The historical reality of student kendo in local areas of Japan

Sato, Koya 2026. The historical reality of student kendo in local areas of Japan. Martial Arts Studies 19 , pp. 45-57. 10.18573/mas.256

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Abstract

This study investigates the historical reality of student kendo during the Meiji and Taisho periods by examining the factors that contributed to the improvement of competitive skills at the former Fourth and Fifth High Schools (Kanazawa and Kumamoto). It identifies distinctive characteristics of student kendo in regional areas. The significance of this study lies in its combined use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the history of student kendo in the central region from the perspective of local areas. The findings reveal that those traditional ideas rooted in kenjutsu remained strong in local areas. Although innovations in bamboo sword technology progressed more slowly than in the central region, the institutional development of kendo as a competitive sport—practice, matches, championships—advanced more rapidly in this local setting.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2057-5696
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 March 2026
Date of Acceptance:	16 November 2025
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2026 16:01
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185390

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