Saki Oishi

He began kendo as a club activity when he entered high school. He also joined the kendo club at university. He took a year off from university to spend a working holiday in Canada, where he experienced interacting with foreigners through kendo. After graduating from university, he worked as a Japanese language teacher at a school in Thailand while continuing his kendo, meeting many teachers and fellow kendo players in Asia. He then volunteered as a JICA volunteer in the Republic of Senegal in West Africa from January 2014 as a Japanese language teacher. In November of that year, he founded the Dakar Kendo Club, which he continues to this day. After completing his volunteer work, he worked for a local NGO, providing educational support.

What made you start kendo?

-Please tell us what made you start kendo. A large stone"I started when I entered high school, so I'm still only a third-dan. As a teacher, I want to get to fourth-dan as soon as possible. My older brother had always done kendo, so I wanted to start in middle school too. When I entered middle school, a good friend of mine joined a different club, so I was persuaded and joined the same club as my friend (laughs). When I entered high school, I felt like, 'I've finally started kendo'." -What do you think is the appeal of kendo? A large stone"I like the phrase 'Know your sword and love your love.' When I was a university student, I stayed in Canada on a working holiday visa, and through kendo I made many friends and expanded my network. Since then, I've grown to love kendo even more."

Current job

-Can you tell us about your current job? A large stone"Are you familiar with the Ashinaga Foundation? I was hired locally and work at the Senegal office, which is an offshoot of the Ashinaga Foundation. I recently returned to Japan on a business trip to the head office." -Specifically, what kind of work do you do? A large stone"We support students from Senegal to study abroad at high school or university. Sendai Ikuei Gakuen is the only destination for high school students. Starting this year, we have also started supporting students studying abroad at Japanese universities. I teach Japanese to students departing. We send many students to French-speaking countries such as France, Belgium, and Canada. It's not just about providing money; our goal is to create human resources who can play an active role as leaders in their own countries in the future, and we work with enthusiasm."'

Why we are trying to popularize Kendo in Senegal

-Why did you want to spread kendo in Senegal? A large stone"Because I like it. Before going to Senegal, I was in Thailand. I was hired locally at a school and worked as a Japanese language teacher." -Have you been to Thailand? A large stone"Yes. At that time, I was practicing kendo in Bangkok and other places." -You have a lot of international experience. A large stone"While I was in Thailand, I got to know Professor Nabeyama from Tsukuba University. When I returned to Japan from Thailand and decided to go to Senegal, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Nabeyama in Japan. When I told him that there were no dojos in Senegal, he said, 'I'll help you if you start one.'" -So you had support from Professor Nabeyama. A large stone"Nabeyama-sensei collected the armor that was no longer in use and sent it to Senegal. I am truly grateful." -It must be a little scary starting out all by yourself. A large stone"In addition to Mr. Nabeyama, we also had Japanese people living in the area who have experience in kendo come to practice with us, and we also had the opportunity to hear from a teacher who has popularized kendo in Côte d'Ivoire. We have been able to continue thanks to everyone's support."

Challenges in promoting kendo

-Are there any challenges in promoting kendo? A large stone"There are many issues, especially the fact that many people who start end up quitting. We started in November 2014, and currently there are about five or six Senegalese people practicing kendo." -What aspect of kendo did those five or six people become interested in? A large stone"There are people who are interested in the spirit of martial arts. There are many people who love Japan." -I get the impression that people in North America and Europe are often interested in the spirit of martial arts, but are there people in Senegal who are interested as well? A large stone"One of them used to practice judo. He quit judo, but he continues to practice kendo. I would be happy if he becomes a leader in the local area one day." -What is the current state of martial arts other than kendo? A large stone"There's also karate, aikido, and martial arts. I'm not sure exactly, but there's a large judo population. France is strong in judo, isn't it? Senegal was a French colony, so it seems to receive support from France and its instructors come to Senegal more often than other countries." -As kendo becomes more popular in France, will it have an impact on Senegal as well? A large stone"I think that's a possibility." -Are there any other challenges? A large stone"Nabeyama Sensei has advised me that it's important to raise money. If I have money, I can advertise and buy protective gear. I think raising money is also part of my job. I'm not a business person, so I'm not good at that sort of thing, but I feel that I need to face it in the future."

Donated by the All Japan Kendo Federation

-Have there been any advances in terms of dissemination? A large stone"The All Japan Kendo Federation donated a complete set of kendo equipment (20 sets of equipment, 20 bamboo swords, 10 sets of kendo uniforms and 10 hand towels). This was widely reported in the Senegalese media, and it helped raise the profile of kendo." *Source: Embassy of Japan in Senegal -That's amazing! A large stone"Yes, I was very happy!" -How did the All Japan Kendo Federation decide to make this donation? A large stone"We made the request several times. After careful consideration, they finally decided to donate it." -How do you recruit new customers in Senegal? A large stone"If we're invited, we'll go anywhere to demonstrate. We'll go to events related to JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), events like the Japan Festival, and martial arts events in Dakar. We also put up posters." -Currently, you are a Kendo Club affiliated with the Judo Federation. A large stone"Kendo is still small in scale, so it doesn't function as a federation. The president of the Judo Federation is understanding, and with their cooperation, we are working to popularize kendo. We sometimes take advantage of judo events to promote kendo."

What's needed is knowledge sharing

A large stone"Sometimes I get in touch via Facebook. The last time I was with someone from Tunisia, they started promoting kendo in 2013 and now have around 60 members. I wondered how they managed to gather so many members when they've only been in the country for about a year." -It's still only been about four years, right? A large stone"It seems there was a Japanese teacher there. There are no textbooks on how to popularize it, so I feel it is necessary to share success stories." -Is there no community for spreading the word overseas? A large stone"Maybe not. So we're just feeling our way around. I want to accumulate knowledge on both how to teach kendo and how to spread the word about kendo." - Mr. Oishi is working to promote kendo with a wonderful mindset.Honest and very powerfulThat was the case. Thank you for today.

Announcement from BUSHIZO

New articles, new product information, and special offersYou will receive this via email newsletter. If you register as a new user, you will receive aReceive 300 yen worth of pointsRegistration will take just 3 minutes. If you would like to register, we would appreciate it if you would do so.