September 6, 2026: The 33rd Memorial Service for Wataru Okawa Shihan

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< Learning from Karate >

The Importance of Fundamentals and Continuous Improvement

On September 6, I had the honor of attending the 33rd memorial service for Wataru Okawa Shihan, founder of Kenseikan Karate, in Tokyo. He taught me during my university years.

I began practicing karate as a child at my father’s encouragement. Looking back, I realize that karate had a profound influence on how I lived my life after graduating from Waseda University. It taught me not only physical and mental strength, but also the attitude of becoming fully absorbed in whatever challenge was in front of me and giving it my very best. Management, like karate, requires a strong foundation in the basic “Kata” and a growth mindset that continually seeks improvement.

I believe that the spirit of “Bushido” holds significant importance for today's leaders in Japan. Business executives must constantly introspect, ensuring they have nothing to be ashamed of, reviewing whether their actions and words might evoke customer discontent or cause embarrassment to their employees.

It was deeply meaningful to reunite with fellow Kenseikan alumni and look back on our university days. 










< Oct. 1981: Kenseikan Demonstration <





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