The Japan Kobudo Promotion Association celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2025. Approximately 160 years have passed since the Meiji Restoration, and for much of that time, our association has worked to correctly convey the traditional Japanese culture of Kobudo.
Our association comprises approximately 1,000 members from 90 schools that originated before the Edo period. We practice daily according to the teachings of the founders of each school, and we widely exhibit the results of our training at various dedication demonstrations and other events.
We will continue to work to preserve and promote Kobudo, a traditional cultural asset of our country and an expression of the bushido spirit, as well as to improve our character and pass on traditional culture to the next generation.
The bushido spirit is the samurai's view of life, the inner and outer aspects of budo. The essence of bushido is righteousness and courtesy, and these are born from courage combined with the Five Constant Virtues of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
In Atsuta Shrine, founded over 1,900 years ago, there is a sacred object of worship called Kusanagi-no-Mitsurugi: The Divine Grass-Cutting Sword. It is said that the princess Yamato-hime handed this to her nephew, Emperor Yamato Takeru, with the admonition, "Be thou circumspect, but by no means idle." Together with our members, I intend to pass down traditional culture in the spirit of the Divine Sword and to contribute to modern society.

It is said that bu (martial arts) should be kept within and not shown to the outside world.
The goal of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai is to give meaning to our daily lives with a humble heart, using our serious daily training as food for our souls.
The Kobudo, which were developed as techniques and tools for battle, were further refined during 300 years of peace during the Tokugawa era, becoming integrated not only into martial arts but also our culture and rules for daily life.
Its mindset and posture have been used as a model of daily behavior in formal etiquette as well as Noh and the performing arts. It would be an irreparable regret if Kobudo, the origin of various cultural heritages passed down to the present day, were to di e out.
It is my earnest hope that every one of you will continue to devote yourself to the precious traditions of Kobudo, into which the founders of each school and tradition poured their hearts and souls to realize, and handed down perfectly as if from one vesse l to another.
At the same time, as I mentioned earlier, I would like to ask for your efforts and dedication to applying the essence of Kobudo to modern society and daily life. Likewise, I hope that young people will be educated in true martial arts so that the spirit of classical martial arts can be kept alive in the hearts of the Japanese people.

The Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai was established in February 1935 at the suggestion of the late Manabu Matsumoto and was approved as an incorporated foundation on April 4, 1940. We have continued various activities such as Kobudo(classical budo) demonstrations, instructor training cours es, and Kobudo exhibitions. Although temporarily suspended due to the Greater East Asian War, activities were resumed after the war and continue to this day. Currently, with the participation of many schools, we hold many meaningf ul events in the year, centering on the November 3rd dedicatory demonstration at Meiji Grand Shrine, and including dedications to Ise Grand Shrine, Kamo Shrine, Atsuta Grand Shrine, and others, as well as many other shrines where dedications have been cust omary since before the war. In addition, as part of the activities of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai , we have published three issues of the bulletin "At the same, it can be said that interest in Kobudo is a trend in many fields and that many organizations, including the Budokan, have been paying attention to Kobudo and showing a deepening interest in the signs of its revival.
This is a great thing for Kobudo, but I do not think that there are that many people who love Kobudo, have a deep understanding of it, and can truly examine its future course based on their own experience. Considering this situation, I have high hopes for the future of the Soke, Shihan, and all those involved, who have a deep understanding of the significance of preserving these traditions as part of Japanese culture. In this sense, the members of the Kobudo Promotion Society are people important to Japan. To protect and promote this precious folk culture of Japan along with all of you, I would like to come together in this Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai and hope for the further development and prosperity of this society. Shinei's separate volume has been issued with this meaning in mind.

November 3, 1980