Getting Ready for 16WKC! Steering Committee Report No.7さあ! 16WKCへ向けて実行委員会報告 7

We have less than 300 days until the WKC. The Steering Committee members have been doing our very best to prepare for the championship so that around this time next year, we should be able to look back and appreciate the championship with deep satisfaction. We are receiving more correspondences from the public, and a long letter arrived the other day from a person who watched the 4th WKC in Sapporo in 1979. Based on the things he remembered in Sapporo, he was kind enough to list possible ideas for the next WKC. Things like that are quite motivating.

When I was in college, I served as a part-timer at the 10th WKC held in Kyoto in 1997. That was the beginning of my relationship with the world of kendo. Just a young kid though I was, I was so touched and impressed how the championship had been carefully devised. It featured not just matches, but details such as the entry procession led by women in traditional attire, boys’ matches, Nishijin-ori brocade exhibits, kobudo performances, Gion daiko drums, and all the traditional beauty Japan could be enjoyed by the audience. I hope that we will be able to put together a wonderful experience in Tokyo next year which reflects the best of Japanese hospitality, and hopefully trigger more interest in kendo.

Last but not least, I would like to answer some questions sent in to us.

Q1: I would like to volunteer at the championship. What should I do?
We have received inquiries regarding volunteering opportunities. Basically, we are planning to employ college students in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. There is, however, a possibility that it may not be enough, in which case we will announce the procedure to take on more volunteers. Thank you for your patience.

Q2: I would like to obtain the promotional posters. How can I do this?
So many people have inquired about how to obtain our promotional posters. We have distributed a certain number of posters to each prefectural kendo federation office. Regarding the surplus, maybe we can come up with a way of distributing them to individuals on condition that they will be used to promote the championship. Please note however that the posters are limited in number.