Chapter 74: Introductions
Nippon Budokan.
The Nippon Budokan is an indoor competition facility located in Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Its purpose is to encourage and disseminate traditional Japanese martial arts among the public, especially the younger generation. It serves as a massive dojo for honing both body and mind.
The decision to build it was made in October 1963. After gathering grants from the Emperor, government funding, and 2 billion yen in public donations, it was completed in September 1964.
On October 3, 1964, following the opening ceremony, competitions for archery, sumo, Kendo, and judo were officially held.
Later on, the venue occasionally served as a stage for singers, earning it the title of the "Holy Land of Japanese Music."
Actually, it was originally built to welcome the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
...
Akishin, Hiratsuka Shizuka, and Hikigaya met up with Suzuki Tsuyoshi and the others at the Kendo Federation. By now, reporters and camera crews were already there, filming the scene.
They didn't spend much time at the Chiba Federation. Soon, the Federation arranged several private cars to take them to Chiba Station. Chairman Hirata himself escorted them to the Keiyo Line—he couldn't join them due to various matters in Chiba, so Vice-Chairman Kiyohara Naru went in his stead.
Aside from Suzuki Tsuyoshi and one other participant, the rest of the group consisted of Chiba Kendo Federation staff handling communication and logistics.
There were also a few people from news agencies and TV stations, though they kept their cameras off during the trip; basic privacy had to be respected.
Oh, and Director Okazawa came along too. He was already waiting at the station, representing Sobu High to support Akishin and ready to handle any administrative hiccups.
The entire group numbered over thirty people, filling nearly half a train car.
The atmosphere inside the Keiyo Line carriage was quiet, punctuated only by occasional whispers. Hiratsuka Shizuka sat across from Akishin, occupied with her phone. Hikigaya sat next to Akishin, reading a pocket-sized novel. Meanwhile, Suzuki Tsuyoshi and Yunomoto Shinichi sat in the seats to the right, eyes closed to rest their minds.
The journey took about an hour and a half to reach Tokyo. It was fast; if you weren't paying attention, you'd be there in the blink of an eye.
Akishin rested his face on his hand, elbow propped against the window frame, watching the scenery blur past.
It had been a long time since he'd ridden a train—no, this was more like a high-speed rail.
In his past two lives, during the first two years of building his business after graduation, the "Green Skin" slow trains were Akishin's nightmare.
Why?
Because he often traveled thousands of miles, back and forth between coastal areas and the interior.
Every trip took at least twenty hours, sometimes over forty. Every time he boarded a green train, his ankles would swell horribly, and the carriages were so packed there wasn't even room to walk to the toilet...
Just remembering it now made him feel uneasy.
Later, high-speed rail became faster and more comfortable, but by then his company had grown to the point where he didn't need trains anymore. For long distances, he flew; for short ones, he drove, or just sent his employees...
...
Stepping off the Keiyo Line and exiting the station, the Federation's shuttle cars were already visible in the distance. A giant banner stood tall, reading: 'All-Japan Kendo Federation.'
At least dozens of reporters swarmed the area like wolves waiting for prey. As soon as they saw groups from other prefectures arriving, they began snapping photos frantically.
The Chiba Prefecture group and the Aichi Prefecture group exited the station at almost the same time. After the two parties exchanged greetings inside, the Aichi group led the way out.
The Aichi group was also quite large. They had two participants walking in the second row. Their leader was the Vice-Chairman of the Aichi Kendo Federation.
The two participants from Aichi were named Ando Kaigyu and Chikiki Takumi. Both were Aichi police officers. But that wasn't the main point; the point was that they were the overall champions of the 50th and 51st All-Japan Kendo Championships, respectively.
This meant they were the champions for the two periods right before Suzuki Tsuyoshi won his title. At the time, the media predicted the 53rd champion would likely come from Aichi again, but Suzuki Tsuyoshi had shattered that hope.
Both were tall, thin, middle-aged men with calm faces. Dressed in black Gofuku, they radiated a sharp edge beneath a subtle aura. After nearly ten years, they were now 38 and 40; they hadn't yet passed the peak of their lives.
There were fifty-nine participants in the Budokan tournament this time, using a single-elimination system. One match, one winner moves on.
In a competition like the Kendo Championship, where every participant was either in the top three or the champion of their prefecture, everyone was a formidable fighter. Everyone had the potential to win.
After all, they were the ones standing at the summit.
Among these fifty-nine people, at least a fifth were former national champions. One could only imagine how brutal the level of competition would be.
The Chiba group followed a similar formation. Vice-Chairman Kiyohara walked at the front, while Akishin and the other two participants walked in the second row.
Behind Akishin were Hiratsuka Shizuka and Hikigaya Hachiman, followed by Director Okazawa and the rest of the staff.
Suzuki Tsuyoshi and Yunomoto Shinichi were also wearing Gofuku. Among the participants from both teams, only Chishima Akishin was wearing ordinary casual clothes, which made him wonder if he should go find some Gofuku for himself.
When the Aichi and Chiba groups arrived at the pickup point together, it caused quite a stir. Most of the pedestrians in the station turned to look.
Camera flashes went off incessantly, but the reporters here had a sense of ethics; they only took photos from the sidelines without shoving microphones in anyone's face.
Unlicensed reporters didn't dare approach. The Kendo Federation held massive influence in Japan.
While not as large as major news agencies or TV stations, those media outlets needed to broadcast the Kendo matches, so the two sides maintained a cooperative relationship.
Among those being photographed, Chishima Akishin was the primary focus. He was flashed so much his eyes began to sting. By now, the other prefectures essentially knew that Chiba had produced a "dark horse" who had decisively beaten Suzuki Tsuyoshi twice.
Based on historical records, the win rate of a dark horse like this was often higher than that of a defending champion.
Not everyone was Miyazaki Masahiro, after all.
The two participants from Aichi also glanced toward Akishin, curious about this dark horse from Chiba. However, they didn't make contact; if they were to get acquainted, it would be after arriving at the hotel.
The Federation official in charge of the pickup bowed to Vice-Chairman Kiyohara, then introduced himself to Akishin and the others. Afterward, the group of over thirty people boarded a large bus headed for the hotel.
The hotel prepared by the All-Japan Kendo Federation was, naturally, a grand one. For the next three days, nearly sixty participants from all over Japan would be staying here.
This was Hachiman's first time in such a luxurious place, causing him to reflexively look around in awe.
The hotel staff were efficient and quickly arranged the room assignments. Originally, Akishin was supposed to share a room with Suzuki Tsuyoshi and the other participant, but because of Hachiman's presence, the two of them were given their own room.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's room was booked using Akishin's own money. Even though the Federation had booked the hotel, paying for an extra room under a participant's name was still allowed.
Later, when Director Okazawa found out, he immediately used Sobu High's name to cover the cost of that room, while also booking a room for himself using Akishin's name.
As for the staff and reporters who came along, they had to find their own lodging elsewhere. If they wanted interviews, they were only allowed to come by tomorrow.
Perhaps this was what they called the privileged class.
...
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