Yoshiaki Matsumae
Board Chairperson
International Budo University

Message from the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees

Mission and Background

Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae's early encounters in Tokyo with the influential Christian thinker, writer and pacifist, Kanzo Uchimura, had a profound effect on the foundations of International Budo University. Uchimura would help Matsumae articulate a deeper understanding of the "Budo Spirit": in the modern age, what had been known as Bushido, the ethical code of the samurai class, had evolved into something greater--Budo, the morality of the Japanese people. The ultimate goal of Budo practice, Matsumae realized, was the cultivation of an indomitable and morally-principled philosophy of life. This understanding of the Budo Spirit forms the foundational core of International Budo University and is clearly reflected in the University Creed.

The establishment of IBU rose also from practical concerns regarding the internationalization of Budo. While engaged in international activities as the President of the International Judo Federation and the Nippon Budokan Foundation, Dr. Matsumae became aware of Budo's increasing overseas popularity. In the years following World War II, many foreigners were intrigued with the way Japan rose so quickly from ruin to prosperity. Many attributed Japan's industriousness and vitality to the Budo Spirit and were eager to investigate Japanese martial traditions. However, in the course of the Budo's dissemination, the need for Japan to cultivate "well-qualified, internationally-minded instructors, who were familiar with the history, culture and life styles of the various nations of the world, and who had a working knowledge of the relevant foreign languages" quickly became evident. In response, Dr. Matsumae established IBU to train such Budo instructors.

The goals of IBU with regards to the Budo Spirit, therefore, are twofold: to cultivate the Spirit of Budo at home through IBU's rigorous education based in Budo practice and to propagate the Spirit of Budo abroad by training internationally-minded and culturally sensitive instructors.

In our current climate of geo-political and economic uncertainty, cultivation of the steadfast and honorable principles which form the core of Budo--peace, friendship, sincerity, perseverance, and respect--becomes urgently necessary work, for the sake of the individual as well as the welfare of the world community. This kind of contribution to world culture is the mission of International Budo University.