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Japanese consul to honor kendo master
The Japanese Consular Office plans to present a prestigious award to a Japanese kendo master currently residing in the CNMI.
In an announcement from the Japanese Consular Office, Japanese kendo master Itsuro Hosoda would be awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation for fiscal year 2018.
Hosoda will be one of 205 recipients of this award, which is given to individuals with achievements in international fields. It acknowledges the recipients’ contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries.
Hosoda would be receiving the award in the Consular Office of Japan on Saipan at 11am tomorrow. The awarding ceremony is hosted by Izumi Seki, consul general of Japan in Hagatna, Guam.
The Japanese Consular Office noted that Hosoda, who is the president of Himawari Saipan Inc., is being recognized because of his efforts in popularizing kendo, which is a traditional Japanese martial art that descended from swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.
Hosoda opened the Kendo Hall called Kenbu-Kan in Himawari, and he is currently teaching kendo to around 40 primary school students and adults free of charge. Hosoda did a kendo demonstration at the recent Autumn Festival organized by the Japanese Society of the Northern Marianas and other events in the CNMI.
Hosoda has also hosted a lecture titled, “Spirit of Budo,” at the Northern Marianas College. Budo is a Japanese term describing martial arts. In 2011, Hosoda sent trainees to participate in a boys kendo tournament in Nippon Budo-kan in Tokyo as a special treat for participants from abroad.
“This is one of many examples [Hosoda] has made a tremendous contribution to promote friendship between Japan and the CNMI through this kind of exchange activity,” a statement from the Japanese Consular Office in Saipan noted.
