WELCOME

We look forward to seeing you interested in KENDO!!

The history of KENDO

You may think that KENDO leads to samurai spirit?

Yes, you would be partly right!!

Samurai first appeared in Japanese history in the middle of the Heian Period (the end of the 8^th through to the end of the 12^th centuries).

At that time, there were many wars across the country, so they needed swordsmanship to protect themselves in battles.

They were originally the bodyguards of government officials who were dispatched from the capital to the rural communities.

Later, they became samurai warriors specializing in the martial arts and eventually some went on to become influential in politics during Kamakura Period(the end of the 12^th through to the middle of the 14th centuries).

It was in the Edo Period(around the 17^th through to the end of the 19^thcenturies) that bamboo swords were used instead of real swords, this was devised and became the base of the current style.

Wars were not needed any more under the Tokugawa government.

In this stable and peaceful society, special emphasis was placed on being good at both literature and martial arts.

So, they practiced not only techniques but also its spirit (ZEN) to become honorable people.

After the defeat of WWⅡ, KENDO was banned by the occupation forces which feared that it would lead to militarism, but it revived as a competitive sport in 1950.

The Japan KENDO Federation was instituted then, and now it is certified as one of the World Cultural Heritage assets.

Information about the observation of KENDO is here.

Information about the experience of KENDO is here.