Secret Art of the Kancho

I'm sure you've heard all about the kancho. Adolescents and occasionally adults running rampant and putting the fingers into places they don't belong... of course unless you're into that kind of thing. I'm often asked, "Howwwwwww did this even start!?" "Whennnnnnnn did it become acceptable to stick fingers in peoples butts!?" Part of being a translator is reflecting the culture of the target language. I hope to inform you on it a little more with this article.

What is "kancho?"

My highly reliable sources (wikipedia) describe it as a prank found in eastern countries. The word comes from the Japanese word 浣腸　[kancho] (lit: enema). It it the act of clasping your hands together and extending your index fingers, then promptly thrusting them into the anus of an unsuspecting victim. A prank similar goosing or wedgie. Supposedly, you're to yell "KANCHO" as you commit this act, but to my experience it's a silent offense for the most part. Since this kind of thing is extremely uncommon back home, people that come from western counties to work with Japanese children, only to have a small finger stuffed... somewhere, are understandably confused or even offended in some (often repeated) cases.

Origin

The kancho probably came from something called the 三年殺し [san nen goroshi] (lit: three year killer). Some say the meaning is that this super secret move will kill the opponent in three years, or the pain inflicted by said move will last for three years. Similar to the kancho, you use your extend fingers, but you also use your middle fingers as well. Instead of focusing on the anus, the point of the move is to strike the perineum (the area between your stuff and your anus), temporarily incapacitating your opponent. You're probably wondering why I am talking about this move like it's some kind of technique in some perverted martial art. This is because it is actually a move, but in a legitimate style of karate.

Its foundation is in a style called  Shourinji Kenpo. It's a Japanese art that is composed of techniques borrowed from Shaolin Kung Fu; they say that it is written in the documents concerning techniques of this style. Masutatsu Oyama, considered a martial arts god by many Japanese people, is the founder of a modern art called Kyokushinkai. This martial art composed of many styles that Oyama learned while becoming stronger and forming is own style of karate. It's said that while documenting the techniques of Kyokushinkai, he mistakenly wrote it in from Shourinji Kenpo.

Hilarious, right? A "secret move" like this in the style considered, "the first and most influential style of full contact karate."

From there, the san nen goroshi would make appearances in manga and anime. A big one was a comedy manga called トイレット博士 [toiretto hakase] (lit: Toilet Professor/Dr. Toilet/ Toilet PhD). Due to its influence, it would become the "kancho"that we all know and love today.

Today

So today, it's basically a harmless prank that kids do to each other when young. Mostly boys but you see girls do it too. It's not like you do it to everyone. It's mostly within circle of friends and a way to show affection... though immature, affection. You wouldn't stick your finger in the rectum of someone you didn't like, right? Of course it's not all fun a games. There are yearly reports of fingers being broken, or tail bones being hurt due to excess force. Some kids even get E.coli from... yeah. Since even adults may commit this act at times, there have been battery and or bodily harm cases against individuals that have attempted this against others.

What do you think?

When I was in middle school, there was a juvenile prank called "open ____." Where you would slap a defenseless part an unsuspecting victim. So of course there were things like open chest... or open nuts... Coming to Japan, I was prepared for anything due to our proud public education system in America.

Well there is information for you. Based in fact? It's hard to tell, but it seems to be how this happened. Now what do you think?