Bo-no-te (stick-in-hand performances) (棒の手)
Bo-no-te is a traditional performing arts of classical Japanese dance, in which basic forms of Japanese martial arts such as sword, staff, and halberd techniques are transformed into dancing.
Bo-no-te survives in various regions and is performed by local children at festivals.
Although the name "Bo-no-te" is popular, it is called differently in each region such as Tachiodori, Hanatoriodori, Bosasara, or Tachifuri. In some regions, "Bojutsu" (staff technique), a name of martial arts, is straightfowardly used.
The Bo-no-te tradition is alive particularly in the following regions: Owari-Asahi City, Aichi Prefecture; Nagakute-cho, Aichi-gun, Aichi Prfecture; Toyota City; Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture; Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture; Gokase-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture.
Schools
Various schools of Bo-no-te appeared; many of them originated in Japanese martial arts. Some of the schools practiced Bo-no-te as actual martial arts through the Taisho period to the beginning of the Showa period; they almost remain as authentic schools of traditional martial arts without taking the form of entertainment.