Japan Karate Tour 2023 by CollegeKarate

MIT HARVARD KARATEDO HUB

JAPAN KARATE TOUR 2023 November 16 - 26, 2023 KARATE DIPLOMACY

DETROIT

SAN FRANCISCO

TORONTO

BOSTON

BEIJING

FRANKFURT

HONG KONG

MUNICH

WASHINGTON D.C.

College Karateka Student Delegation flying from Detroit, Munich, Beijing, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Toronto, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Boston arrived in Tokyo, Japan and participated in several trainings in various cities from November 17 to November 26, 2023.

Japan

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INFOGRAPHIC - JAPAN TOUR 2023

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KARATE TOUR ACTIVITIES MAP

KYOTO Tour of Kyomizu-dera Temple

OSAKA Osaka Institute of Technology

FUKUOKA

Kyushu Sangyo University Kyushu University Seinan Gakuin University

TOKYO NARA

Todai-ji Temple Horyu-ji Temple

KUMAMOTO Kumamoto Castle

ASO Aso Mountain / Volcano

Tokyo Institute of Technology Nihon University Meiji University Nihon Budokan for 67th All Japan University Karatedo Championship

TOKYO Tokyo is the capital city of Japan, located on the eastern coast of Honshu island. It is the most populous city in Japan and one of the most populous cities in the world, with over 13 million people in the city proper and over 37 million in the greater metropolitan area. Tokyo is known for its vibrant and dynamic culture, advanced technology, efficient transportation system, unique fashion and food, and its beautiful blend of traditional and modern architecture. The city is home to numerous landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace, and the iconic Shibuya Crossing.

OSAKA The third most populous city in Japan, following the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Osaka has a population of 2.7 million in the 2020 census. It is a major financial center of Japan, and it is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in Japan. The city is home to the Osaka Exchange as well as the headquarters of multinational electronics corporations such as Panasonic and Sharp. Osaka is an international center of research and development and is represented by several major universities.

KYOTO The capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years (from 794 to 1868), Kyōto is the center of traditional Japanese culture and of Buddhism, as well as of fine textiles and other Japanese products. All Japanese try to go there at least once in their lives, with almost a third of the country’s population visiting the city annually. Several of the historic temples and gardens of Kyōto were collectively added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.

NARA Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan from 710 - 794 AD. It is a captivating city nestled in the Kansai region, renowned for its rich cultural heritage. Home to Nara Park, where Sika deer roam freely among historic temples and cherry trees, the city encapsulates the essence of Japan's past. The Todai-ji Temple, housing a colossal bronze Buddha, highlights Nara's significant role in Buddhist history. With narrow streets, traditional machiya houses, and vibrant festivals, Nara invites visitors to experience the beauty and tranquility of Japan's ancient capital.

FUKUOKA

Fukuoka, situated on Kyushu Island's northern shore, seamlessly blends tradition and modernity. This dynamic city is a vibrant hub known for its bustling urban scene, iconic Fukuoka Tower, and rich culinary culture, highlighted by the popular Yatai food stalls. With historical treasures like Ohori Park and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Fukuoka offers a perfect fusion of Japan's cultural legacy and contemporary lifestyle, making it a captivating destination for diverse and enriching experiences.

DAY 1 - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 The team arrives in Tokyo and settles into our hotel Best Western Tokyo Akasaka. Our dear friend Eriko and her twins Uta and Arata come to greet our team to welcome us all in Japan.

TOKYO

Komine san organized a formal welcoming dinner during our first night in Tokyo at the Italian restaurant Grigio la Tavola in Akasaka. Euri, a BU alum and Tokyo resident, as well as Shuzo (Nihon University) and Izuka (Shibaura Institute of Technology) came to welcome us. Shuzo san and Izuka san were part of the JUKF visiting delegation visiting Boston from 2 months ago in September.

DAY 2 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18

We started off the day with a morning Karate training at Tokyo Institute of Technology. Lorraine, Amandine, and Julia were representing our MHKH team to perform a special kata performance of Jion at Nihon Budokan in the tournament on Sunday. Vazrik prepared the synchronization and final details of the kata in preparation for this performance. After training, Eriko san, Kenta san, and the twins Uta and Arata took us out to lunch at the restaurant Tsukasa so we could catch up and exchange gifts for the kids. Uta and Arata had worked hard to prepare gift bags for our delegation.

