All Japan Tozaitaiko Kendo Taikai

[Stefan]

Has anyone any information about this Taikai? All I know is that there is a team with 35 male and one with 5 female kenshi, who are chosen from the eastern and the western federations to fight it out.

Who is allowed to participate? Is it an important event? What is it history?

[Neil Gendzwill]

Tozaitaikai is a kind of demonstration tournament. They match up people with the same rank, for example renshi nanadan is one division, kyoshi nanadan is another. Lowest division is rokudan, highest is hanshi hachidan. Each person only fights one match, so there aren't any division winners or anything like that. I've seen a video of one a couple years back, gorgeous kendo and very cool to watch the different rank styles.