Shiai in Japan

must have lots of kendoka first

hope we also have a lot like that too

Yes, I was really surprised as well.... and there are intra-company matches as well. Like Mitsubishi's internal kendo tournament...

WaW so many Championships!!

At present time in Japan junior high school and high school students have kendo as an elective. University kendo teams meet in annual championship matches for individual and team titles. No fewer than twelve annual kendo championships are held, as the list below shows. (Each group is listed in its rank position)

1. All-Japan Championships
2. All-Japan University Student Championships
3. All-Japan Police Championships
4. All-Japan Industrial and Commercial Firms Championships
5. All-Japan Physical Education Championships
6. All-Japan Prefectural Championships
7. All-Japan Schoolteachers' Championships
8. Kyoto Championships (go-dan to ju-dan grade (not sure if this is still around))
9. All-Prefectural Junior High School Championships
10. All-Japan High School Championships
11. All-Japan Land Defense Force Championships
12. East and West Championships

But now, as kendo has been gaining interest by many countries, various international tournaments are held. There are the ASEAN, European, and World Kendo Championships (held once every three years).

There was also the Tenran Shiai (shiai in front of the Emperor), but the tournaments have been discontinued. The shiai were held in 1929, 1934, and 1940.


Source: Warner, Gordon; Sasamori, Junzo: This is Kendo, Tuttle Publishing, Vermont, 1964.