Investigations into the history of karate

Nakasone Genwa 仲宗根源和 (1895–1978) was man of many talents. In his youth he studied karate briefly with Itosu Ankō 糸洲安恒 (1831–1915) at Shuri Middle School from which he graduated in 1913. Later he probably also was taught by Yabu Kentsū 屋部憲通 (1866–1937) at the Okinawa Normal School. Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, he was a member of Tōyama Kanken’s dōjō in Tōkyō, edited and co-authored numerous books of the main karate masters who were direct students of Itosu Ankō. As a consequence, he certainly was the foremost karatedō historian of his generation. Later he gave up his close affiliation with the karate world but became an important politician in post-WWII Okinawa even advocating for Ryūkyūan independence early in the postwar period. A piece he wrote that is mainly unknown in karate circles is his article published by the newspaper Jitsugyō no Hawaii 實業之布哇 on 26 August 1938 titled Jūkendō to karatejutsu  柔劍道と空手術. 拳を以て護る (The way of jūdō and kendō and the art of karate. Defending with the fist) for which photos from his book Karatedō Taikan 空手道大観, that was published the same year, were used. The Jitsugyō no Hawaii, was a monthly industrial magazine, first published by Tōyama Sadako and edited by her husband Tōyama Tetsuo 当山哲夫 (1883–1971) in 1911. The magazine was popular, receiving articles contributed by many prominent Japanese leaders in Hawaii. It featured specific practical articles related to farming and conducting business in Hawaii as well as on political, economic, and social issues at that time.