100th Anniversary

Kosaka Sensei tells us of his early days as a young monk at Koyasan in Los Angeles.

His job upon arrival is to interview the families of the deceased. During an interview with one young couple he asks, "So what did your grandfather like to do?" They told him, "kyudo". Ah, he exclaimed, "I also do kyudo!"

They proceed to tell him that it's a shame they don't still have their grandfathers equipment. He was a member of the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai, and before his internment during the World War he buried the equipment in their backyard. After hearing this news, Kosaka Sensei wanted to see if he could find this heirloom. The home where they lived before the internment was lost to them, but they had the address.

The home was in what is now a predominantly black community in South Central. Kosaka Sensei as a young monk only had his Buddhist robes with him, but he went calling on the house. The owner, perhaps seeing a robed individual on the doorstep feared a request for money, and in a very loud and sudden manner threw the door open and shouted, "Whattya want!?" Sensei with is palms together bowed and said, "Sir, there is buried treasure in your backyard, and I would very much like to dig it up".

After sharing some wonderful southern style food in the kitchen, and some sincere conversation (we are told), they came to an agreement. Sensei would have the local Gardner's Association members come and re-landscape the back yard, and Sensei would get the buried kyudo equipment if they found it.

They did find it, and the Gardner's Association did a wonderful job and all were happy.

Sensei then began looking to see if there were any members of the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai before the war, that were still living. He found 3 and interviewed them to preserve the history of the group. They asked him, "Please keep the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai alive". This is when Kosaka Sensei along with the brothers Koen and Kiyomaru Mishima decided to call their fledging Japanese Archery group that practiced in Little Tokyo Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Kyudo Kai. In this way they could remember those who came before, to give credit to the first bow to arrive here, to continue the legacy of this brave group.

We have too, a 1908 newpaper article that mention a kyudo group in Los Angeles called the Rafu Kyudo Kai. Rafu is the local japanese word for L.A.. But this older group was not the one that asked them to continue their legacy, maybe these members had already passed on, or never returned after the war; or just Sensei didn't find them. It was members of  The Los Angeles Kyudo Kai formed as early as 1916 that asked, and so in just a few short years, in 2016, The Los Angeles Kyudo Kai will celebrate their 100th anniversary  Our sincere gratitude to the early pioneers of kyudo in Los Angeles for bringing this wonderful art to the shores of our world; without what you have done, our world would not be the same. Thank you.