This study aims to elucidate the Bushido ideology of Nishimura Shigeki before “Bushido Boom”, a leading figure in moral education during the early Meiji period．

Although he highly valued Bushido in his writings from 1883 to 1887, he did not include its content when discussing the “national morality” of the Meiji era. In other words, although he valued Bushido, he did not link it to Meiji “national morality.”

From 1888 onward, his writings from the activities of Nihon Kodokai frequently featured discourse suggesting that anything contrary to Bushido was “rejected” - that is, suppressed by public opinion within Bushi society. He did not incorporate Bushido within the Meiji era’s “national morality”, from 1888 onward, but in promoting “national morality” through the activities of the Nihon Kodokai and improving Japan’s “atmosphere”, he believed that the “rejected” of those who violated morality, inherent within Bushido, was necessary.

Furthermore, between 1890 and 1893, Nishimura positioned Bushido -the “specialty” of Bushi society - as a means to enhance the “effectiveness” of morality, not positioned as within the “morality”. Then, he emphasized its inherent “punitive power” and linked it to the concept of “death.” This attitude, which was not to include Bushido within the content of post-Meiji “national morality,” represented a consistent stance from Nihon Dōtoku Ron. Moreover, the growing depiction of Bushido as associated with death after 1890, highlighting its inherent social “punitive power,” was viewed as an extension of the promotional activities intended to improve the “atmosphere” of Meiji Japan and disseminate “national morality” beginning in 1888.

In other words, while previous studies claimed that Nishimura turned his attention to Bushido after 1890 due to a bias toward “conservatism,” this study suggests that, through the Nihon Kodokai’s efforts to promote “national morality,” he gradually emphasized the importance of Bushido, based on the consistent relationship between “national morality” and Bushido since before that time．

The purpose of this study is to re-examine the “structure of questioning” on the permissibility of emotional expression at the moment of victory in Judo. In particular, the act known as the “victory pose” is used as a representative case for discussion.

In the field of Budo (Japanese martial way), showing emotion at the moment of victory has often been viewed negatively. The idea that “a Budo practitioner should control emotions and remain calm” has long been supported by educational, ethical, and cultural reasons. However, there are also rare cases where a defeated athlete has said, “I was saved by the victory pose.” Such positive responses challenge the common belief that losers always react negatively, suggesting that the meaning of emotional expression can vary depending on the relationship between competitors and the situation.

This study uses the ethical framework of Watsuji Tetsuro, especially his idea of the “human question” (Ningen no toi). Watsuji sees ethics not as a fixed rule of good and evil, but as something that is created and practiced within human relationships (Aidagara). From this viewpoint, the ethical meaning of an action depends on who performs it, toward whom, and under what circumstances.

The findings show that discussions about emotional expression in victory often lean toward denying it, fixing restraint as a self-evident norm. As a result, ethics becomes externalized as a rule, while the inner, relational aspect of ethics is lost. By applying Watsuji’s idea that ethics is generated within relationships, this study argues that the ethical value of emotional expression in judo is not fixed but can change within real human interactions.

In Japan, budo (martial arts) education in junior high schools became compulsory in 2012, aiming not only to improve physical fitness but also to foster respect for traditional culture and National Identity (NI). Despite these policy intentions, empirical evidence regarding the structural relationship between budo learning experiences and NI formation remains limited. This study quantitatively examined this relationship among adolescents, employing a framework based on Phinney’s Multi-group Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM).

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 684 junior high school students. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors for learning experiences: “Favorability and motivation toward Budo,” “Interest in Japanese culture,” and “Physical and social growth.” Regarding NI, confirmatory factor analysis validated a two-factor structure consisting of “Cognitive engagement/exploration” and “Emotional identification.” Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that “Interest in Japanese culture” and “Physical and social growth” (encompassing etiquette and respect for others) were consistently and positively associated with both aspects of NI. In contrast, “Favorability and motivation” showed no significant association. This finding suggests that simple recreational enjoyment alone is insufficient for fostering cultural identity. Instead, the results indicate that the educational value of budo lies in an integrated experience where intellectual understanding of tradition and embodied social growth are intertwined. Consequently, budo classes should be redefined as a multilayered educational practice that relates to NI through the integration of cognitive and embodied experiences. This study provides a new perspective on the role of somatic learning in cultural education. Future research should address causal relationships using longitudinal designs to further validate these structural associations.

In kendo, athletes with higher competitive performance are reported to possess superior coordination abilities (CoA), which determine the accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability of movements (Sugi et al., 2025). However, CoA has been noted to interact with other physical characteristics, such as speed, strength, flexibility, and endurance, making it difficult to isolate as an independent factor (Wonhort et al., 2021). Therefore, a multifaceted approach is required when evaluating CoA in kendo. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship between competitive performance, whole-body muscle mass, and CoA, focusing on muscle mass as a fundamental element of movement. Participants were 51 male university kendo athletes. The variables assessed were grade, competitive performance, years of experience, height, body weight, body fat percentage, whole-body muscle mass, and a suri-ashi test. Competitive performance was evaluated by the team coach and categorized into four groups (A-D). Body weight, body fat percentage, and muscle mass were measured using a body composition analyzer (TANITA), and the suri-ashi test was conducted based on previous research (Sugi et al., 2025). Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s rank correlation, and ordinal logistic regression. The ANOVA revealed significant differences in body weight (F (3, 47) = 3.40, P = 0.025), body fat percentage (F (3, 47) = 2.91, P = 0.044), and whole-body muscle mass (F (3, 47) = 4.01, P = 0.013). Multiple comparisons showed that body weight was higher in Group A than in Groups B and D, body fat percentage was higher in Group C than in Group B, and whole-body muscle mass was greater in Group A than in Groups C and D. Correlation analysis indicated that competitive performance was positively associated with body weight (r = 0.305, P < 0.05), whole-body muscle mass (r = 0.403, P < 0.01), and suri-ashi test performance (r = 0.306, P < 0.01), while no significant correlation was observed between muscle mass and suri-ashi. Logistic regression revealed significant associations of muscle mass (Exp (B) = 2.264, 95% CI: 1.286 - 3.987, P = 0.005) and suri-ashi (Exp (B) = 1.782, 95% CI: 1.015 - 3.124, P = 0.044) with competitive performance, although their interaction was not significant. These results suggest that both whole-body muscle mass and suri-ashi performance are important contributors to competitive performance in kendo. Moreover, the relatively high odds ratio of the interaction term indicates a potential synergistic effect, implying that planned integration of compound training with daily keiko may further enhance performance.