{"id":172,"date":"2019-05-20T12:06:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T12:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mesh.tokyo\/JKA_dev\/?page_id=172"},"modified":"2020-06-13T15:16:10","modified_gmt":"2020-06-13T08:16:10","slug":"the-founder","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kendama.or.jp\/english\/history\/the-founder\/","title":{"rendered":"The Founder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n The Japan Kendama Association (JKA) was established by a kind and gentle author of children\u2019s stories in 1975. His name was Issei Fujiwara (\u85e4\u539f\u4e00\u751f). (Issei was his pen name, Kazuo was his given name)  The JKA has since become a large nationwide kendama organization.  The internationalization of kendama, which was his earnest desire, has also been realized thanks to the power and popularity of the Internet. Now kendama events are held all over the world. This enables kendama lovers to promote mutual friendships across borders and foster strong ties between cultures. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nFujiwara became a writer because of the influence of his childhood experiences and he decided to provide children with new hopes and dreams. Additionally, in the 1970\u2019s, popularizing kendama became his life\u2019s work. This became his mission and he poured his heart and soul into it for the remainder of his life. He felt the cosmic potential of kendama and wanted to pass it on to children in a positive and organized manner. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spread kendama throughout Japan utilizing strong-minded leadership while working energetically on unifying and codifying the techniques. He diligently organized promotion tests and passionately strove for the organization of national tournaments. He continued his activities not only because he hoped people would learn how to play kendama, but he hoped in his heart that through kendama people could make friends while cultivating a gentle mind that allows people to help each other.  This is part of the concept behind Kendama-d\u014d \u201cThe Way of Kendama.\u201d  His spirit has been inherited and passed down to the JKA members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n The following is a brief biography of Issei Fujiwara.  This helps to introduce the spark that became the heart of the JKA. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Childhood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kazuo Fujiwara (May 1, 1924 –\nFebruary 27, 1994) was born and raised in Tokyo. However his parents divorced\njust after he was born. He lived with his father who worked in a printing\noffice. His father was a heavy drinker and he turned nasty when he drank. It\nwas not an uncommon occurrence for Kazuo\u2019s father to leave home for days\nwithout giving him any money to survive. Kazuo was always lonely and never ate\nproperly or enjoyed having enough food. Unfortunately the adversity made him an\nobstinate child who didn\u2019t open his heart to anyone. He used to play kendama to\nforget his loneliness. Kendama was his lantern in the darkness of despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Fateful Encounter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When he\nwas six years old his father mysteriously disappeared. Kazuo was then adopted by\na nearby church. Father Ichiro Ono, the priest he met there, greatly changed\nhis outlook on life. Years later in life Issei wrote an episode about the\npriest in one of his children\u2019s books. Here is the introduction to the story to\nillustrate his turning point. The hero was a poor lonely boy named Kazuo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The\nstory begins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am\nlonely. I don\u2019t have a mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t\nknow where my father has gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nstory continues: To ease his great loneliness one day he steals some money from\nthe church even though he knew it was illegal and immoral. One of the kind\npriests noticed it and yet he didn\u2019t scold Kazuo. Instead, he prayed to God,\n\u201cKazuo is not a bad boy. He just wants love from his mother.\u201d When Kazuo saw\nthe priest\u2019s red eyes filled with tears he cried as well.  All the deep pent up emotions of his yearning\nheart came rushing out like a great flood. Kazuo learned that he was not alone.\nHe noticed that the priest was deeply worried about him and wanted to share in\nhis sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kazuo\ncharacter is actually based on Fujiwara\u2019s own childhood and the priest is Father Ono. \u201cWe can live by\nbelieving and being considerate to each other.\u201d Issei wanted to convey this message\nto children by writing about his experience. \u201cThe Red Eyes” was published\nin 1976. The book was reprinted again and again for more than 10 years.  The book became a long time best seller to be\ncertain.  This was an exceptional case\nfor an original children\u2019s story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n