Mitsusuke Harada
Encyclopedia
is a prominent Japanese master
of Shotokan
karate
who introduced this martial art to Brazil and is now based in the United Kingdom. He founded the Karate-do Shotokai (KDS) organisation in 1965 and is its President. Harada holds the rank of 5th dan
, personally awarded by Gichin Funakoshi
in 1956.
, Manchuria, which was then part of the Empire of Japan
; his father was a Japanese army
officer. He lived there until the age of 9 years, when his family returned to Tokyo. Harada began training in karate in 1943 at the Shotokan karate dojo
(training hall) in Zōshigaya
, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. His first class was taught by Genshin Hironishi, then ranked 4th dan. He later met Gigō Funakoshi there, only two years before the latter's death due to illness. On 29 April 1945, an Allied bombing raid on Tokyo destroyed the Shotokan dojo; Harada wrote a letter to Gichin Funakoshi requesting to continue training if possible, and Funakoshi invited him to train at his eldest son's home, in Koishikawa
. Harada studied directly under Gichin Funakoshi
.
In 1948, Harada began studying economics and commerce at Waseda University
. At the university, he trained under both Funakoshi (on Saturdays) and Toshio Kamata (Watanabe), and befriended Tsutomu Ohshima
. In 1949, the Japan Karate Association
(JKA) was formed; Harada was often escorting Funakoshi by taxi around this time. He also came into contact with Shigeru Egami
(also studying commerce at the time) and Tadao Okuyama, then ranked 3rd dan, at Waseda. Harada trained under both men, and they had a significant influence on his karate style. Harada completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1953 and went on to complete a master's degree in 1955. During postgraduate studies, he assisted Masatoshi Nakayama in teaching karate to US military personnel.
, Brazil. His manager there, on learning of his new employee's martial art training, asked him to conduct a demonstration; following this, fellow employees and other associates began training under his direction. Initially, the karate training took place in a judo
dojo. Harada wrote to Funakoshi to request affiliation with the JKA, but the latter apparently wrote back advising him to start his own karate organisation. This marked the birth of Karate-do Shotokan Brazileo.
In 1956, Funakoshi awarded Harada the rank of 5th dan, which was then the highest rank in Shotokan karate. He has kept the same rank to this day, and 5th dan is still the highest rank attainable in his organisation (the KDS). In April 1957, Egami sent Harada a telegram to inform him that Funakoshi had died. In the period that followed, political troubles saw many of Funakoshi's senior students (including Harada) form the Shōtōkai
group separate from the JKA.
. In early November 1963, he taught a karate course at Abbe's dojo. On 23 November 1963, Harada demonstrated karate as part of the National Judo Championships being held in London
.
Through the mid-1960s, Harada taught karate in the UK and Brussels. He founded the KDS in 1965. Harada returned to Japan for six months in 1967 and, while he apparently did not consider the journey fruitful overall, he did confirm a replacement to lead his dojo in Brazil: Arinobu Ishibata. Harada has been based in the UK ever since. The KDS experienced significant divisions in 1971 and 1988.
invited Harada back to Tokyo to demonstrate his art as part of Shotokan karate's 60th anniversary celebration, and he and a selection of his top students did so. In 2007, Queen
Elizabeth II
appointed Harada as a Member of the Order of the British Empire
for his services to karate. Martial arts author Clive Layton has written two biographical works on Harada: Karate Master: The life and times of Mitsusuke Harada (1997) and Reminiscences by Master Mitsusuke Harada (1999, co-authored with Harada). As of 2000, Harada was residing in South Wales
.
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
of Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
who introduced this martial art to Brazil and is now based in the United Kingdom. He founded the Karate-do Shotokai (KDS) organisation in 1965 and is its President. Harada holds the rank of 5th dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
, personally awarded by Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
in 1956.
Early life
Harada was born on 16 November 1928 in DairenDalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
, Manchuria, which was then part of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
; his father was a Japanese army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
officer. He lived there until the age of 9 years, when his family returned to Tokyo. Harada began training in karate in 1943 at the Shotokan karate dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
(training hall) in Zōshigaya
Zoshigaya
is a neighborhood in Toshima, Tokyo. Zōshigaya includes Zōshigaya 1-chome though Zōshigaya 3-chome as well as parts of Minami-Ikebukuro.-Major locations:* Zōshigaya Cemetery, in Minami-Ikebukuro* Two sequential Toden Arakawa Line train stations:...
, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. His first class was taught by Genshin Hironishi, then ranked 4th dan. He later met Gigō Funakoshi there, only two years before the latter's death due to illness. On 29 April 1945, an Allied bombing raid on Tokyo destroyed the Shotokan dojo; Harada wrote a letter to Gichin Funakoshi requesting to continue training if possible, and Funakoshi invited him to train at his eldest son's home, in Koishikawa
Koishikawa
is a locality within Bunkyo, Tokyo. It consists of five sub-areas, . It is located nearby with the same name are two well regarded gardens: the Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Hakusan, and the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Korakuen....
. Harada studied directly under Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
.
In 1948, Harada began studying economics and commerce at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. At the university, he trained under both Funakoshi (on Saturdays) and Toshio Kamata (Watanabe), and befriended Tsutomu Ohshima
Tsutomu Ohshima
is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shotokan Karate of America organization. He is the Shihan of the SKA, and to this day holds the rank of 5th dan in karate, which was awarded to him by Gichin Funakoshi...
. In 1949, the Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association is one of the most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world...
(JKA) was formed; Harada was often escorting Funakoshi by taxi around this time. He also came into contact with Shigeru Egami
Shigeru Egami
was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shōtōkai style. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate.-Early life:...
(also studying commerce at the time) and Tadao Okuyama, then ranked 3rd dan, at Waseda. Harada trained under both men, and they had a significant influence on his karate style. Harada completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1953 and went on to complete a master's degree in 1955. During postgraduate studies, he assisted Masatoshi Nakayama in teaching karate to US military personnel.
Brazil
Following completion of his tertiary studies, Harada took a position with the Bank of South America in São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil. His manager there, on learning of his new employee's martial art training, asked him to conduct a demonstration; following this, fellow employees and other associates began training under his direction. Initially, the karate training took place in a judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
dojo. Harada wrote to Funakoshi to request affiliation with the JKA, but the latter apparently wrote back advising him to start his own karate organisation. This marked the birth of Karate-do Shotokan Brazileo.
In 1956, Funakoshi awarded Harada the rank of 5th dan, which was then the highest rank in Shotokan karate. He has kept the same rank to this day, and 5th dan is still the highest rank attainable in his organisation (the KDS). In April 1957, Egami sent Harada a telegram to inform him that Funakoshi had died. In the period that followed, political troubles saw many of Funakoshi's senior students (including Harada) form the Shōtōkai
Shotokai
is the organisation formed originally in 1930 by Gichin Funakoshi to teach and spread the art of karate . The organization still exists and promotes a style of karate that adheres to Funakoshi's teachings, in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate...
group separate from the JKA.
United Kingdom
By 1963, Harada had around 16 yudansha (students holding black belt status) at his dojo. At the time, karate students in Paris had heard of him and saved enough money to buy him an airline ticket to their city; Harada resigned from the bank, intending to take a year to travel before returning to Brazil. After teaching in France, he travelled to the United Kingdom at the invitation of Kenshiro AbbeKenshiro Abbe
was a prominent Japanese master of judo, aikido, and kendo. He introduced aikido to the United Kingdom in 1955, and founded the Kyushindo system. Abbe was a graduate of the famous Budo Senmon Gakko, having studied judo and kendo there. Following an illustrious early career in the martial arts, he...
. In early November 1963, he taught a karate course at Abbe's dojo. On 23 November 1963, Harada demonstrated karate as part of the National Judo Championships being held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Through the mid-1960s, Harada taught karate in the UK and Brussels. He founded the KDS in 1965. Harada returned to Japan for six months in 1967 and, while he apparently did not consider the journey fruitful overall, he did confirm a replacement to lead his dojo in Brazil: Arinobu Ishibata. Harada has been based in the UK ever since. The KDS experienced significant divisions in 1971 and 1988.
Later life
In October 1998, the Nihon Karate-do ShotokaiShotokai
is the organisation formed originally in 1930 by Gichin Funakoshi to teach and spread the art of karate . The organization still exists and promotes a style of karate that adheres to Funakoshi's teachings, in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate...
invited Harada back to Tokyo to demonstrate his art as part of Shotokan karate's 60th anniversary celebration, and he and a selection of his top students did so. In 2007, Queen
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
appointed Harada as a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his services to karate. Martial arts author Clive Layton has written two biographical works on Harada: Karate Master: The life and times of Mitsusuke Harada (1997) and Reminiscences by Master Mitsusuke Harada (1999, co-authored with Harada). As of 2000, Harada was residing in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.