This paper aims to discuss the potential of anthropological approaches and their concepts for studying contemporary Kobudo (traditional martial ways), traditional martial arts disciplines still practiced in modern Japan. Today, many traditional martial arts are practiced worldwide, and several of them have been registered on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Therefore, there has been a growing movement abroad to consider the traditional martial arts of various regions as intangible cultural heritage. There is also a growing movement in Japan to regard traditional martial arts, known as Budo or Kobudo, as intangible cultural heritage/properties. Notably, the groups advocating Budo in Japan asked the government to add an article concerning Kobudo to the Law for the Protection of Culture Properties. Some local governments have established committees for Budo (and Kobudo) UNESCO heritage listing in recent years. Based on observations of these committees, there have been attempts to emphasize a connection between martial arts and the local history and lifestyle of the respective areas. However, there has been little research on the actual connection; thus, previous research has not been able to contribute to these movements. Therefore, from the perspective of supporting Kobudo’s registration as an intangible cultural heritage, further critical research on the actual connection between the martial arts and the local history and lifestyle of the specific area is needed. In this paper, we focused on the anthropological approach because anthropology is a discipline that pursues the connection between the culture and local history and lifestyle of an area. Then, we examined the anthropological approaches and their concepts that can be used to study contemporary Kobudo. Based on our research of anthropological approaches and their concepts, we concluded that the following three approaches provided valuable perspectives in the study of contemporary Kobudo: (1) Anthropology of Heritage, (2) Medical Anthropology, and (3) Ecological Anthropology. Therefore, these three approaches and their concepts should be considered in the study of contemporary Kobudo.

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The objective of this research is to clarify the purpose of dance in Ethiopia through examining the Ethiopian New Year's Festivals. At first, I researched the Ethiopian New Year's festival’s ceremonies in detail and then analyzed style, rhythm, and the movements of the dance. Ethiopia is a very "complex concept" with over 80 ethnic groups and languages and multiple religions. This culture developed because Ethiopia has been an independent country for 3,000 years. The development of Ethiopia's unique cultural practices and distinctive character arose from the period of 3 B.C. and was further influenced by the spread of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church starting in 4 A.D. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church had great influence on the formation of Ethiopia as a nation and was the national religion until the Ethiopian Empire collapsed in 1975. However, political intervention of religion led into a decay of ethnic culture and ideas, contributing to the decline of traditional faith. How is such a "complex concept" reflected in society and dance?I researched the Ethiopian New Year’s festivals in Addis Ababa on September 11 in 2014. The Ethiopian New Year "Enkutatash" is one of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church holidays, but people have been celebrating with ethnic customs differing from church rituals. It was revealed that the cause was a difference in interpretation of meaning and etiquette of the festivals among church officials who could understand Ge’ez language and those who could not. Additionally, the field study showed that in dances used in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church ceremonies, included both, characteristics of the religious and the ethnic dance. This may reflect ethnic culture and ideas. It became clear that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church accepted people, incorporating their ethnic culture, ethnic customs, and ethnic ideas in a tolerant position in connection with political intervention of religion. As a result, dance in Ethiopian New Year's festivals has two sides, religious and ethnic, and reflects the complex relationship between ethnicity and state through religion. Ethiopia is a drastically developing country, and its economy is developing. Along with this, people's lives have changed greatly, especially as the interest in religion among young people and opportunities for traditional dance have become less than before. In the future, I would like to consider how the role of dance will change in Ethiopia and what role dance will play through Ethiopian society.

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