99:. Later, Itaro Kono joined the Royal Mikado Troupe, a traveling performance act with the Barnum & Bailey Circus that demonstrated Japanese martial arts to American audiences across the country. Kono died of cancer in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the present-day home of the Little League World Series, on August 29, 1914, at the age of 34. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the 'Poor Ground' section of Wildwood Cemetery in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on September 4, 1914.
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Instructors associated with
Seattle Dojo over the years include Iitaro Kono (or Kano), Tokugoro Ito, R. Fukuda, Daisuke Sakai, Eitaro Suzuki, Masataro Shibata, Hideo Hama, Hiroshi Kurosaka, Yasuyuki Kumagai, Isamu "Sam" Furuta, Shuzo "Chris" Kato, Fred Sato, and Kenji Yamada. Chuji Sakata, who taught
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Washington State judo teams participated in major interstate tournaments against
California judo teams in 1936, 1937, and 1939. The 1937 contest was held at the Seattle Chamber of Commerce's hall, because Nippon Kan wasn't big enough. The other two tournaments took place in Los Angeles. Judo founder
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Dojo was established in a building owned by the St. Paul and Tacoma lumber mill. The mill's instructors moved their club to Tacoma's
Japantown in 1921, after the mill management decided it needed the space in which the men had been training. Professional wrestler Setsuzo Ota was associated with the
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gave demonstrations of judo at the
Seattle Theatre. Witnesses included prominent local businessmen and journalists. This success inspired Seattle's Japanese immigrant community to organize its own judo dojo. The pioneer of the Seattle Dojo, previously misidentified as another Japanese immigrant,
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Meanwhile, antagonisms within
Seattle's Japanese American community caused divisions within the Seattle Dojo, and the subsequent establishment of a rival Seattle-based judo club called Tentokukan (est. 1928). Judo clubs directly associated with Tentokukan were located in O'Brien (near
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The club's first post-war tournament took place on April 26, 1953. The Nippon Kan
Theatre did not reopen following the forcible relocation of Seattle's Japanese Americans, so the venue was instead the Nisei Veterans Memorial Clubhouse. This 1953 tournament is notable as the first
307:) methods were taught to non-Japanese by other non-Japanese. A prominent example would be the instruction offered by the Seattle policeman S.J. Jorgensen. Then, starting in 1924, additional Japanese American clubs were established. The reason was the increasing number of
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Although the Tacoma-Fife clubs reorganized as a single organization in 1952, the descendent club disbanded following the death of the club's longtime teacher, Ryoichi
Iwakiri, in 1987. Consequently, there is no direct descendant of any of these clubs active today.
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Seattle Dojo held its first regional tournament in March 1907, and for decades after, it generally hosted at least one major regional tournament per year. From 1909 through 1941, the usual venue for these tournaments was
Seattle's
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Until 1923, Seattle Dojo, Tacoma Dojo, and Fife Dojo were the only
Japanese American judo clubs in Washington State. The distinction is made because there were also some gyms at which judo (or
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347:(est. 1932), and Spokane (est. 1937). Of these clubs, only the Spokane club (Seiki-kan) reorganized following World War II. E.K. Koiwai, a leader of judo in
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The building is of frame construction, and its only unusual feature is that its floor is mounted on truck springs, thereby literally giving it spring.
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judo black belt who arrived in
Seattle, also at the age of 25, on November 29, 1905, as a declared "Judo Teacher" aboard the Japanese cargo steamship
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The three Tacoma-area clubs were not directly associated with Seattle Dojo, but their members often participated in its annual tournaments.
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Well-known former students include professional wrestler Kaimon Kudo, Southern California judo leader Ken Kuniyuki, martial art historian
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during the 1950s and 1960s, was a former member of Tentokukan, as was Ken Kuniyuki, a leader of judo in California for many decades.
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Tacoma Dojo in those days, as was his cousin Kohei Yoshida. Both Ota and Yoshida were later active in judo in Southern California.
217:, Shuzo "Chris" Kato, Charles Woo, Tats Kojima, and George Wilson took first place during the US National AAU judo championships.
32:
362:; Ontario's current Ore-Ida Judo Dojo was established in January 1950 by Japanese Americans from across Washington and Oregon.
142:, Nichiren Buddhist Church, the Yakima Buddhist Church, the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, and the White River Buddhist Temple.
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During the early 1950s, Seattle Dojo had a very strong adult team, and during May 1954, a Seattle Dojo team that included
358:(est. 1939) that was essentially a spin-off of the White River Dojo. This club's postwar descendant is located in nearby
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87:. He remained in Seattle until at least September 18, 1909, when he participated in a judo demonstration for the
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Another club associated with the St. Paul and Tacoma Dojo was established in the nearby farming community of
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Svinth, Joseph R. (2004) "I Heard the Bell: James Y. Sakamoto, Japanese American Boxer and Journalist."
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190:, it did not reopen for training until January 1, 1947. Men involved in reopening Seattle Dojo after
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Svinth, Joseph R. "The School of Hard Knocks: Seattle's Kurosaka/Tentoku Kan Judo Dojo 1928-1942."
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331:, est. 1935). None of these second-generation clubs reorganized following World War II.
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Svinth, Joseph R. "Masato Tamura, Ryoichi Iwakiri, and the Fife Judo Dojo, 1923-1942."
