Kendo is a type of Japanese traditional physical activity referred to as budo. Kendo is mainly practiced to develop one's mind and body. Kangeiko is a common style of traditional kendo practice that is held during the early morning in winter. Many kendo practitioners think that kangeiko training can improve patience, mental energy, personality, and morality. This belief is described in published kendo literature from premodern Japan. This study examined whether kendo practitioners were able to improve their mental and moral states through kangeiko by applying three psychological scale tests. The research was conducted in two stages. The first involved a literature review to examine the traditional budo mentality as well as the associated features that kendo practitioners expected to develop through kangeiko. This review confirmed two aspects about the budo mentality. The first was related to morals and ethics, while the second applied to psychology. The literature review also confirmed that kangeiko was expected to improve both of these aspects. However, premodern kendo literature tended to place more emphasis on the psychological aspects as opposed to the moral and ethical. Three psychological scale tests were then conducted to evaluate any mental improvements achieved through kangeiko regarding the two mental aspects of budo. These tests were given to kendo practitioners who participated in kangeiko from January 6 to January 13 of 2017. Scores were analyzed using a paired t-test. Posttraumatic Growth Inventory results revealed that the factors of “Relating to Others," “Personal Strength," and “Spiritual Change" significantly changed as a result of kangeiko practice. This may support the traditional belief that kangeiko is a useful way to achieve mental improvements.

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16H03223.

Budo refers to Japanese traditional physical activities that have been developed under unique Japanese natural, cultural, and historical circumstances. It has characteristics as a cultural body that is able to pass traditions down to the next generations. In recent years, gender equality has become a common social attitude in the sporting world, even in Japan, and it influences the traditional budo world. National budo federations have tried to follow this trend; however, the kendo federations in particular struggle to find a proper balance between tradition and gender equality. To address this struggle, it would be helpful to clarify the traditional ideology toward women in kendo. The purpose of this research is to analyze the descriptions in modern kendo literature to reveal the traditional ideologies toward women. The descriptions were cited from 43 pieces of kendo literature that were published between 1884 and 1981 and that were involved in “Kindai kendo meicho taikei. " The descriptions were categorized into ten genres including Families or general women, Interpretation of “tae 妙, " Ethics of Confucianism and Buddhism, Ideal mother and wife, Strong-minded women, Rejection of women, Female budo practices, Women in PE and gymnastics, Promotion of kendo, and Promotion of kendo to women. Nakabayashi (1973) noted that the contents that were discussed in female budo studies were limited to two topics, such as Ideal wives or mothers at home and Self-protection, in his previous research; however, this present research reveals that there are broader discussions related to women in modern kendo literatures. Although most of the ten topics appeared as simple short descriptions in the modern kendo literature, Teru Kagawa (1862 – 1923) and Tadao Nawata (1895 – 1974) in particular encouraged women to practice kendo, devoting much space to the topic in their works. It is interesting to note that, even though both encouraged women to practice kendo, the foundations behind their ideas were completely different. Kagawa insisted that women should be independent through kendo, and Nawata insisted they should follow traditional ideologies through kendo.