KENDOJIDAI 2024.10
Composition: Teraoka Tomoyuki
Photography: Sasai Takamasa
Translation: Hoshino Maki
Twelve years since his first selection for Japan’s national team and six years since the last World Kendo Championships (WKC), Ando Sho’s path as a Kenshi has been inseparably bound with Japan’s national team. With his latest challenge as captain at the 19WKC, we dive deep into his unwavering devotion to Kendo and the profound resolve he has dedicated to the Japanese flag.
Three weeks after the intense competition in Italy, we visited Ando Sho at his alma mater, Kokushikan University’s Tama Campus. Since 2022, Ando has been serving as a lecturer there, following his previous role with the Hokkaido Prefectural Police in his home prefecture.
Welcoming us with a softer smile than usual, Ando seemed more relaxed— perhaps because we are familiar with the intense expression he typically displays on the tournament floor. Especially at the All Japan KENDO Championship (AJKC), he often carries an aura that discourages anyone from approaching, wielding his Shinai with unwavering focus in pursuit of victory. The WKC was no exception. Ando has always been the one who believed most strongly in Japan’s victory. However, particularly during the last two championships, Japan’s prestige rested heavily on his shoulders. Perhaps that’s why, with the weight of that burden finally lifted, Ando now radiated such a profound sense of calm.
“The intensity of pressure that comes with participating in the WKC is beyond anything I’ve faced in domestic competitions—a weight I’ve battled for 12 years. I am profoundly grateful to conclude my time on the national team with such a triumphant note. That’s the sentiment I carry now.”
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