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tournament in which women participated. Five women were involved, three from a club in
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included Toru Araki, Akira "Poison" Kato, Hiromu "Kelly" Nishitani, and Dick Yamasaki.
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hotels. The current structure was built during the spring of 1934. Its architect was
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25-year-old Iitaru Kano who arrived in Seattle in 1903, was in reality Itaro Kono, a
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Getting a Grip: Judo in the Nikkei Communities of the Pacific Northwest 1900-1950
311:(second-generation) youth. Judo clubs directly associated with Seattle Dojo were
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at Tentokukan during the 1930s, was another important Seattle-area judo teacher.
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Due to wartime curfews, the Seattle Dojo closed following the Japanese attack on
538:
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Svinth, Joseph R. (2000) "Pacific Northwest Judo: The Seattle Dojo, 1924-1953."
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462:. Guelph, Ontario: Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences, 2003.
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The man who made Seattle Dojo famous, however, was professional wrestler
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Svinth, Joseph R. (2000) "Jigoro Kano in North America," Kano Society
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Until 1934, the Seattle Dojo was located in the basements of various
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300:, both well known judo men of the 1950s, were originally from Fife.
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Svinth, Joseph R. (2000) "Professor Yamashita Goes to Washington."
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Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century.
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Fields, Aaron. (2001) "Interview with Seattle Judoka Fred Sato."
50:, having been founded sometime before 1907 in what is today the
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Prominent visitors to Seattle Dojo before World War II include
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Svinth, Joseph R. "Combatives." In Thomas A. Green, ed.
724:. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2001, pp. 86-87.
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Svinth, Joseph R. (2000) "Seattle Judo and Jujutsu."
91:. During the 1910s, Kono also started judo clubs in
548:"How Seattle's Sons of Japan Practice Jiu-jitsu."
249:in 1910, Hideichi (Hidekazu) Nagaoka in 1934, and
265:Tsunejiro Tomita was Jigoro Kano's first student.
613:A Complete Guide to Judo: Its Story and Practice
174:was present at the 1936 Los Angeles tournament.
615:. Rutland and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1958.
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722:Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia
483:MacIntosh, Heather M. (November 3, 1998).
791:1907 establishments in Washington (state)
565:Judo in the U.S.: A Century of Dedication
138:, whose better known designs include the
587:Smith, Robert W. "American Commentary,"
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472:Svinth, Joseph R. (2006) "Tokugoro Ito."
106:Tokugoro Ito. The image appeared in the
31:is located at 1510 S. Washington in the
567:. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2005.
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315:(est. 1924), White River (Thomas, near
563:Brousse, Michel and Matsumoto, David.
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745:Svinth, Joseph R. (2002) "Sunnydale."
422:"Itaro Kono: Setting of a Rising Son"
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811:Japanese-American culture in Seattle
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165:Jigoro Kano was the founder of judo.
816:Buildings and structures in Seattle
327:(est. 1932), and Yakima Valley (in
281:in 1923. A third Tacoma-area club,
420:Luna, Michael (January 19, 2021).
372:History of the Japanese in Seattle
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628:Erie: Via Media Publishing, 1999.
577:Nisei Veterans Memorial Clubhouse
235:Japanese American Citizens League
186:in December 1941, and due to the
58:Establishment of the Seattle Dojo
502:Seattle Nichiren Buddhist Church
485:"Arai, Kichio Allen (1901-1986)"
695:St. Paul and Tacoma lumber mill
178:Seattle Dojo after World War II
149:Tournaments before World War II
140:Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple
89:Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
757:Journal of Asian Martial Arts,
707:Journal of Asian Martial Arts,
354:There was also a judo club in
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589:Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin,
513:Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple
339:; est. 1929), Sunnydale (in
296:of Chicago, and his brother
188:Japanese American internment
126:Location of the Seattle Dojo
524:White River Buddhist Temple
237:pioneer James Y. Sakamoto.
208:Vancouver, British Columbia
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108:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
23:Exterior of the dojo, 1999
821:Judo in the United States
806:Japanese-American history
665:Great Northern Daily News
661:Japanese-American Courier
377:Judo in the United States
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221:Instructors and students
70:On October 17, 1903, a
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52:International District
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759:7:1, 1998, pp. 28-47.
709:8:1, 1999, pp. 30-43.
591:July 1953, pp. 11-12.
550:Seattle Sunday Times,
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257:Associated judo clubs
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110:on November 6, 1909.
76:Yoshitsugu Yamashita
66:Yoshitsugu Yamashita
667:, October 17, 1934.
651:, October 27, 1910.
426:The Luna Chronicles
46:in the continental
39:. It is the oldest
37:Seattle, Washington
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458:Svinth, Joseph R.
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253:in 1932 and 1938.
241:Prominent visitors
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624:Smith, Robert W.
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172:Jigoro Kano
33:Squire Park
796:Judo clubs
785:Categories
383:References
321:Green Lake
313:South Park
283:Eatonville
431:March 19,
132:Japantown
16:Judo club
680:Archived
366:See also
345:Bellevue
120:Olympics
85:Iyo-Maru
305:jujutsu
97:Chicago
93:Spokane
72:Kodokan
341:Burien
329:Wapato
317:Auburn
271:Tacoma
309:Nisei
801:Dōjō
433:2021
337:Kent
279:Fife
233:and
95:and
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41:judo
27:The
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