The ‘Recivilising’ Process of Kenda in the Immediate Post-war Period: An Analysis of the Significance of Shinai-kydgi 'cansai University ‘Abstract: Japan's Second World War defeat changed everything for the martial arts, For a decade or two after the war Japan entered a phase of “depressed soul-searching” in which it sought to refashion and resurrect various aspects of “waditional culture’ that had been greatly tamished by the wartime experience. Kenda, along with the other budd arts ‘was subjected to a painful period of introspection, In order to be resuscitated from the ashes aller rejection as a ailtaristic contrivance, bud embarked on a successful process of “re-civilising” itself. To be accepted back into the education system and mainstream society, kend@ had to be purged of the violent vilifying elements of ulta-nationalism and fascism. Tairen-ka bud (wartime martial arts education in schools) was officially stopped on November 6, 1945. With regards to budd and kendo in the wider community, the Késeisho (Ministry of Health and Welfare) sought to promote the martial arts as democratic sports in a move away from wartime state bud®. However, in June 1946, after all physical education jurisdiction had been transfrted from the Kascishé to the Mombushé, the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE) of SCAP demanded strict conteol of dud activites: and in August 25 that year, another notification was issued by the Mombushé stating that the collective term “oud” would no longer be permitted because ofthe “militaristic inference contained inthe word.” This paper will examine what was needed for kends to be re-established as an acceptable sporting activity, with particular focus on the re-ivilising process which saw kendé reinvented as a hybrid sport known as shinai-kydgi (shinai sport). This transition eventually enabled kendd's resurrection in educational institutions as “school kendo” Aer the signing of the San Francisco Treaty in 1951, the All Japan Kendo Federation (Zen Nihon Kendé Renmei) ‘was established in 1952 and the Shinai-Kyogi Federation was amalgamated into it in March, 1954, Subsequent to the eventual full resurrection of Kendo, shina-kyogi was replaced as an event inthe 10° National Sports Meet (Kokutai) from 1955. This essentially spelled the end of the hybrid version except for in junior high schools where shinai-kyagi continued to be taught until May 20, 1957. After this, it was combined with Kendé to create “gakks kend@” (school ends). ‘The introduction of strict rules in shinai-kydgi to curb violent inclinations, the policy of including gies, as well as various other implementations were to have a profound effect on the future development of conventional Kendé as a modern sport. The formulation of shinai-kydgi demonstrates a concise example of the so-called “civilising process of a sport over a very short span of time. In this sense, although shinai-kydgi has often been derided as a poor substitute for genuine Kendé, its creation and subsequent utilisation proved to be an essential vehicle for kenda’s tevivification in post-war society.