Nishinippon Budogu is a long-established manufacturer of bamboo swords and kendo armor, headquartered in Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture. For about 34 years since its founding, the company has been providing high-quality kendo equipment nationwide, and is known for its "Mugen" series of armor, which is known for being light and easy to use, and for its shinai made from real bamboo by Japanese shinai craftsmen. Currently, there are only a handful of Japanese shinai craftsmen in the country.Japanese craftsmen must not disappearNishinippon Budogu has a strong passion for bamboo swords. This time, we visited Nishinippon Budogu's Nakagawa Bamboo Factory for an interview. (May 2017)

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Junji Nishi, Representative Director of Nishinippon Budogu Co., Ltd.

Uncompromising passion for making bamboo swords

-When did your company start selling products as a shinai manufacturer? The president"I've been involved with bamboo swords for over 30 years. I started selling kendo equipment about 10 years ago." —Please tell us your thoughts as a manufacturer on making bamboo swords. The president"The majority of shinai currently in circulation are made from a type of bamboo known as Taiwanese Katsura bamboo. There are also shinai labeled as Madake, but we believe that it is not clear whether they are domestically produced or Chinese Madake, which is an issue. Rather than judging them to be good or bad, we believe that it is the role of manufacturers to convey the facts clearly, and that this is important. There are many excellent Chinese Madakes with a good finish, and of course domestically produced bamboo has its own merits. Our mission is to get more kendo practitioners to know about and use our shinai, which we believe will help ensure that Japanese shinai craftsmen do not disappear."

Tour of the bamboo sword factory

　Nakagawa Bamboo Factory, located deep in the mountains of Fukuoka

Sunagawa"Our brand "Josui" uses Bungo wood, "Kokusho" uses Kyoto wood,Both trees are cut down by craftsmen and sent to us. Incidentally, only about 5 to 6 percent of the material can be used to make 39 bamboo swords. -Surprisingly, the percentage of bamboo swords that can be used is small. Sunagawa"Yes, that's right. Every year, people from far away, including martial arts equipment stores, come to this factory to tour the materials.When we explain the manufacturing process, we ask that you specify the weight and thickness of the grip when ordering, such as how many grams, from how many mm in diameter, how many grams "approximately", how many mm in diameter, etc.It changes to "rank." -So on the contrary, it ends up being a rough order! Why is that? Sunagawa"I think it's because they understood the difficulties involved in the manufacturing process of shinai and the aspirations of the craftsmen. Also, while it is the craftsmen who make the shinai who are the ones doing the work, the craftsmen who cut down the bamboo also go through a lot of hardships. I think it's important for people to understand that reality. I would encourage anyone who practices kendo to come and see this factory, even if just once."

Huge amount of bamboo shavings

Do you think there is a shortage of craftsmen? Sunagawa"That's true. There are only a handful of them in the whole country." -Will your craftsmen not be able to share and spread your manufacturing techniques overseas? Sunagawa"The bamboo swords produced at the Madake factory in Kyoto are the color of Kyoto bamboo, and in Bungo are the color of Bungo bamboo. Each craftsman has a different drying method. The way the bamboo is "heated" and bent differs, and the way it transmits when struck also differs. That's why it can only be made here."

Managing Director Sunagawa

-I'm ashamed to say that I've only ever used madake bamboo a few times before, so I didn't really understand it. Sunagawa"It's not that products made overseas are bad. I think it's precisely because there are overseas factories that can manufacture more cheaply and quickly that kendo has become so popular." -I see. Sunagawa"However, at the same time, I believe we must preserve what is important and protect the techniques and wisdom of our ancestors, passing them on to future generations."

Inside the factory

　　Bamboo sword maker Shigemasa Ohashi

Sunagawa"About 10 years ago, our president had a desire to open a bamboo factory and nurture and preserve the craftsmen of the bamboo sword manufacturer. Mr. Ohashi had originally been making completely handmade bamboo swords called "Yamato," so we asked him to help us realize our "desire," and the bamboo factory was started. This resulted in the creation of a purely Japanese bamboo sword called "Josui."

Baking process

big bridge"This is the process of hardening the bamboo to make it stronger. It's a basic process for shaping the bamboo sword, but it's important."

Smoke is rising from the bamboo

—Do you mean this by pre-processing? big bridge"That's right. This is the process that craftsmen consider most important. If this process is not done properly, the whole process will not go well. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to straighten four pieces. Four pieces are straightened at a time. All four pieces are straightened in one set until the very end. This is bamboo oil."

　　Glossy bamboo

- Does it come out naturally? big bridge"That's right. In artisan jargon, this state is called 'the bamboo has boiled.' You can see steam coming out, right? Water is coming out of the fibers. We can judge the degree of doneness of the bamboo by the amount of water that has come out and the amount of oil that has come out of the skin. We then stretch this out and shape it. It's not good to overcook it, but it's also not good to undercook it."

Training young craftsmen

-Why did you both decide to become bamboo sword craftsmen? Tamura"I had never seen anyone make a bamboo sword, and there weren't many environments where I could do it, so I simply had an interest in trying it. I originally practiced kendo." Kusaka"I was curious to try it myself, so I jumped in."

Mr. Ohashi's successors, Mr. Kazuki Kusaka (left) and Mr. Yuya Tamura (right)

—What do you find rewarding about your job? Kusaka"When I made it for the first time, I was so happy just being able to turn it from a piece of bamboo into a shinai." Tamura"It makes me happy when I get feedback from sales staff that the product is in good condition. I also like it when customers are happy." -I look forward to seeing you two nurturing the next generation someday. Thank you for your time today. The product page of Nishinippon Budogu, who was interviewed this time, isCLICK HERE! interviewer ◎ Representative Director: Go Ueshima Born in Sendai in 1987. While in the Sendai High School Kendo Club, he studied under Mitsunobu Sato and made it to the top eight at the Inter-High School Championships. After graduating from university, he worked as the business development manager for a restaurant chain with 200 stores across the US. After working in sales at a foreign internet advertising company and as the head of the sales department and president's office at Innova Co., Ltd., he founded Bushizo Inc. in January 2017. ◎Director: Yusuke Kudo Born in Hokkaido in 1984. Graduated from Rikkyo University's Faculty of Law. While in school, he launched a free magazine and provided marketing support for an apparel brand. In 2008, he joined Yahoo Japan Corporation, where he worked in sales of advertising products such as search advertising and display advertising. In January 2017, he founded Bushizo Inc. He began practicing kendo at the age of six and continues to practice it to this day.