Chapter 1 General Rules

(Name)
Article 1. This Society is called the “Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai” (Japan Kobudo Promotion Society).

(Location)
Article 2. The main office of the Society shall be located at the residence of the Treasurer.

(Purpose)
Article 3. The Society will work to preserve and promote kobudo (classical budo) and pass on the traditional culture of Japan to the next generation. Kobudo is a traditional cultural property of Japan and the manifestation of the spirit of bushido (the way of samurai), while also playing a part in lifelong education, contributing to the cultivation of human qualities, the sound upbringing of young people, and the promotion of physical fitness.

(Business)
Article 4. The Society shall carry out the following activities in order to achieve the purpose of the preceding article:

①　Investigative research on each school of kobudo
②　Refinement and dissemination of each school of kobudo
③　Holding of commemorations for school founders, various gatherings of schools, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, etc.
④　Honoring the founders and designated preservation of historic sites
⑤　Collection and publication of documents and books related to kobudo
⑥　Preservation of classical weapons and armor
⑦　Application and proposal to the Japanese government and related organizations for certification as an intangible cultural property
⑧　Encouraging the spread of kobudo in schools and elsewhere
⑨　Publishing newsletters
⑩　Other projects necessary to achieve the purpose of the Society

Chapter 2 Members

(Members)
Article 5. Members of the Society shall be classified according to the following categories:

① Representative Members: Persons listed as successors of the relevant kobudo school, who have Japanese nationality or an address in Japan.
② Ryuha Members: Persons who have been registered as members by the Representative Member of their school and who have been entered in the member registration book designated by the Society.
③ Special Members: Persons who pay an annual membership fee according to the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai.
④ Honorary Members: Persons who have made a special contribution to the business of the Society or those who have donated the amount specified in the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai.

２　Representative Members shall pay the school registration fee stipulated in the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai at the time of admission. Members may not perform under or use the name of a school other than the one for which they have paid the registration fee.

３　Representative Members and Ryuha Members shall pay an annual membership fee and a separate admission fee at the time of admission to the Society. Both fees are specified in the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai.

４　Members who have not paid membership fees for more than two years, or whose whereabouts have been unknown for one year or more, or have been removed from the member registration list as prescribed in Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 2, shall be deemed to have withdrawn from membership.

(Admission)
Article 6. Those wishing to become Representative Members must submit a membership application based on the recommendation of two or more Directors. Furthermore, they must obtain approval from the Board of Executive Directors. The decision of the board is based on the results of an investigation by the Executive Director(s) in charge.

２　The membership application described in the preceding paragraph must explain each of the following items and must be accompanied by relevant documentation. Recommendation letters and membership application forms are specified in the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai.

① Transmission and lineage from the establishment of the school to the present day
② Conferment of menkyo (school licenses), densho (scrolls), etc. to applicants by predecessors
③ Details of the applicant's training from its beginning to the present
④ Statement applicable to Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 1

３　In principle, schools established after the Meiji period and those restored after the Meiji period are not eligible for membership.

４　Schools that have been transmitted together since before the Edo period (not including mere concurrent training) are considered a single school.

５　Special Members and Honorary Members shall be approved by the Board of Executive Directors with the recommendation of one or more Directors.

(Succession of the Position as Representative Member)
Article 7. The position as a Representative Member can be inherited by another person who meets the requirements of Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 1.

２　In the case of the preceding paragraph, a notification of succession must be submitted and approved by the Board of Executive Directors. The details of the notification of succession shall be stipulated in the implementing provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai.

３　In the notification of succession, the following items must be explained, and relevant documentation must be attached.

① Conferment of menkyo (school licenses), densho (scrolls), etc. from the current representative member to the successor
② Details of training from introductory to the present
③ Statement applicable to Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 1

(Disposition of Members)
Article 8. If a member defames the Society or acts contrary to the purpose of the Society, the President may, after a decision by the Board of Executive Directors, expel the member or take other action.

(Board Members)
Article 9.

①　1 President, up to 3 Vice Presidents
②　1 Secretary General
③　Several Executive Directors appointed from among the Directors
④　Several Directors appointed from among the Representative Members
⑤　A small number of Auditors
⑥　A small number of Councilors appointed from among the Representative Members

(Election of Board Members)
Article 10. The appointment of officers shall be in accordance with the following items. However, an Auditor cannot serve as another officer at the same time.

