Investigations into the history of karate

The March 1921 karate demonstration in the courtyard of Shuri Castle, led by Funakoshi Gichin 船越義珍 (1868–1957) in the presence of Crown Prince Hirohito 裕仁 (1901–1989), celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Only a few photos of Hirohito’s short stay in Okinawa have survived. In the biography of Kenna Kenwa 漢那憲和 (1877–1950), Okinawan born former Navy Admiral and politician, who accompanied Hirohito on his trip to Okinawa and through Europe afterwards, there is a brief passage about the karate demonstration which gives hope that some more photographic material might exist somewhere after all: “At that time, Okinawa Normal School students, junior high school students, and agricultural and forestry school students were performing karate and jūkendō in the court of the castle. His Highness was very interested in karate and took a picture by himself.“ The book is written by Megumi Ryūnosuke 之介惠隆 (born 1954), a former Maritime Self-Defense Force officer, journalist and Japanese critic.