From Tokyo to the World: The Wonders of Kendo

The Surprisingly Recent History of Kendo

Researchers have varying theories on how far back the origin of kendo goes. The AJKF believes it was around the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), a time characterized by peace despite the ruling samurai class. It was during this period that bamboo swords and protective gears, like those used today, were conceived to substitute for real swords, and uchikomi geiko (repeated striking drills) grew widespread. Edo, present-day Tokyo, was the center of kendo practice. President Ajiro explains: "Before kendo, there was kenjutsu (the art of the sword), and it is said that there were around 300 different styles of swordsmanship.

Toward the end of the Edo period, three major schools flourished in Edo known as the 'Three Great Dojo of Edo': Chiba Shusaku's Genbukan for the Hokushin Itto-ryu style, Saito Yakuro's Renpeikan for the Shindo Munen-ryu style, and Momonoi Shunzo's Shigakukan for the Kyoshin Meichi-ryu style. The schools were open to not only samurai but also common townspeople and even farmers, and the Genbukan is said to have had over 3,000 students. We believe this widespread accessibility to kenjutsu was the beginning of kendo's popularity that we see today."

The government of the subsequent Meiji era (1868-1912) issued an edict that prohibited most people from wearing swords, which resulted in a decline in kenjutsu being practiced. However, in 1912, a common kata (form) that standardized the various swordsmanship styles was created and named the Nihon Kendo Kata (Japan kendo form). This was the first time the term "kendo" was used.

"Establishing standardized kata drills was also necessary in light of the decision by the ministry of education and culture at the time to make kendo an official subject in what was then the equivalent of present-day high schools across Japan."

Ban, Revival and Global Expansion

After that, kendo was widely disseminated as part of the education of young men across the country, but when Japan lost the war in 1945, it was banned by the occupation policy. It was later revived in 1952. The Treaty of Peace with Japan signed in San Francisco returned sovereignty to Japan, which led to the founding of the AJKF and kendo's revival nationwide as a physical education subject and sport.

Senior Executive Director Nakatani Yukimichi says: "Removing the martial art elements that had existed until then was the condition for reviving kendo. New rules were established to create a lined perimeter for matches and a points-based system for techniques that were limited to strikes to the head, wrists, body and a thrust to the throat. Terminology was also changed. Words like 'cut' and 'slash' were prohibited, so basic exercises that used to be called 'repeated cutting' had to be renamed 'repeated striking.'"

Since then, the AJKF has been central to spreading kendo. Around two million people have taken exams, been presented with ranks and registered by the organization. However, the kendo population is even greater than that. There are many kendo lovers who practice the sport in nearby community dojo schools. Their exact number, and the number of their students, have not been fully ascertained by the AJKF but must be quite high.

The AJKF also worked to popularize kendo by training referees and instructors, holding seminars and organizing the All Japan Kendo Championship. Nevertheless, the event that instantly propelled the sport all across the world was the demonstration held at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games to showcase kendo as a national sport.

The Influence of Anime, Manga and Films

"Kendo's etiquettes and mannerisms are infused with respect for others, so in a sense, the sport is also mental discipline and a reflection of Japanese traditional culture itself. People outside of Japan grew interested in that essence of kendo, which helped raise recognition. Seeing this, the AJKF began to actively send instructors overseas as well," says Takamori Takeshi, General Manager of the International Department.

The International Kendo Federation was then established in 1970. That same year, the first World Kendo Championships was held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Athletes from 17 countries and regions participated then, and as was mentioned earlier, that number has now grown to 60.

At the 19th World Kendo Championships, Japanese athletes won in both the men's and women's team and individual categories. However, South Korea, which has the second largest kendo population after Japan and has also won in the past, is seen as a formidable rival. The sport has recently grown more popular in countries such as the USA, France, the UK and Germany.

Anime, manga and films also played a large role in popularizing kendo around the world.

"Japanese anime and manga are very popular in the world, including works like Musashi no Ken from a while back and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba more recently. Many international athletes say they began kendo after being influenced by such works. Schools also saw an influx of students after Hollywood released The Last Samurai."

Indeed, Christopher Yang, who was an athlete, captain and then coach of the U.S. National Kendo Team, and is seen as the pioneer of kendo in the USA, said he took up the sport after watching the anime Musashi no Ken on TV as a young boy.

The 20th World Kendo Championships will be held in 2027 in Tokyo for the first time in 12 years.

"I sometimes visit dojo schools overseas, and many international athletes say it would be an honor to take a rank exam organized by the AJKF in Tokyo. We hope in that sense too, the next championships here will make kendo even more popular overseas."

All Japan Kendo Federation

The All Japan Kendo Federation is headquartered in Chiyoda City, Tokyo. It was established as an organization to oversee three martial arts ways including kendo. The photo features (from the right) Senior Executive Director Nakatani Yukimichi, President Ajiro Tadahiro and International Department General Manager Takamori Takeshi. The kanji characters in the framed work (智, 仁, and 勇) represent the spirit of kendo: "wisdom" for the knowledge needed to decide what is right, "virtue" for a benevolent heart that sees things from other people's perspectives, and "courage" to overcome one's fears and insecurities.