Abstract
This study clarifies the actual condition of the Budo teacher training, especially at Kokushikan Vocational School in the first half of the Showa era.
In the first half of the Showa era, the Ministry of Education approved three schools for Budo teacher training. They were Tokyo Higher Normal School, Japan Butokukai Budo Vocational School, and Kokushikan Vocational School.
The founding of Kokushikan Vocational School was approved by the Ministry of Education in 1929. In 1933, Kokushikan Vocational School was approved by the Ministry of Education to issue secondary school kendo and judo teacher licenses without taking any examination.
From 1933 to 1944,541 kendo major students and 360 judo major students graduated from Kokushikan Vocational School. In the same period, Japan Butokukai Budo Vocational School had 250 graduates in kendo and 265 graduates in judo. Tokyo Higher Normal School had 186graduates in kendo and 208 graduates in judo.
At first, only Japan Butokukai Budo Vocational School and Tokyo Higher Normal School were qualified for issuing license for teachers of kendo and judo. However, the numbers of eligible teachers were not enough at that time. It was then that Kokushikan Vocational School also started the Budo teacher training, which turned out to be historically important later on.
