Nippon Kobudo Shinkokai Embu (Meiji Shrine)

November 3rd. This a day that kenshi around the world know and wait for. It’s a national holiday in Japan and more importantly it also the day of the annual All Japan Kendo Championship (AJKC). From Europe, North America, and Asia kendo fanatics converge on the Nippon Budokan to bear witness to one of the best shiai in the world. The AJKC however costs money and can be long and tedious at times. For those of who live in Japan, instead of fighting the crowds and spending 6+ hours sitting on your butt, we can watch the finals from the comfort of our living room (where beer is served!). Although the AJKC is a great chance to meet up with some friends in Tokyo, it tends to get hard to find a reason to shell out the coin to go and see it every year.

Lesser known but also held on the same day is the Japanese Kobudo Shinkokai Embu held outside at Meiji Shrine in the heart of the Tokyo freak show, Harajuku. November 3rd also happens to be “shichi-go-san” and Culture Day so the shrine is jam packed with people varying from well-dressed shrine going families with young children, to hardcore rightwing nationalist dressed in military drab (included one fellow dressed in a full Nazi officer uniform). Because of this, making your way through the shrine can be a chore but it is well worth it if you are interested in koryu traditions.

Beginning at 10 AM, this embukai is open to the public and features demonstrations from the well known schools such as Yagyu Shinkage-ryu and Katori Shinto-ryu but also from the lesser known and rarely seen Chokugen-ryu, Araki-ryu, and Muhimuteki-ryu. Although the event is called a “Kobudo” embukai schools such as Toyama-ryu are also featured. There are also numerous demonstrations of “the same art” by a number of different groups (namely Yagyu Shingan-ryu and Muso Shinden-ryu).

Perhaps the most excited and certainly the biggest crowd gatherer is Yabusame, archery on horseback demonstration. Archers fire at fist-sized ceramic targets while screaming (not literaly screaming) down a path on horseback at breakneck speed.

While the AJKC may be the main event on November 3rd keep in mind that you also have the rare opportunity to view living breathing history and the roots of kendo just on the other side of town. For free to boot! It just might be worth missing a few matches in the morning, and for you shutter bugs it is definitely a event not to be missed.