1st Shizuoka International Kendo Festival
FUJISAN CUP2027
Kendo Beyond Borders
An international kendo festival and stay, held in Shizuoka the week after the 20th World Kendo Championship in Tokyo.
Limited to the first 99 kenshi (33 teams)
Pre-register→Booking is not open yet. Places are limited, so pre-registered kenshi will be the first to hear when entries begin.
June 2027 · Fujieda, Shizuoka, Japan
Our Creed
Through kendo, we meet, we learn, and we build friendships with companions from across the world.
For a thousand years Mt. Fuji has been a sacred mountain — a place of pilgrimage and quiet awe, the still centre of the Japanese spirit. Kendo, too, is a 道 — a "Way" that reaches past technique toward the self. Here, beneath Fuji, those two Ways meet.
And here runs the old Tōkaidō, the great highway once walked by samurai, pilgrims and poets — for whom the road itself was a discipline. To come to Shizuoka is to follow that path to its source.
Beneath the sacred mountain
Mt. Fuji has drawn pilgrims for a thousand years. To train within its sight is to train close to the source of the spirit.
A Way, not only a sport
Kendo shares the character 道 — the Way — with the ancient roads of Japan. Each is walked to refine the self.
In the Tōkaidō post-towns
Fujieda and its old post-towns keep the living memory of the great highway — its inns, tea fields and craftspeople.
Mari Suenaga末永 真理
Three-time All Japan Women's Kendo Champion, and still competing on the world stage — now the Ambassador of the Fujisan Cup.
- 3×All Japan Women's Kendo Champion2012, 2013, 2022
- 5World Kendo ChampionshipsMost by any Japanese competitor · 4 team titles · 2 individual silvers
- 5×All Japan Police ChampionAll-time record
Profile
Born in Hannan, Osaka. She took up kendo at the age of five at the Kubota Dojo in Hirakata. Aiming to become the best in Japan, she entered PL Gakuen, a renowned kendo school, from junior high. There she drilled the fundamentals thoroughly; in her final year at PL Gakuen High School she was runner-up in the individual event at the Inter-High Championships and won the team event at the National Sports Festival.
After graduating she joined the Osaka Prefectural Police. In 2009, aged 20, she was selected for the 14th World Kendo Championships and contributed to Japan's team title. The following year she won the All Japan Police Championships for the first time, and went on to win it five times — an all-time record. In 2012 she won her long-sought first All Japan Women's Kendo Championship, and defended the title the next year.
She left the police in 2021. On marrying, she moved to Ichikano in Shirahama, Wakayama, where she belongs to Mi-Yuji, a general incorporated association headed by her husband, helping with its work while continuing her own training. In 2022 she won the All Japan Women's Kendo Championship for the third time, nine years after her last. In 2024 she was runner-up in the individual event at the 19th World Kendo Championships. At the World Championships, held once every three years, she has competed five times — the most of any Japanese competitor — with four team titles and two individual silvers.
She continues to train with the goal of competing at the World Championships again. Drawing on her own experience, she also works to spread kendo, leading children's kendo classes across Japan and seminars around the world.
Masahiro KoyamaKendo Hanshi, 8th Dan
“More than winning, it is the bonds we make.” Kendo Hanshi, 8th Dan, serving as the festival’s Executive Director.
- Hanshi 8th DanAll Japan Kendo FederationThe highest title and grade in kendo
- 5Countries where he teachesTaiwan, Italy, China, the USA and Malaysia
- EnvoyAll Japan Kendo Federation instructorTaught in Australia, 2026
Profile
Kendo Hanshi, 8th Dan, of the All Japan Kendo Federation. A member of the Shizuoka Kendo Federation, he also teaches kenshi abroad — in Taiwan, Italy, China, the USA and Malaysia, among others.
“More than winning, it is the bonds we make that matter. Kendo has the power to bring people together — beyond language, beyond borders. At the foot of Mt. Fuji, the symbol of Japan, I hope to see kenshi from around the world gather to test themselves, to share, and to forge friendships that reach across cultures and values. That is my wish for this gathering.”