NEMOTO SENSEI SEMINAR AT NIHON UNIVERSITY In the afternoon, we had a very special seminar hosted at Nihon University with many of our Japanese karateka friends from Nihon University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology. The class was taught by Nemoto Sensei, an alum of Chiba Industrial University, focused on kihon fundamentals to develop better Karate overall and for improving kata and kumite.

We took a group photo with all of our country flags and our university flags, showcasing our diverse representation. The countries included Armenia, Brazil, India, France, Russia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Canada, USA, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago. The Universities included Boston University, Wellesley College, Georgetown Law, Harvard University, Nihon University, University of Texas, Lesley University, MIT, Cornell University.

Shuzo san

Osada Sensei and Tanizaki Sensei

Komine san and Vazrik

At night after the training, we had a Tokyo welcoming party hosted at Meiji University. They hosted us with food, drinks, and wonderful company from all of our Tokyo area friends. Osada Sensei (Vice President of the JUKF) gave a nice welcoming speech, and introduced the plan for our visit to Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. He introduced us to Tanizaki Sensei, head of the Kyushu University Karate Federation (KUKF) and member of the JUKF. Vazrik gave a speech thanking everyone for their warm hospitality and for making these dreams a reality and offering students an opportunity to visit Japan, train Karate, and make lifelong friendships. Shuzo san from Nihon University gave a touching speech, describing how he was inspired by the power of Karate to connect people all around the world, and how grateful he was to have visited Boston in September and to see us all again here in Japan. This was a wonderful example of what we call Karate Diplomacy.

We had a gift exchange with our Tokyo area friends. We also gave all of the Tokyo area Karateka who had visited Boston a copy of our photo album we developed, showcasing all of the activities they experienced in their 1-week stay in Boston in September.

Uchida Family at Nihon Budokan

Nobukawa Sensei

Yamaguchi Sensei

DAY 3 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Today was the big day at Nihon Budokan! We woke up early to go and prepare for the opening ceremony, which includes more than 200 universities from all over Japan for this annual All Japan University Karatedo Federation Championship. Our friends Eriko san, Kenta san, Uta san, and Arata san came to cheer on Lorraine, Amandine, and Julia for their Jion Kata demonstration. We had a chance to meet our Karate friends Nobukawa Sensei and Yamaguchi Sensei during the championship.

MATSUKURA SENSEI (JUKF PRESIDENT) WELCOMES VAZRIK AND MHKH DELEGATION TO JAPAN

Matsukura Sensei (President of the JUKF) gave a warm welcome to our delegation and was excited for us to have a fun and educational time on our journey from Tokyo to Osaka to Fukuoka.

MHKH OFFICIAL PRESENTATION AT NIPPON BUDOKAN

Osada Sensei and Komine san were able to organize a very special front-row table for our visiting delegation to watch the tournament from the 1st floor (the competition floor). The 1st floor is normally reserved for all of the JUKF board members, judges, tournament organizers, and the media, so it was a great honor and privilege to have frontrow seats to this epic event at the world-famous Nihon Budokan. This was a beautiful example of the power of altruism for us and the bonds we have created over the years of our exchange. Lorraine, Amandine, and Julia performed a very synchronized, powerful Jion together. Afterward, Komine san helped the tournament organizers introduce each member of our visiting delegation to the crowd at Nihon Budokan.

NIPPON BUDOKAN

The Nippon Budokan was built as a martial arts venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It has a capacity for over 14,000 spectators and is modeled on the octagonal Yumedono (Hall of Visions or Hall of Dreams) in Horyuji Temple in Nara. The Beatles were the first western pop group to perform there in 1966, Later in the 1970s 'live at the Budokan" albums were recorded by artists and groups such as as Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick, Santana, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Deep Purple. In 1976 boxer Muhammad Ali fought a bout with Japanese pro-wrestling legend Antonio Inoki at the Budokan. "Japan Martial Arts Hall” is staging national martial arts competitions of all kinds including Aikido, Judo, Karate, Kendo, Kyudo (Japanese archery), Naginata and Shorinji Kempo. Professional Wrestling and Kickboxing events are also held at the Budokan. 18

Tokyo Train Station

Mount Fuji

SHINKANSEN EXPERIENCE

After the tournament at Nihon Budokan, we took the shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka with the OIT Karateka.

