
Once I lose that, then it's not Japan's fault, it's not Budo's fault, it's my fault.
But, as you know, living in Japan sometimes you just can't see the wood for the trees over here, can you?
It's just so much superfluous crap.
And that time that I spent away, these six months last year or the year before now,
completely opened my eyes again and I came back to Japan with a newfound enthusiasm,
vigor and determination to go the next step.
So, as I sort of mentioned before, how far I've come, I've been very fortunate
with the way, you know, circumstances have worked out for me, at the right time.
And like without my sabbatical for example, I couldn't honestly say if I'd be happy to be in Japan anymore.
But you get out, you see things from a different perspective,
you once again understand that Japan really does have a lot to offer.
You come back with once more an open mind,
but I know many people who have never had that opportunity and then one day they just snap.
And so like you said before, you know?
What's the difference between now and 20 years ago?
Really, I know the Japanese government is really trying hard
to push a greater understanding of "Cool Japan" and all of the, you know, the attributes of Japanese culture,
cultural pursuits and soft power, if you like, and, especially recently,
and a lot of the students that I teach at Kansai University, international students, come to Japan
because they're really interested in, it's a very cliche thing to say, but very interested in Anime and Manga for example.
And so, interest has been constant ever since I first came here in the 1980's,
but... Interest has been constant in Japan, but the motivation has been very different, I think.
I came over here for economical or economic, sort of, purposes.
But now I see a lot of young foreigners coming over here for cultural purposes
but ultimately, how far they go down that path, you have to pretty much sacrifice everything to be able to do it.
And to know that you should sacrifice everything takes a lot of experience and contemplation,
because if I was to quit Japan now, all of this within the last 30 years,
of course it wouldn't be a waste, it wouldn't come to nothing, but I would have to ask myself:
"What the hell was I doing?".
And I don't want to ask myself that.
I want to know what I'm doing and I think, really, to make that commitment,
I was lucky that I was able to first discover Budo at a young age,
the circumstances that somehow have managed to keep me in it,
you know, and good teachers for example,
but also opportunities to just take a step back and figure things out.
I think a lot of people who come over here to do Budo very easily lose sight
and become disillusioned and then fizzle out.
And, yeah, I don't know, you would have seen it, I've seen it, I'm trying very hard not to let that happen to me.
And that's why, well, you know, compared to 20 years ago,
how many, you know, really experienced or knowledgeable people do we have ?
It's not that much difference because of that reason I think.
In the next episode Alex will give you his advice on how he carved out his own place in Japan.
Don't try to be more Japanese than the Japanese and focus on what matters!
It's not always clear what the purpose is. There's a lot of wasted effort in Japan.
...keys to my survival so far is that I've been able to distance myself from the bullshit when I smell it
Choose your battles
The Japanese way of doing things is so brilliant and efficient but it's not. It's like anywhere.
Now it's because of Budo that I can stay in Japan.
Stay tuned you'll learn a lot about the history of Budo in the next episodes.
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