I don’t want second place! “The number one university in Japan for kendo is Tsukuba.” Being told this from a young age by his father, it always stayed with him. On my high school career survey, I wrote Tsukuba as my number one choice. I felt strongly enough about it Read More
So, what is the full story to Matsuzaki becoming so accomplished? While we can only get a glimpse, it is worth it. December of his second year of junior high school Matsuzaki was the Taisho for his team in a prefectural tournament. He was defeated, and the team was knocked Read More
Even though I had been able to focus on each individual match until now, with the finals in front of me, my emotions began to blur. It would have been fine if I were able to fight having accepted those emotions, but I allowed them to create a sense of Read More
Not making limits, going beyond them It was the 67th All Japan Kendo Tournament. In the shadows of Kunitomo Rentaro bathing in praise from every direction for his first All Japan victory, someone else was also gaining attention. Now, as Matsuzaki Kenshiro (21) takes each and brilliant step down this Read More
How much you can use your head to imagine the flow of the match Nishimura places importance on thinking about kendo outside of practice time. He studies through kendo magazines, and he reads books not only by kendo players but by athletes of all kinds of sport. He says he Read More
How much you can use your head to imagine the flow of the match Nishimura entered Kyushu Gakuin High School in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was at a time when the school was rising a head above the rest and becoming an invincible team. The school came 3rd in the Inter-High Read More
How much you can use your head to imagine the flow of the match Winning the 2018 All Japan Championship to claim 2 consecutive championships, Hidehisa Nishimura (Kumamoto) was crowned champion for the 3rd time overall. In the history of the 66-edition tournament, he is the 4th person to win Read More
Interviewing those who missed out on winning the 67th All Japan Kendo Championship Vol. 1 Because of the repair work going on at the Nihon Budokan, the All Japan Championship was held in Osaka for the first time in 67 editions. As 64 players take stage, only one gets the Read More
Although Kunitomo missed out on a place in the All Japan Kendo Championship the next year after his first appearance, in his second appearance in 2016 he achieved 2nd place again. He has made it to the Championship every year since, and although he lost in the 2nd round in Read More
In the 2012 All Japan Student Championships, Kunitomo played chuken for Kokushikan University who won the tournament, adding to their triumphs at the Kanto Games too. This year’s team boasted a colorful line-up of exceptional talent, even among the long tradition of Kokushikan being a powerhouse. Ando Sho and Fujioka Read More