Osaka by Night

OSAKA

We had our first dinner in Osaka in the train station with the OIT students and instructors, enjoying Italian food together.

DAY 4 - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 We started the day at our favorite breakfast place Cafe Gusto, with the Neko Robot. During breakfast, we discussed the Karate and sightseeing plans in Osaka for the next few days.

Special Tea Ceremony at OIT

In the afternoon, the OIT students had organized a very special tea ceremony with a tea expert from Ito En.

Thank you Yada san!

For lunch, Yada san provided a very special beef boxed lunch for us after the tea ceremony. It was a delicious lunch that we were grateful to eat, and he had provided as a thank you for all of the hospitality we had shown during his visit to Boston in September 2023.

Julia, Nonoka, Amy, Sophia, and Amiru in Kyoto

KYOTO

In the afternoon, the group split so that students who were coming to Japan for the first time with our group could go sightseeing in Kyoto, and the students who went sightseeing last year in Kyoto got to go to Nara. The students who went to Kyoto with the OIT Karateka friends got to see Kyomizu-dera Temple and bond together.

NARA

The other group went to Nara to see two famous temples - Todai-ji Temple and Horyu-ji Temple. Teramoto Sensei who visited Boston in September, helped organize this portion of the trip to give us a tour of Nara, to give us a chance to visit these special temples, and to meet the deer of Nara.

JUKF - MHKH BOND OF FRIENDSHIP We visited the traditional Todai-ji temple of Japan's first permanent capital, Nara. Sensei Osada (JUKF Vice President), Vazrik, and Cassiano celebrated the friendship between the JUKF and the MIT-Harvard Karatedo Hub (MHKH) by donating a tile that will be used in the ongoing restoration of this historic temple listed by UNESCO.

OSAKA

At night after our day of sightseeing, we had dinner with the OIT students and instructors together in downtown Osaka, enjoying okonomiyaki and yakisoba as a meal. We got to reminisce on our fun experiences during our last year’s visit to Japan as well as the OIT visit to Boston in September.

DAY 5 - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Today the group split to go do different activities. Vazrik and Cassiano met with Komine san to discuss future JUKF and MHKH collaborations and activities. The ladies went to see the Pokemon, Nintendo, and Ghibli stores in Osaka, while the men went thrift shopping.

In the afternoon, Osada Sensei and Nobukawa Sensei had organized a Karate training for all of us in the (OIT) Osaka Institute of Technology gym. Nobukawa Sensei taught an intense Karate lesson focused on kihon details of using the ground ankle to generate power for kicks and for stepping movements in ido kihon. He also reviewed Jion as a special Shotokan kata as our MHKH team had performed Jion at Nihon Budokan this past Sunday for the special kata demonstration.

NEW MHKH-JUKF BLACK BELTS 2023

Japan University Karatedo Federation JUKF New Black Belts at Osaka Institute of Technology congratulations to Amy Liu, Ricardo Harripaul, and Zeng Wing Tan for receiving their dan certificates and black belts from Osada Sensei Vice President of JUKF.

FAREWELL PARTY IN OSAKA At night after the Karate training, we had a special farewell dinner party at a Shabu Shabu Restaurant. We enjoyed so many wonderful delicacies together. The students were able to get to know each other even better and learn about each others dreams for Karate, their educations, careers, etc. Osada Sensei, Vazrik, Cassiano, and Lorraine all gave speeches highlighting both gratitude for our past experiences together, as well as the future opportunities we hope to continue to share. The MHKH team provided the September JUKF Boston visit photo album as a gift for the students to cherish the memories we built together.

ARTIST AKETA ROCKN BEAT FASHION Artist Aketa (@rockn.beat.fashion) gifted MHKH Delegation with a unique, beautiful necklace featuring jewelry with the symbol of the Osaka Institute of Technology Karate team. We were honored to receive this gift and many of our students wore the necklace throughout the rest of our Karate journey in Japan.

