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Record of Lecture Gotaro Ogawa player. I had tried very hard as a child to achieve my dream of joining the Giants, but I gave up that “The Penetration of Judo dream when I was a junior high student. While I in the World and Japan” was looking for something new to try after this setback, my desire to go to the United States June 12th , 2008 became stronger. I studied English very hard, and At International House of Japan fortunately, as a result, gained the opportunity to study in the states for a year. I therefore went to the states to study at an My name is Gotaro Ogawa, as introduced by American high school with little experience in Judo. Executive Director Yasuhiro Yamashita just now. It Even though I had a few opportunities to practice is a pleasure to be here. Until last year, I had been Judo over there, I did not feel comfortable, because I with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for was just a white belt. I thought I should play some about 40 years. At the Ministry, people generally sports at the very least, and ended up joining the serve both domestic and overseas duties one after wrestling team at the local high school. Because I another repeatedly, and in my case, I spent about 23 had played Sumo occasionally since elementary out of 40 years of my service outside of Japan, in school, my lower body was stronger than that of seven different countries. American students and I became a regular quite I have been involved with Judo in many different soon. In its own way, it was an interesting ways both inside and outside of Japan, so I would experience. like to talk about my personal experiences and my After a year, I returned from the states and thoughts on the subject today. entered Tokyo University. After much pondering Having said that, my experience with Judo is a about what to play out of all the available sports, little limited and I am not yet very familiar with the like American football and baseball, in the end my Japanese Judo scene. Especially today, I have to say wish to be a black belt in Judo made me join the I am a little bit nervous to see so many Judo Tokyo University Judo club, and I resumed teachers here. practicing in earnest. For that reason, some of my remarks might be Since then, even after joining the Ministry uninformed, but I hope you can forgive me. In following my graduation, I continued Judo in many addition, I would be grateful if you could point them different ways. While I was in Japan, I participated out to me later should I make any mistakes in my in the midwinter training at the Tokyo University remarks. Judo club or trained at the dojo of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, which is near the The Encounter with Judo Ministry. I started Judo when I was a senior in high school. Foreign Service Supported by Judo I gained an opportunity to study at a high school in the United States for about a year. I thought, “I In terms of overseas assignments, I have been should learn something Japanese before going,” and placed in France twice for a total of seven and a half began training at the Judo club of Shizuoka High years, along with the Philippines, South Korea, School, where I attended for less than six months Cambodia, Denmark, and the former Soviet Union before my departure. Therefore, I was really quite during the Gorbachev era. In Hawaii, I was the late in starting Judo. Consul General. Until then, from elementary school to junior high, No matter where I went, I felt the significance of I had dreamed of becoming a professional baseball how widespread Judo was, and was very glad that I 1 Record of Lecture had been training in Judo myself. I have learned country. He was only sho-dan and was not that manners and respect for opponents, and cultivated strong, but a few years later, he entered the Munich patience and learned to keep my calm through Judo Olympic Games representing his native country. training. I also formed friendships with many Just like this, I had such interesting exchanges with people through the sport. many different people, and it was a very precious experience for me. Judo Experience in France Even then, there were many dojos in towns and villages all over France. No matter how small a My first Judo practice in a foreign country was in village was, there was at least one dojo, without fail, France, where I was placed in 1969. so I always carried my Judo uniform in my car. For the first two years at the place of your Wherever I went, I looked for a dojo, and I was so assignment, as a part of your training you attend a welcomed every time that I did not even have to university to study, but since I was placed in worry about a place to stay or food to eat. I have so summer, I stayed in a town in central France called many fond memories like that. Toul for about three months to take language In Japan, most of the people I knew that courses for foreigners before starting a semester at a practiced Judo belonged to a dojo that was run by a university. university, police force, or business. In France, As soon as I registered as a student at the though, different kinds of people with different language school, I started looking for a dojo in the occupations, from elementary school children to town of Toul. I found one in the center of the town. elderly men and women, attended the dojo. There Even though it was closed for the summer, I looked were intellectuals such as college professors and for and found the man in charge of the dojo. This doctors next to tough guys like stonemasons and friendly man named Jean-Claude, who held the carpenters. All sorts of people were there mixed rank of ni-dan, came out and welcomed me with together and practicing Judo. much enthusiasm. We decided to practice for the Among them were also young women. Since both occasion and even though it was the summer men and women trained together, my first practice vacation time, he called together some of his fellow with a woman took place in France. I had never dojo members and we started practicing. Once paired with a woman before, and I was also young started, it turned out that Jean-Claude was then, so I could not help squirming with surprisingly strong. He even used the technique embarrassment. I could somehow manage called “O guruma (major wheel).” I became friendly tachi-waza (standing techniques), but when it came with members of the dojo quickly, and they took to ne-waza (groundfighting), all sorts of imagination good care of me by often inviting me to their homes entered my mind and I could not focus on my and taking me out to different places outside of the osaekomi-waza like tate-shiho (lengthwise four dojo. The town of Toul was a scenic place with a quarters hold) or yoko-shiho (side-four quarters castle, and that also helped me to enjoy my summer hold). This one lady then told me to “do it properly,” there. and all I can say is that, as a result, there was a side Then it was time for university to start, so I benefit of meeting French women. moved to Bordeaux and attended the University of Bordeaux for two years. The Background of the French Judo Boom My memories of Bordeaux are very precious and meaningful for my Judo. There was a Judo club at The Judo population in France is quite large to the university, which was run mainly by a student this day, and it is estimated to number as many as from Africa. He was a very interesting man. He told 500,000 to 600,000 people. Why is Judo so popular? me that there were only two Judo black belts in his I have some potential reasons based on my 2 Record of Lecture interaction with various French people. techniques)” and explained techniques, for example First, it can be said that the physical rationality of if it was “Osoto-gari (major outer reaping),” as Judo was easy to accept for argumentative French “ashi-waza No. X.” people. The French are a very logical people, so That kind of logical explanation must have been when Judo techniques were explained, I believe easy for French people to understand. I have heard logical instructions such as “break the opponent, that Master Kawaishi passed away the year I was and then throw him with your body like this” are assigned to France, but everybody in France who easy for them to understand. practiced Judo talked about “Kawaishi method,” so Another reason is that the French are very it made me realize how widespread his approach curious about foreign cultures, and especially was. His achievement is inscribed in detail in Seven interested in Japanese Bushido and Zen, as well as colors of belts over the world: Biography of the spiritual aspect of Judo. I was asked so many Mikinosuke Kawaishi, the father of French Judo passionate questions about the spiritual nature of (Surugadai Shuppansha), by the scholar of French Japan during my stay in France. Among the literature, Ikuko Yoshida. members of the dojo in Bordeaux was a man who The second teacher to note is Master Shozo majored in Indian Philosophy and who trained in Awazu.

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