Title: Jigoro Kano and The Kodokan: An Innovative Response To Modernisation
Author: Kanō Sensei Biographic Editorial Committee; compiled and translated by Dr. Alexander Bennett
Publisher: Kanō Risei, Kōdōkan Judo Institute
Publication Date: 2009
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 182, 6 ⅛ in by 8 ½ in
Cover Price: ￥2,095 (online)
Content
My last review of a biography of judo founder professor Jigoro Kano focused more on his role as a pioneering educator in late 19th and early 20th century Japan. In contrast, Jigoro Kano and The Kodokan explores Kano’s role in creating judo. It is based on the third chapter from a 750 page biography published in Japanese in 1964, titled 嘉納治五郎 (Kanō Jigorō). To write this version, translator Dr. Alexander Bennett, author of the book Bushido Explained, examined the 263 page third chapter. He re-examined and re-structured the content, and translated the result into English, creating a new six chapter book titled Jigoro Kano and The Kodokan.
Pros
There is a ton of interesting information in this book. I transcribed 12 pages of notes highlighting the details that I thought were worth extracting. Dr. Bennett’s prose is quite readable and the structure of the book is easy to follow. The black and white pictures included in this book are much larger than in the last Kano biography I profiled, with some of them occupying an entire page.
I appreciated the level of historical detail included in the book. For example, on page 48 readers learn that “[w]hen Kano started studying jujutsu, the main schools included Kito-ryu, Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, Totsuka-Ha Yoshin-ryu, Sekiguchi-ryu, Shibukawa-ryu, Takenouchi-ryu, Kyushin-ryu, Takenouchi Santo-ryu, and Ryoi Shinto-ryu.” On page 4 readers learn that “Kano acquired various scrolls from jujutsu systems including the Yoshin-ryu, Sekiguchi-ryu, Tsutsumi Hozan-ryu, Miura-ryu, Kyushin-ryu, Jikishin-ryu, Seigo-ryu, Muso-ryu, Teizen-ryu, Kiraku-ryu, Fusen-ryu, and Kanjin-ryu. He also collected documents related to kenjutsu (swordsmanship), kyujutsu (archery), bajutsu (horsemanship), sumo and other arts.” These are the sorts of details that help situate judo within the bigger jujutsu community.
Elsewhere, the book cites statements by Kano and his students. For example, on page 30, the book cites Kano, explaining other names he considered for the Kodokan: “The place where I teach judo is called the Kodokan. This communicates that I am not teaching merely bujutsu. Otherwise, I would have called my organization ‘Renbukan,’ ‘Kobukan’ or ‘Shobukan’ [where bu is the central objective rather than ‘do’]. The rationale for choosing Kodokan was based on the emphasis I place on ‘do’ (Way) and combative techniques as the agent for study, not the focus.”
Cons
I have very few concerns with this book. I noted that another reader posted a few quibbles online concerning the book’s accuracy. It is possible for a book written under the auspices of the Kodokan to offer a certain bias towards professor Kano and the institution he founded. However, I did not find any material to be significantly out of bounds compared to other biographical and historical sources I have read thus far.
The major “con” for the book might be its availability. I bought my copy from a vendor in Japan, which resulted in a price that might be outside the average reader’s comfort level. However, as it is difficult to find English language biographies of Kano, I considered it worth the price. Also, the book’s sources tended to be less formal, being embedded as references in the text.
Conclusion
I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.
I enjoyed reading Jigoro Kano and The Kodokan. The book proved to be a valuable resource for a few areas of research. It exposed me to aspects of professor Kano’s life and the development of the Kodokan that were new or significant. It is a bit thin if considered as a general purpose biography of Kano. As an overview of the Kodokan, especially in the early years, it is valuable and worth reading. One can purchase it through auction and used book sites, or from the Kodokan online shop.
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I enjoyed the book. Found it to have some information that I had not read before. A friend of mine purchased my copy at the Kodokan. Had to wait months before he visited me.