DAY 6 - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

The next morning, we said farewell to our Osaka Karateka friends, and took the shinkansen from Osaka to Fukuoka. On the train ride, several of our Karate students practiced synchronized kata in their synchronized nap together.

Our first day in Fukuoka involved visiting Kyushu Sangyo University (KSU). After dropping off our things at the KSU dormitories, we met with the KSU professor who was the advisor to the Karate club, Professor Isogai Hirosai. He studies sports psychology, and our MHKH team introduced themselves and their education / career paths.

We had our first Karate training in Fukuoka with the Kyushu Sangyo University Karate club. The training focused on developing speed for jiyu kumite with unique drills that helped develop hip flexor flexibility and strength. We also practiced kumite techniques against pads for power development.

After training, we met with some of the KSU students at Fukuoka’s Hakata Station and visited its beautiful Christmas Market. We wandered through the fun stalls of food and souvenirs and shared churros and hot chocolate while listening to live performers

Kaio Sensei, very well known Sumo Championship received a gift from Vazrik Sensei

Tanizaki Sensei and Vazrik discussing Karate over Chanko Nabe

DAY 7 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Another exciting day! After a quick breakfast at the KSU dorm where we were staying, we had the privilege of attending a Sumo training at Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine. Our team had front-row seats to watch the Sumo train. After offering thank-you gifts, we then had the incredible opportunity to share the Sumos’ post-training hotpot meal, Chanko Nabe, and to learn more about their special training regimen and discipline.

Ricardo Sugano or Kaisei Ichirō is a former professional sumo wrestler (rikishi) from São Paulo, Brazil. A third generation Japanese Brazilian, Kaisei made his debut in September 2006 and reached the top makuuchi division in May 2011. His highest rank was sekiwake.

Kyushu University

In the early afternoon, we visited Kyushu University and trained with their Karate team. This training was focused on strengthening kihon and reviewing Shotokan kata. After practicing Heian Shodan and Jion together, we shared a late lunch with the students and exchanged contact information with our new friends.

In the evening, our team met with the Kyushu University students for a wonderful sushi dinner near Hakata Station. We bonded more closely with our friends, sharing our interests and discovering common tastes in music, poetry, and other topics! The students told us about some of their passions to do graduate school at MIT, or to be authors in multiple languages! #MoreThanKarate

DAY 8 - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Today, we went to visit Seinan Gakuin University and trained with their Karate team. The intensive but very fun training introduced various kumite drills to develop speed and reaction time, while also perfecting our punches and kicks. The club practices Goju Ryu, so there were unique kihon drills that aimed at developing both inward tension strength as well as outward tension strength in the legs for use in kumite.

We exchanged gifts with our Seinan Gakuin Karateka friends. The Sensei of the club thanked us for coming to Japan and visiting the university, and told us that many years ago many guests from outside Japan had also visited their university, and our visit ignited the fond memories he had of Karate exchanges. #KarateDiplomacy

After Karate training, we joined the Seinan Gakuin Karateka to experience lunch as students in their cafeteria. We made plans for spending more time together in the evening, and thanked them for the fun Karate training opportunity.

At night, we went to Hakata Station and enjoyed a live violin music concert at the Christmas Market. We bonded with the Seinan Karateka and learned about their previous experiences visiting the US in study abroad programs, and encouraged them to visit Boston in the future September 2024 JUKF US visit.

DAY 9 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25

KUMAMOTO

Day trip! The Boston team had the chance to visit the Kyushu area. Nobukawa Sensei kindly rented a bus for all of us, along with Osada Sensei, Hashimoto Sensei, and Kobayashi Sensei. He personally drove us first to visit Kumamoto Castle, a beautifully preserved historical site now turned into a museum.

ASOYAMA VOLCANO After a delicious ramen lunch, we went to visit Asoyama and its active volcano, recognized as a UNESCO Geopark. The crater was remarkable as it was continuously emitting smoke and fumes.

