Getting Ready for 16WKC! Steering Committee Report No.11いざ! 16WKCへ向けて実行委員会報告 11

This month’s edition of Kenso featured the first half of the interview with Mr. Inoue Takehiko, the famous manga artist. He talked about his memories when he practiced kendo in elementary school and junior high school, and also about his concept for his designs for the WKC. In part 2 of his interview he will talk about how his work ethos and what he enjoys about kendo.

There is less than six months until the 16WKC, and the members of the steering committee are continuing to prepare at a fast pace. In this report I would like to update you all on the digital aspects of the championship. In recent years, the All Japan Kendo Federation has been streaming matches and transmitting information utilizing the Internet and digital equipment. Members of the Subcommittee of Information Transmission have been at the forefront of these innovations. For the 16WKC, the committee has been working on a new project for introducing digital screens to each venue to display the results as each match happens. Valid points will be shown on the screen instantaneously, and the results will be broadcast over the internet. This means both the players and the audience both in the venue and at home will be able to follow the action.

Another thing the committee is currently working on is the installation of electronic bulletin boards. Just like the ones seen in airports, these boards will display who will be competing at what time in what court. Additionally, all the matches will be streamed live via the internet. All of the matches will be recorded and digitally archived on the 16WKC website so that they can be viewed any time.

The 16 WKC webpage (16wkc.jp) is dedicated to the 16WKC, and will soon be updated for ease of use. This is just one aspect of the 16WKC, but there is so much more still to do. More than anything, we need some robots to keep working around the clock!