Card, Greeting

Christmas and New Years card sent by Takashi Nishiyama, mayor of Toyota city. A woodblock print a geishas holding a tea cup and saucer is on the front of the card. Within the card is a photo captioned:

The martial art of boh no te (stylized club play)
Wooden clubs, wooden swords, real swords and halberds are used in this shrine ritual. It dates back to the age of civil wars, when farmers were armed to defend themselves. In Toyota, it is held on the day of Autumn Festival, the 10th of October every year. I joined in Japanese time-honored clothes.

Nishiyama is pictured clad in a traditional men's kimono and hakama surrounded by a crowd, many of which are also in traditional costume, and holding poles. Two children perform a choreographed fight with the poles in the foreground. The card's message reads, "Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year." It has been signed by Nishiyama.