Before I came to Japan, my sensei in Canada told me that the Butokuden in Kyoto was in his opinion one of the most beautiful
places in which to study kendo. Naturally it then went on my list of places to
visit and practice at.
The Butokuden is located on the north-west side of
Heian Jingu in Kyoto’s Sakyo ward. In fact, walking through Heian Jingu’s
beautiful gardens, one can sometimes hear the distinctive sounds of budo
practice coming from the Butokuden.
It is a lovely, Meiji era wooden structure with wide, open windows, a large, smooth floor and a simple yet beautiful interior. Despite being over 100 years old, it is still in use by clubs of various martial arts, as well as the stage for tournaments and tests year round.
After a steady 20 year resurgence of interest in
martial arts, Butokuden was built in 1895, along side Heian Jingu to
commemorate and promote the country’s long history of martial arts training and
culture. In its original purpose, the Butokuden was meant as a place of
training for those wishing to be recognized by the Dai Nippon Buko Kai, which
became the governing body of standardized martial arts in Japan after the
construction of the training hall.
In 1912, following many name changes, it became known
as Budo Senmon Gakko and was tasked with training future budo teachers in the
new, standardized ways of Japanese martial arts.
Study at Budo Senmon Gakko was a hard, all day affair:
From 6am to 7am students would have their morning
practice.
Breakfast would be held from 7am through 8am.
Lectures in Japanese language and culture would be
held between 8am and 12pm, followed by an hour for lunch.
A further two hour keiko was held between 3pm and 5pm
and the day was ended with another hour long ‘voluntary’ practice. However, it
was only voluntary in so much as if you skipped it without a good reason you
weren’t considered to be a member of the school.
After World War II martial arts training was
prohibited by Allied mandate and the building was confiscated by occupying
troops. The Budo Senmon Gakko was subsequently shut down.
It remained deserted and unused until 1951 when Kyoto
City bought back the Butokuden and used it as a training facility for the Kyoto
Police academy between the years 1952 and 1956.
Following this, the Butokuden was used by the Kyoto
City University Arts music club as a practice hall. This period of the
Butokuden’s history lasted until 1980 when the music club closed down.
This again left the Butokuden an unused property in
the hands of the city government. At this time, the All Japan Kendo Federation
along with the Kyoto Kendo Federation made an appeal to the city to use the hall
for its original purpose: as a place of study for martial arts.
Today, the Butokuden is surrounded by the Kyoto City
Budo Center, Kyudojo and sumo ring, and once again stands to promote the
physical and cultural growth of Japanese budo in Kyoto. It has been recognized
as both a Kyoto City Tangible Cultural Property and a Japanese Important
Cultural Property for being a shining example of a large, Meiji era wooden
structure.
Every year from May 2nd to 6th the
Butokuden hosts the Kyoto Taikai. Roughly 3000 participants from Japan and all
over the world participate in this annual competition. As the minimum dan
requirement is Renshi 6 dan, watching this tournament is a spectacular display
of high level kendo.
In addition to kendo, the Butokuden and its surrounding
facilities also provide training grounds for a range of martial arts including
aikido, judo, kyudo, iaido, sumo, naginata, karatedo and many others.
Through its long, varied and at times uncertain history,
the Butokuden has stood its ground as a beacon of the cultural and historical
significance of martial arts in Japan and has trained and inspired thousands of
students and teachers in Japan and abroad. It’s a definite stopping point for
anyone with an interest in kendo, wanting to breathe that cultural history.
Access:
One minute walk (east) from Kumano Jinja Mae bus stop
by City Bus.
Three minute walk from (north west) from Kyoto Kaikan
Bijutsukan Mae bus stop by City Bus.
Underground vehicle parking is located near Okazaki
Kouen.
Normal hours of operation: 9:00am – 9:00pm
Closed on New Year and holidays.
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