Shigeru Aoki weathers the assault by his young student, who whacks him on the head with her bamboo sword until she suddenly stops, takes a few steps back and, slightly out of breath, bows. By Sakura ...

Two players face each other and bow, wearing Bogu with their Shinais in hand – a Kendo match begins. Kendo – which translates to “the way of the sword” – is a Japanese sport similar to fencing, but ...