① The President and the Vice Presidents shall be elected mutually from among the Executive Directors.
② Executive Directors shall be elected by the Board of Directors.
③ The Secretary General shall be elected from among the Executive Directors by the board of Executive Directors.
④ Directors and Auditors shall be elected by the Council.
⑤ Councilors are appointed by the President.

２　Elections by the Executive Directors from among their members, as stipulated in item 1 of the preceding paragraph, shall be decided by a majority vote, after confirming the final intentions of all Executive Directors.

３　The time of the election of the incoming officers shall be in accordance with the below items.

① Councilors are usually appointed in January.
② Other Board Members are usually appointed in February.

４　The election of the incoming officers begins with the election of the incoming Directors by the Councilors. The elections continue in the respective meetings of the incoming officers.

(Duties of the Board Members)
Article 11. The President oversees the affairs of the Society and represents the Society.

２　The Vice President shall assist the President and act on behalf of the President in the event of accident or absence.

３　The Secretary General oversees the secretariat and is in charge of the general affairs of the Society under the order of the President.

４　The Executive Directors shall organize the Board of Executive Directors to discuss matters, assist the President and take charge of any matters under their responsibility.

５　In addition to organizing the Board of Directors and carrying out the matters stipulated in these bylaws, the Directors shall handle important matters according to the instructions of the President.

６　The Auditors shall audit the accounting of the Society.

７　In addition to organizing the Council and carrying out the matters stipulated in these bylaws, the Councilors can respond to inquiries from all Board Members and meetings, attend all meetings and state their opinions.

(Treasurer/Cash Auditor)
Article 11-2. The Treasurer (person in charge of accounting) shall manage the assets and accounting of the Society. The Cash Auditor confirms the deposit/withdrawal balance in the financial institution passbook every six months and also confirms large withdrawal slips exceeding 100,000 yen.

２　The Treasurer and the Cash Auditor will explain the details of the budget and the financial results at the board meeting. In addition, once every six months, they will report on the above to the Board of Executive Directors and communicate with the President, Vice President, and the Board of Executive Directors as appropriate.

３　The Treasurer and the Cash Auditor will be appointed by the President from among the Directors or Executive Directors. In principle, the Cash Auditor who confirmed the accounts of the previous term shall be appointed as the Treasurer for the next term. If this person is absent, does not consent, or is physically or mentally incapacitated, the President shall appoint the Treasurer from among the Directors or Executive Directors. The term of office of the Treasurer and Cash Auditor shall be limited to one term of three years. The same person may consecutively serve one term as Cash Auditor and one term as Treasurer or vice versa; thus, two terms of a total of six years.

４　The term of office of the Treasurer and the Cash Auditor shall be the same as that of the Board Members. The Treasurer and the Cash Auditor shall be appointed at the time of the election of Board Members. If a change in the person acting as Treasurer or Cash Auditor occurs during the term of office, the term of office of the successor shall be the remaining term of office of the predecessor.

(Term of Office of Board Members and Age of Directors)
Article 12. The term of office for Board Members shall be 3 years. The term of office of Councilors shall begin with the time of their election and shall end at the time of the election of the next Councilor. The term of office of other Board Members shall begin on April 1st and shall end on March 31st. However, reappointment is not precluded. If a change in 5 the person acting as Board Member occurs during the term of office, the term of office of the successor shall be the remaining term of office of the predecessor.

２　Directors must be under the age of 80 at the start of their term of office.

(Continuation of Duties)
Article 13. Regardless of whether the term of office has expired, Board Members shall continue to perform their duties until a successor takes office.

(Advisor and Participant)
Article 14. The President may appoint Advisors and Participants.

２　Advisors and Participants may respond to the president's inquiries or state their opinions on important matters.

３　Participants will be selected from among those who have made contributions related to kobudo in books, papers, etc.

Chapter 4 Meetings

(Meetings)
Article 15 Meetings shall be the meetings of the Board of Executive Directors, the Board of Directors and the Council.

(Convocation)
Article 16. The President shall convene the Meetings of the Board of Executive Directors and the Board of Directors at any time.

２　The Council shall be convened by the President when deemed necessary by the President or the Meetings, or when requested by one-third or more of the Councilors.

