by Jonathan Gerlache
In 1853, Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships” forced Japan to end its over two centuries of self-imposed isolation (sakoku). The following year, Japan signed the treaty of Kanagawa, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American ships. In 1866, Belgium became the ninth Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Japan.
In 2026, the two countries are celebrating 160 years of diplomatic relations, with cultural events and commemorative activities taking place in both Belgium and Japan.
As Belgium was among the first affiliates of the International Naginata Federation, founded in 1990, our dojo was delighted to take part in Leuven Matsuri in October 2026. We presented Atarashii Naginata alongside two other Japanese martial arts:
- Iaido, led by Kanto-sensei, a kyoshi of the Muso Kai dojo, together with two members of the Belgian Iaido national team.
- Kendo, presented by representatives of the Seishinkan dojo.
With only twenty minutes allocated to our demonstration following the iaido and kendo performances, we had to make every minute count. We opened with a short kihon demonstration, with David and Thomas already wearing their bogu before moving directly into a combination of kakari-geiko and ji-geiko. While they removed their bogu, Eden and I stepped onto the stage to demonstrate the first five shikake-oji techniques. David and Thomas then concluded the performance with an impressive presentation of Zen Nihon Naginata katas. Throughout the demonstration, Dylan introduced the audience to the history of naginata and explained the techniques being performed, while a slideshow prepared by David was displayed on the side screens.
The stage measured only about six metres in length, making it challenging to maintain safe distances while performing. My greatest concern was hitting one of the side screens during yoko-buri. Fortunately, we managed to showcase the best aspects of our discipline without damaging anything.
After the demonstrations, we enjoyed traditional Japanese music and had the opportunity to exchange with practitioners from other martial arts before returning to the stage for a second performance later in the day. Taking advantage of the sunny weather, David and Kanto-sensei practised naginata together outdoors. David also discussed ishujiai with the kendoka.
Personally, I was particularly impressed by the precision and mastery of movement displayed during the iaido demonstration, an aspect of my own practice that I hope to further develop ahead of the European Naginata Championship coming at the end of the month.
We concluded this memorable day by sharing a beer together before heading back to Brussels.
