December 21-22, 2025
National University Open Tournament
The CKF has been invited once again to send University students to attend the 19th All Japan Student Kendo Open Tournament, to be held in Okayama, Japan on December 20-21, 2025
Event Details
Itinerary TBD:
December 20 (SAT) – Day 1 of Competition
December 21 (SUN) – Day 2 of Competition
Location
Zip Arena Okayama
2-1-3 Izumi-chou, Kita-ku-Okayama, Japan
This opportunity is open to both men and women. We especially encourage women to apply.
The team (3-person team) competition is for kenshi 3 Dan and over. The individual competition is for kenshi 2 Dan and under. If we are unable to make a 3-person team, you will join another University team.
Candidates must be currently enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate program in a Canadian University. If you are interested in submitting your name, complete the Google Form by August 20th. If you have any questions, please contact Makiko Ara at [email protected].
Selection of the participating athletes will be made after the deadline, and final commitments to attend the tournament will be made in mid-September. This will give you time to make arrangements with professors for interruption to class attendance or exams.
Past Participants
Natasha Fracassi
Graduate Student, Simon Fraser University
“Really valuable experience in being able to play against and train with Japanese players and also the food was really good”
Yona Kushima
Undergraduate, Carleton University
“Having the opportunity to participate in this tournament gave me lots of insight on how I need to improve my kendo. It was a worthwhile and overall fun experience!”
Lesley Roberts
Undergraduate, McGill University
“I met a lot of new friends and got to experience different way of doing kendo. Practicing with universities and high schools was a lot of fun and gave me so much to work on.”
Alexander Schwab
University of Toronto
“The tournament was very different from tournaments here in Canada; the size and organization made it completely different from even our biggest tournaments back home. ”
Shingo Nichols
BCIT
“Meeting our hosts and making connections at the tournament was very heart-warming and I am looking forward to staying in touch with the new contacts that I’ve made in Japan.”
Keith Atiyota
University of Toronto
“Playing and even watching the tournament has helped me immensely in identifying aspects of my own kendo that I would like to improve and hone as I continue to develop my skills.”
2024 Team Experience
2023 Team Experience