How the Fujisan Cup unfolds
Two days of keiko, ceremony and competition, open to overseas players, coaches, referees, officials and media.
01Day 1 · Friday afternoonCross keiko
Friendship keiko alongside leading sensei — the world's practitioners cross shinai together for the first time.
- ⊹Photo coming soon02Day 1 · Friday evening
Evening Programme (to be confirmed)
We are considering an evening for kenshi to meet across borders. Whether it takes place, and in what form, is still being decided — we will announce it once confirmed.
Image for illustration03Day 1 · Friday nightStay at a hotel in Fujieda
Rest at a hotel in the city, close to the venue (hotel to be confirmed).
04Day 2 · Saturday morningOpening ceremony & commemorative photo
With everyone present at the opening ceremony, a commemorative photograph of all participants beneath one roof.
05Day 2 · SaturdayThe festival & awards
Team matches in the main hall — a celebration of friendship through the sword. The awards ceremony closes the day.
Entry & Participation
The festival covers cross keiko, one night at a hotel in the city and festival entry, with full multilingual support throughout.
- ✓Day 1: cross keiko
- ✓One night at a hotel in the city
- ✓Day 2: festival participation
- ✓Multilingual support (reception, competition guidance)
- Day plan (no overnight stay)
- Available — fee announced autumn 2026
- Boxed lunch (Day 2)
- Optional — paid separately
- Family accommodation
- Arranged on request — please ask us
- Tournament capacity
- 99 kenshi (33 teams) — first come, first served
* Participation fees are being finalised and will be announced in autumn 2026, when entries open.
Four days on the old Tōkaidō, before the festival
June 1 (Tue) – June 4 (Fri), 2027 — four nights from the foot of Mt. Fuji through the festival, with your Fujisan Cup entry included.
From the foot of Mt. Fuji to the festival hall in Fujieda, we follow the old Tōkaidō over four days — by private coach, with an interpreter-guide the whole way. Here are the five things you can experience only on this tour.
Announced in autumn 2026, when booking opens. The price includes entry to the festival.
Five things only this tour offers
01Morning keiko inside a shrine
Cross shinai with local kenshi at Yōkōkan, a dōjō in the woods of Shizuoka Gokoku Shrine. Your bōgu travels with us on the bus. Watching is welcome too.
02Stay in a machiya, as one of the townspeople
In Okitsu, a post town on the old Tōkaidō, you stay in Seiseian, a 100-year-old townhouse — not as a visitor passing through, but for one night as part of the town.
- 03
Be welcomed as a daimyō
Walk the post-town streets as a daimyō, road map and sealed letter in hand. A gold koban coin and Japanese sweets are your gifts.
- 04
Shizuoka on the table, with local sake
Fish from Shimizu Port, gyokuro tea from Asahina, sake from a brewery at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Meals built on Shizuoka's own produce, with the local sake beside them.
- 05
Pay respects to Mt. Fuji
Mt. Fuji has been an object of worship since ancient times. Visit Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha and bow to the sacred mountain.
- ✓Entry to the Fujisan Cup 2027 (June 4–5) — compete or watch, no extra fee
- ✓4 nights — a night in our restored machiya, then hotels, and the festival night in Fujieda
- ✓Private coach throughout, with space for bōgu
- ✓8 meals (3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners)
- ✓All listed experiences and entries, and the morning keiko arrangement
- ✓An interpreter-guide for the whole journey
- Start / finish
- June 1, 12:50 Shin-Fuji Station / June 4, the festival hall
- Capacity
- 40 (minimum 15 to operate)
- Booking opens
- Autumn 2026
The full itinerary, conditions and priority registration are on the KAIDO JOURNEY tour page. Venues and lodgings are confirmed in the final itinerary sent before departure.
