2025.8 KENDOJIDAI
Photography: Sasai Takamasa, Nishiguchi Kunihiko
Eiga Naoki
Eiga Naoki’s Resolve to Give Everything
On April 20, 2025, at the 23rd All-Japan Invitational Kendo 8th Dan Championship, Kyōshi Eiga Naoki captured his fourth crown, achieving his third consecutive victory. The three-peat was the first in the tournament’s history, extending his own record for most titles to four.
“This time, if I was invited, it would be my fifth appearance. I resolved that it would be my last. There is a saying, ‘Flowers are defined by the moment they fall, people by the moment they step away.’ Since May of last year, that teaching had always lingered in the back of my mind.”
From the All-Japan East–West Competition in September to the National Sports Festival (Kokutai), he continued training while confronting his own Kendo. Then, in February of this year, he received the official written invitation from the All Japan Kendo Federation to compete in the All-Japan Invitational 8th Dan Championship.
“Whenever I step into a match, I must do so with the firm resolve to achieve results. At the same time, the 8th Dan Championship has a stated purpose: ‘to present to Kendo enthusiasts the matches of 8th Dan masters whose Kendo has matured in both mind and skill, to test the true essence of Kendo, and to further deepen the general public’s understanding of it.’ Since the matches are broadcast live online to the entire world, I kept asking myself what it means to compete as Eiga Naoki.”
The moment of resolve came just before the tournament. He decided he would give everything he had.
“This will be my last time competing in a tournament that determines a champion. I resolved to put everything into my performance—my demeanor as I stepped onto the court, my Kamae, my voice, my preparation before techniques, everything. I am not particularly blessed with physical size. Since childhood, I have trained with the thought of acquiring even one more technique, and I have strived for a Kendo in which Men, Kote, Dō, and Tsuki can all become Ippon. I wanted to show that kind of Kendo, where every technique could be decisive, and I was determined to display all of my strengths.”
On the eve of the tournament, he was fortunate to have the opportunity to practice Kata with his mentor from Tokai University Daiyon High School (now Tokai University Sapporo), Hanshi Furukawa Kazuo.
“Even in Hokkaido, I rarely have the chance to train with Furukawa Sensei, but this time I tried to serve as the shidachi without being overwhelmed by his intensity. I was deeply grateful to be able to ask him for practice.”
Five Valid Strikes Secured
Carrying the Supporters’ Hopes into Battle
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