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Serving As Your Voice of the Nikkei Community Since 1902
Vol. 63, Issue 18 / April 23, 2008
Local Kendo Veterans Recognized by Consul General
By Shihou Sasaki
The North American Post
From left, Rod Nobuto Omoto, Kiyoshi Yasui, Consul General Mitsunori Namba, Pat Murosako and Paul Kurose.
Photo courtesy of the Consulate General of Japan in Seattle
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Four Kendo senior instructors, Sensei, were honored for their long-time cultural and community contribution by Consul General Mitsunori Namba. Rod Nobuto Omoto, Kiyoshi Yasui, Pat Yoshitsugu Murosako and Paul Kurose received the Consul General's Commendation in the 2008 Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival opening ceremony last Friday in the Seattle Center.
The four kendo masters still belong to their dojos and often show up themselves in the practice: Omoto of Tacoma Kendo Kai, Yasui of Seattle Kendo Kai, Murosako of Meadowbrook Kendo Kai and Kurose of Cascade Kendo Kai.
Omoto was born in Waihiwa, HI, in 1918. He attended Budo Senmon Gakko, a national kendo school in Kyoto, just before the outbreak of the War. He served for the Japanese Army during World War II and returned to the states in the 1950s. He, then, has been a regional and national kendo leader with his being Kyoshi seventh dan.
Yasui was born in Auburn in 1916 and raised in Seattle. He was educated in Japan as a Kibei until 1936. Starting kendo in high school in Japan, Yasui is one of those who restarted the Seattle kendo after World War II in 1957. Yasui owns a sixth dan.
Murosako was born in 1921 in Fresno, Calif. He started kendo in 1929 and has led the regional and national kendo in the 1970s. He is ranked Kyoshi seventh dan as well as Iaido Renshi seventh dan. He is also an advisor of the Musokai Iaido Dojo in Bellevue.
Kurose was born in 1928 in Tacoma and raised in Seattle. He started kendo at about age 10 and restarted it in 1960s after a nearly 20 years break. He is now kendo fourth dan.
Last year, The North American Post featured all of them as a series. In the interview, Kurose said the meaning of the Budo (martial arts).
"Jin (humanity), Gi (morality), Rei (courtesy), Chi (intelligence), Shin (belief) -. The five words are based on Makoto (faith), an inside spirit of kendo practitioners, Kurose said.
'Bowing means to be thankful for [your] opponents,' Kurose said. 'That's a courtesy. Kendo's good [thing for students] is to learn by themselves to realize these things.'"
Murosako explained its mentality.
"One move, one hit and no miss," Murosako said. "If you have a katana (sword), there is no second chance. And that mentality is what you have to carry on." Omoto spoke of his life in kendo.
"I've never thought of my life without kendo," he said. "Everything I do is kendo. Just do it, do it and do it -. It's a natural habit, no effort. Just thousand days of keiko, and then ten thousand days of keiko."
And finally, Yasui keeps saying his love in kendo.
"I wish I can do kendo until [age] 100."
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