Sam Zhou (3-dan, CNF Media and Communications Officer) had the chance to practice at several different dojos across Japan. Here are the highlights:
I had the opportunity to spend several months in Japan and to visit 4 different dojos from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and it was interesting to see how different kinds of practices were done.
Sapporo
I went to a couple of dojos in Sapporo (there are essentially only 2 dojos in Hokkaido, and both are in Sapporo). The Chuo-ku Kitagas Arena dojo is a community dojo mostly attended by elderly women. Practices there focus primarily on datotsu (basics) and shikake-oji, with some kata occasionally. I also went to the high school practices at Hokkaido Sapporo Intercultural and Technological High School with UTNC alum Andi Li. High school practices are a different pace: around 3/4 of it is bogu practice. The club is mainly run by older students and university students who are alumni of the high school. They were preparing for Interhigh, so they were doing many repetitions of drills. Practices were 4 hours on the weekends, with water breaks every half hour for 10 minutes or so, then back at it again with more datotsu, short strikes, nuki-waza, and enjin-geiko (circle keiko). They also made up fun exercises to practice the timing of strikes.
Kobe
I also travelled to Kobe to practice at the Oji Sports Center dojo with Lutan Liu (UTNC alum). This was again a community dojo, but with a different range of participants. Here, people are of all ages, from middle school girls and their dads to older adults in their 40s-50s and up. There’s something for everyone.
They were actually doing Jikishinkage-ryu practice before naginata, so I tried it out and learned the first 3 katas. It was a very unique and interesting experience, and I highly recommend trying it, even though it is pretty difficult to pick up (essentially everything about it is different from atarashii naginata!).
Bogu practice was led by Lutan, and I got to keiko with students from a nearby university who want to start a new naginata club.
Kumamoto
The following week, I went to Kumamoto. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck there the day before my flight, but since my flight wasn’t cancelled, I went anyway. Kumamoto itself was still in functional shape overall; it was hit much harder further south in the city of Uki, which was the epicentre. Life went on after the earthquake, though there were small aftershocks rolling through in the evenings.
I went to visit Reigando Cave, where the famous Miyamoto Musashi spent the last years of his life writing The Book of Five Rings, among other works. I thought I’d pay my respects and do a little hike through the mountain highways, among kumquat trees and bamboo forests.
My main goal in Kumamoto, though, was to attend a naginata practice. The Interhigh competition was coming up, and to prepare, Kumamoto Daiichi High School held a special training practice on the weekend. A friend I met through the INF, who worked in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program, practices regularly at that high school, so I got to attend this practice.
Kumamoto used to be a powerhouse for high school naginata, with Kumamoto Nishi High School winning 5 consecutive team championships back in 2001. They were supposed to come to this special training too, but with the earthquake, they weren’t able to make it. I got to keiko a bit with the students. They were very fast, and you could tell that they are a very strong team.
I hope by sharing these experiences and stories that naginata practitioners outside of Japan can get a better idea of what practices at dojos are like around different parts of Japan. If you are travelling to Japan and want to practice naginata there (and are a member of the CNF), make sure to contact the CNF (ideally a couple months beforehand) and we could potentially help connect you!
- September 17, 2026