FAREWELL PARTY IN FUKUOKA Getting back to Fukuoka, we had our farewell reception at KSU, eating good food and bonding with the students and senseis who kindly hosted us. We ended the night with a gift exchange between our teams.

JAPAN-CAMBODIA ALTRUISTIC PROJECT

For more than 10 years, Nagasaki University professor Yuji Watanabe has led a project to donate karate uniforms to young karatekas in Cambodia. We were very happy to learn about this inspiring action and exchange karate journey between Japan and Cambodia at our farewell dinner in Fukuoka. Legitimate example of building bridges and altruism in action and karate diplomacy.

DAY 10 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Our last day! The Boston team left Fukuoka by plane and by Shinkansen. Most of us, flying back to Haneda airport in Tokyo, shared a final team lunch before catching our flight back to the U.S. See you soon Japan!

Master Chef Lorraine

Liwen Cai with Wenyi Jiang on Facetime from Shanghai

We took our flight from Fukuoka airport to Haneda, and after getting through security, we enjoyed Yakiniku lunch together. It was an opportunity to reflect on the various experiences we enjoyed in Japan. In addition, we had a very special surprise after getting lunch at Haneda airport. Our dear friend Liwen Cai, a BU alum and Karateka, was visiting Japan for work and met us in the airport. We were able to catch up with Liwen, and also Facetime with Wenyi Jiang in Shanghai (another BU Karate alum) and make plans to help her plan her path to getting her black belt.

JAPAN TOUR DELEGATION 2023 BOARDING PASS

BOARDING PASS Passenger Name VAZRIK CHILOYAN

Nationality

ARMENIA / USA

BOARDING PASS

BOARDING PASS Nationality

Passenger Name

BRAZIL

ANSELMO CASSIANO

University MIT/HARVARD

Nationality

ECUADOR

JOSE DELGADO

University CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Nationality TRINIDAD & TOBAGO/CANADA

LORRAINE SIN

HONG KONG /CANADA

University

Passenger Name NIKITA PATIL

Nationality

INDIA

University

University THE BROAD INSTITUTE/HARVARD/MIT

BOSTON UNIVERSITY/UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

BOARDING PASS

BOARDING PASS Nationality

USA

University CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Passenger Name SOPHIA IGARASHI

Nationality

USA/JAPAN

University BOSTON UNIVERSITY

BOARDING PASS

University HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Nationality

Passenger Name

BOARDING PASS

Passenger Name

ESHAAN VAKIL

University

BOSTON UNIVERSITY/LESLEY UNIVERSITY

BOARDING PASS

Passenger Name

USA/CHINA

AMY LIU

BOARDING PASS

Passenger Name

Nationality

Passenger Name

WELLESLEY COLLEGE/JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

BOARDING PASS

JOHN ANDREW PIRRUNG

FRANCE

University WELLESLEY COLLEGE/GEORGETOWN LAW

University MIT

RICARDO HARRIPAUL

Nationality

Passenger Name AMANDINE FROMONT

BOARDING PASS Nationality

INDIA

Passenger Name JULIA VAN

University BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Nationality

RUSSIA

JAPAN TOUR 2023 SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS

15.875+ SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS

JUKF and MHKH Performance in the Social Media Platforms Renata (Social Media Manager) worked very hard this time to be able to deliver all the daily highlights on MHKH's different communication channels and social networks. Being in a time zone 16 hours apart (she was in Brazil), it was impressive to deliver info about all our activities live on social media. We operated with Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, WhatsApp, and Line using #KarateDiplomacy, #BuildingBridges, #MoreThanKarate, #AltruismInAction, #JUKF, #MHKH. We had more than 15,000 social media engagements organically with all of the social media platforms during our journey.

Renata Costa Social Media Manager

JAPAN HIGHLIGHTS

WE WILL MISS YOU JAPAN!

READ OUR LATEST ISSUES

CONNECT WITH US Vazrik Chiloyan vazrik@mit.edu

Anselmo Cassiano Alves anselmoc@mit.edu

Amandine Fromont afromont@wellesley.edu

Lorraine Sin lsin@bu.edu

Nikita Patil patilnp@utexas.edu

SEE YOU IN THE UK AND USA SOON