I went to Osaka Budo-sai (festival) today and watched a budo demonstration consisting all of the normal GENDAI BUDO, or the group of modern cognate martial arts that exist today in Japan. All these martial art associations are members of the Nippon Budo Kyogikai (日本武道協議会). Who are these guys and where kendo and its related arts come into the equation?
The Nippon Budo Kyogikai is basically an umbrella organisation that looks after budo in Japan. When I say BUDO I mean its member federations are the following:
全日本柔道連盟 Zen nippon judo renmei
全日本剣道連盟 Zen nippon kendo renmei (includes iaido and jodo)
全日本弓道連盟 Zen nippon kyudo renmei
全日本相撲連盟 Zen nippon sumo renmei
合気会 Aikikai
少林寺拳法連盟 Shorinji Kempo renmei
全日本なぎなた連盟 Zen nippon naginata renmei
全日本銃剣道連盟 Zen nippon jukendo renmeo
日本武道館 Nippon budokan
In addition to the Nippon budo kyogikai, there is the Zen nippon todofuken-ritsu budokan kyogikai (全日本都道府県立武道館協議会) which runs various budokan across all over Japan, nippon budo gakkai (日本武道学会) that runs various study programmes, and the zen nippon kobudo kyokai (日本古武道協会) which looks after many koryu arts. These 4 organisations are closely interrelated and work together to promote budo, both in Japan and abroad.
The purpose of the Nippon budo kyogikai is summed up in the Budo Charter (established 1987).
