20th Generation Kyudo (Japanese archery) Shihan,
20th Kanjuro Shibata Sensei Visits Nippon Kan.
Since
the year 1540, the Shibata family has been making bows for use in the Japanese art of Archery. For the
last 130 years, the Shibata family has been onyumishi or bowmaker to the Emperor of Japan. Kanjuro Shibata Sensei is now 83 years old. In 1981, he was invited by a Tibetan Buddhist organization to come to America. He now lives in Boulder, Colorado where he continues to teach the art of Japanese archery. He is a renowned Kyudo instructor in Japan, the United States, Canada and Europe.
When
Shibata Sensei visited Nippon Kan this week, he used a cane he had fashioned from an archery bow. This
he used as he toured the gardens and museum and had a meal especially prepared by Homma Kancho. He seems
especially pleased with the museum, and lingered there for several moments. At the end of the visit he
presented Homma Kancho with the cane he had fashioned from the bow. This he did after first signing the
bow personally. Homma Kancho while accepting the gift and placing it on the Nippon Kan altar, was worried
about Shibata Sensei being able to walk firmly. Homma Kancho therefore gave Shibata Sensei an Iwama bokken
to use as a cane to steady himself. Parting wishes for good health were exchanged, and we hope he will
return to Nippon Kan for another visit soon.For more information on Shibata Sensei visit www.zenko.org