Councillor, All Japan Kendo Federation Member, 20th WKC Organizing Committee,
Susumu Nagao

The concept of the 20th World Kendo Championships (20WKC), scheduled to be held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo next May, is “A Legacy for Tomorrow,” with the slogan ““Carry the Tradition, Forge Ahead”.” With this in mind, I would like to look back at the circumstances that led to the inaugural World Kendo Championships (1WKC), as well as the establishment of the International Kendo Federation (FIK, then known as IKF) and its purpose.

On October 4, 1967, an International Goodwill Kendo Tournament was held at the Nippon Budokan, with participants from 13 countries and regions. The following day, representatives from nine countries attended a meeting to discuss the future of international kendo. Although some expressed the view that the time was not yet right, the meeting ultimately reached a unanimous decision to establish an international kendo federation and to hold a world kendo tournament in Japan (Thirty-Year History of the All Japan Kendo Federation).

Following extensive preparations, the inaugural General Assembly of the IKF was held in Tokyo on April 4, 1970, with 17 countries and regions participating, and the federation’s statutes and other regulations were established. The following day, April 5, the opening ceremony of the 1WKC was held at the Nippon Budokan. It was followed by goodwill matches, demonstrations of iaido, classical martial arts schools (koryu), and other disciplines, as well as the team championship, in which 11 teams competed.

The program subsequently continued with goodwill matches at Meiji Mura and demonstrations by overseas kendo practitioners at the Osaka Expo. On April 10, the individual championship was held at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium.

Footage of the inaugural championships—including the goodwill matches in Tokyo, demonstrations of iaido and koryu, the team championship, and other events—was donated to the All Japan Kendo Federation by Kendo Hanshi Kenji Takizawa of Kanagawa Prefecture. The AJKF has edited this silent footage and made it available on YouTube. We hope you will take this opportunity to watch this valuable record of the first World Kendo Championships.

Article 6 (Purpose) of the FIK Statutes states that the purpose of the Federation is “to promote and popularize kendo internationally and to foster mutual trust and friendship among its affiliated organizations through kendo.” Article 7 (Activities) further states that the Federation shall undertake various activities to achieve this purpose, one of which is “the organization of the World Kendo Championships.”

The 20WKC will be the fifth World Kendo Championships to be held in Japan, following the 1st Championships in Tokyo and Osaka, the 4th in Sapporo, the 10th in Kyoto, and the 16th in Tokyo. Approximately 65 countries and regions—the largest number in the history of the championships—are expected to participate.

As the birthplace of kendo, Japan sincerely hopes that the 20WKC will contribute more than ever before to the goals set forth in the FIK Statutes: the international promotion and development of kendo, and the fostering of mutual trust and friendship among its members.