Seishinkan（正心館） - 合同会社 WANOMORI

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Masaru Minowa, the director of Seishinkan, a kendo training facility with lodging located at the foot of Mount Kai-Komagatake in the Southern Alps, will be joining Wa no Mori as an instructor.

Starting kendo at the age of 13, Mr. Minowa entered the Kodansha Noma Dojo, known as the heart of Japanese kendo, at the age of 26 and trained there for 40 years.
Following the decision to dismantle the Noma Dojo, he moved to Yamanashi Prefecture, where he established Seishinkan, a kendo dojo with lodging facilities, at the foot of Mount Kai-Komagatake.

For more details about Mr. Minowa’s profile, please refer to this link.

At the Seishinkan Dojo, great care is taken to preserve the traditional dojo style. To ensure a comfortable and focused training environment, the floor is made from single planks of cedar wood.

The floor, free of even a single splinter, has a smooth and soft texture. “This floor is infused with the sweat and hard work of our students!” Mr. Minowa remarked.

The dojo upholds the following principles:

Returning to the essence of humanity and letting go of overreliance on knowledge, we prioritize wisdom over information. By cultivating a grounded kendo culture and drawing on the forces of nature, we strive to live in harmony—this is the essence of human endeavor.

The dojo serves as a space that connects the past, present, and future.

With a spirit of camaraderie and a solemn attitude, we must always remember the importance of fostering harmony and friendship among all.

~From the Seishinkan Dojo website~

Carrying on the spirit of the Noma Dojo, Seishinkan Dojo continues its activities in Yamanashi to this day.

Mr. Minowa, the director of Seishinkan Dojo, spent ten years developing the Tachisuji Ichien no Kata (Circular Sword Movement Form). This unique training method, created as an entryway to studying classical styles, has become a hallmark of the dojo’s practice.

At WANOMORI, Mr. Minowa will conduct a seminar on the Tachisuji Ichien no Kata, exploring the “something” that connects the wisdom of classical traditions to the modern world.