３　In order to convene a meeting, each member must be notified of the date, time, place, and agenda at least one week before the meeting. However, this shall not apply in case of emergency.

(Chairperson)
Article 17. The President shall serve as Chairperson of each Meeting. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall act as Chairperson, and in the absence of the Vice President, the Secretary General shall act as Chairperson.

(Resolutions)
Article 18. Resolutions at Meetings shall be taken by a majority of those present. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson has a tie-breaking vote.

２　Only when the President is acting as Chairman may the Chairman participate in the voting at Meetings of the Board of Executive Directors and the Board of Directors and cast the tie-breaking vote as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

３　Board Members who are unable to attend the meeting may cast their vote in writing on matters notified in advance or may be represented by other attendees at the Meeting. In these cases, the Board Member will be considered as having attended the Meeting.

(Written Resolutions)
Article 19. The President may send a written request for approval or disapproval of simple or urgent matters, in lieu of holding a meeting.

(Actual Cost Provision)
Article 20. In principle, the actual costs of transportation, accommodation and other expenses necessary for attending Meetings as well as expenses for other duties of the Society shall be paid in accordance with the implementing provisions or with the approval of the Board of Executive Directors.

Chapter 5 Assets and Accounting

(Assets)
Article 21. The assets of the Society shall consist of the following items.

① Membership fees
② Donations
③ Income generated from the business or assets of the Society
④ Other income

(Expenses)
Article 22. The expenses of the Society shall be covered by membership fees, donations, business income, and others.

(Asset Custody)
Article 23. The assets of the Society shall be kept by the President in the manner decided by the Board of Executive Directors.

(Capital Surplus)
Article 24. If a surplus arises at the end of the fiscal year, all or part of it shall be carried over to the next fiscal year or set aside as a reserve fund, by resolution of the Board of Directors.

(Budget and Financial Results)
Article 25. The budget of the Society must be approved by the Board of Directors before the start of the fiscal year. The financial results must be approved by the Board of Directors after the end of the fiscal year together with the opinion of the Auditors.

(Fiscal Year)
Article 26. The fiscal year of the society begins on April 1st and ends on March 31st of the following year.

(Access of Records)
Article 27. Members shall have the right to view documents regarding the business and financial results of the Society at any time.

Chapter 6 Miscellaneous Rules

(Implementing Provisions)
Article 28. The implementing provisions necessary for the enforcement of these bylaws shall be determined by the President after resolution by the Board of Executive Directors.

(Revision of Terms)
Article 29. Amendments to these bylaws shall be made by resolution of the Board of Executive Directors.

(Record Keeping)
Article 30. Minutes of Meetings, accounting documents, and other important documents shall be preserved by the secretariat for 10 years.

(Delegation Matters)
Article 31. The President concludes contracts on behalf of the Society with a trusted lawyer and a trusted tax accountant.

２　The lawyer will state his/her opinion on the legal issues of the Society. The tax accountant assists the Auditor as a third party in the settlement of accounts at the end of the fiscal year.

Implementing Provisions of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai

(Annual Membership Fee, Article 5 of the Bylaws)
Article 1. The annual membership fees according to Article 5 of the bylaws shall be as follows.

① Representative Members: 3,000 yen
② Ryuha Members: 3,000 yen
③ Special Members: 10,000 yen
④ Honorary Members: 100,000 yen
⑤ Registration fee for new members: 50,000 yen
⑥ Admission fee for representative members and school members: 5,000 yen

(Membership Application Form and Letter of Recommendation/Article 6 of the Bylaws)
Article 2. The membership application form shall be in accordance with the attached form (1).

２　The letter of recommendation shall be in accordance with the attached form (2).

(Notification of Succession/Article 7 of the Bylaws)
Article 3. The notification of succession shall be in accordance with the attached form (3).

(Application Form for Changing the Title of the Representative of the School)
Article 4. The application form for changing the title of the representative of the school shall be in accordance with the attached form (4).

Enacted and enforced on November 3, 1978
Revised on December 10, 2002, May 28, 2017, May 29, 2020 (Amendment of Article 2, addition of Article 11-2), February 21, 2021 (Addition of Article 31, Detailed Regulations Article 2, Form (1), Amendment of Article 3, Form (3), addition of Article 4, Form (4))

Only the original Japanese version of these bylaws and implementing provisions are binding. The English translation is only for the purpose of clarification.