See the full tour — kaido-japan.comWhen, where and how
- Festival days
- June 4–5, 2027 (Fri–Sat)
- Optional pre-festival tour
- June 1 (Tue) – June 4 (Fri), 2027 · 4 nights (incl. festival night) · from Shin-Fuji Station
- Venue
- Fujieda City Gymnasium & Budokan, Shizuoka
- Accommodation
- A hotel in Fujieda, close to the venue (to be confirmed)
- Nearest airports
- Tokyo (Haneda / Narita) or Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport
Getting from Tokyo
The Fujisan Cup follows the 20th World Kendo Championship in Tokyo. Travel between Tokyo and Shizuoka is arranged independently — Shizuoka is roughly one hour from Tokyo by Tōkaidō Shinkansen. Detailed guidance will be sent to registered guests.
Details are subject to final confirmation before booking opens.
Be the first to know
Entry is limited to the first 99 kenshi (33 teams). Booking is not open yet — leave your details and we will contact you first the moment entries begin, and tell you about the optional pre-festival tour.
Good to know
When does booking open?+
Not yet. This page is an early announcement so you can save the date. Entries are expected to open in autumn 2026 — register your interest and we'll contact you first.
When are the matchups decided?+
How the matchups are decided is still being worked out. It will be announced with the official guidelines, sent first to those who have registered their interest.
How are the matches contested, and how many can take part?+
Three-person team matches (dantai-sen). Entry is limited to the first 99 kenshi (33 teams), first come, first served. If you do not have a full team of three, let us know when you pre-register — we can help match individual entrants into teams.
Who can take part? Is there a rank requirement?+
The festival welcomes kendoka from dojos around the world. Eligibility and any rank guidance will be confirmed with the official entry details; pre-register and we will send them to you first.
What about equipment (bogu and shinai)?+
Equipment guidance, including any rental and support options, will be shared with the official entry details. Pre-register and we will send them to you first.
How do I get from the Tokyo championship to the festival?+
Travel between Tokyo and Shizuoka is arranged independently — about one hour by Shinkansen. We'll send guidance to registered guests. The venue and hotel are within walking distance of each other.
Can my family come?+
Yes. Accommodation can be arranged when you register, and family members are welcome to watch at the venue.
What is the optional pre-festival tour?+
An optional guided tour for festival participants — meet at Shin-Fuji Station 12:50 on 1 June (Tue) and arrive at the venue on 4 June (Fri), with four nights in total including the festival night. Mt. Fuji and the old Tōkaidō, morning keiko at Yōkōkan dōjō, a night in a restored machiya in Okitsu, and the Daimyō Walk. Entry to the festival is included; the price will be announced in autumn 2026, when booking opens — full itinerary and applications at kaido-japan.com/en/journey.
Is there support in English and other languages?+
Yes — multilingual reception, competition guidance and interpreters are provided throughout the festival and the tour.
Will there be a second edition?+
The festival is planned as an annual event. The dates and venue of the 2028 edition will be announced once confirmed.
How much does it cost?+
Participation fees are being finalised and will be announced in autumn 2026, when entries open. Pre-register and we will send the full details to you first.
From dojos across Europe
Paris, Zürich, Lausanne, Luzern. Short portraits filmed in dojos across Europe — one person, one word. No narration, no questions on screen. Only the person in front of the camera.
- #14
Keep the Fire Burning
Selina Koller
Senbukan Luzern
- #13
My Place to Be
Alona Chevillot
Budokan Lausanne
- #12
Clearing the Mind
Pâris Hehner
Budokan Lausanne
Who brings the festival together
The festival is hosted by the Fujisan Cup 2027 Executive Committee, led by Chair Yusuke Makita. Together with co-host KAIDO Inc., and in cooperation with the Shizuoka Sport Commission, it delivers international hospitality and the stay programme. Supporting organisations are being finalised and will be announced shortly.
Organiser, Co-host & Cooperation
- Organiser
- Fujisan Cup 2027 Executive Committee
- Co-host
- KAIDO Inc.
- In cooperation with
- Shizuoka Sport Commission
Organising team
A kendo festival that connects with the world — from Shizuoka.
The Fujisan Cup 2027 welcomes sponsor companies and organisations on an ongoing basis. Help us bring kenshi from around the world to Shizuoka — let us make it happen together.
Sponsorship enquiries