Participants try kendo strikes with bamboo swords during a kendo experience event at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing in June. (©Sankei)
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A kendo experience event for Chinese participants was held at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing in June. Despite ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing, the event attracted around 800 applicants.
About 90 participants were selected to attend, where they watched demonstrations by the Beijing Japanese Kendo Club before picking up bamboo swords and trying basic strikes themselves.
Kendo has a loyal following in China, with an estimated 25,000 practitioners nationwide and about 15 dojo in Beijing alone.
Tadaaki Kawamura, a minister at the Japanese Embassy who practices with the club, recalled, "When I first came to Beijing as a student in 1997, almost everyone practicing kendo here was Japanese or Korean." He said he has been amazed by the sport's growth, noting that many Chinese practitioners now travel to Japan for training.
From Pop Culture to the Dojo
One woman attending the event said her interest began with Japanese popular culture. "I enjoy Japanese films and other aspects of Japanese culture. Kendo often appears in them," she said. Organizers noted that television dramas such as Hanzawa Naoki and anime including Detective Conan have inspired many people to take up the martial art.
Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi told participants, "Kendo is a martial art that teaches respect for one's opponent and the discipline to master oneself. I hope today's experience offers a glimpse of its profound appeal."
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Author: Shohei Mitsuka, The Sankei Shimbun
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