Nafudakake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nafudakake (名札掛け; lit. "name-plate-rack") is a Japanese method of displaying all the names of the members in a group by collecting the names on individual plaques called nafuda (名札; "nametag") and hanging them together in a specialized case called kake (掛け; "rack"). Nafudakake can be found in traditional art forms such as chadō, in modern art forms such as judo, at Shinto shrines (where they are used to display the names of benefactors) and in some modern organizations such as volunteer fire departments.[1][2][3][4] In English, the term is most commonly associated with Japanese martial arts, and nafudakake are commonly considered an element of a traditional martial arts dojo.[5]
Nafuda are thin, rectangular wooden plaques on which individuals’ names are written vertically in kanji or kana or horizontally in Latin script. The plaques are usually made from a light wood such as pine and hand-painted. The back of the plaque may contain information about the person's history in the dojo.[6]
The term "nafuda" should not be confused with the identification worn on the tare of kendo armor, for which the same word can be used.
Purpose and use of nafuda
Nafuda are used for different purposes in different dojos. In some dojos, nafuda are arranged according to rank, and a person's nafuda is moved upon attaining a higher rank, although other dojos display only the nafuda of yudansha but not those of mudansha.[7][8] In some dojos, nafuda are used to track attendance and in others a member's nafuda is removed for failure to pay dojo fees on time.[9][10] In some dojos, only the nafuda of currently active members are displayed, while in others the nafuda of past members who have moved away or died are displayed as a kind of memorial.[11][12] Some dojos display the nafuda of foreign affiliates of the dojo, but do so separately from active members of the dojo.[13] Some dojos display the adult and child nafuda separately.[14] In yet other dojos, everyone who has received a dan grade from the dojo is listed as yudansha on the nafudakake.[15] The nafudakake can be used to display the names of the dojo's lineage and style's founders.[16][17][18] In the Seattle Dojo, which is the oldest judo dojo in the United States,[19] displayed nafuda from early members help maintain the historical memory of the dojo.[20]
