Kōdōkan Shitennō

Four Guardians of the Kōdōkan refers to the four notable judo competitors of the early Kōdōkan: Tomita Tsunejirō, Yamashita Yoshitsugu, Yokoyama Sakujiro, and Saigō Shirō.

Four Guardians of the Kōdōkan
Japanese name
Kanji講道館四天王
Hiraganaこうどうかんしてんのう

Four Guardians of the Kōdōkan

"Kōdōkan Shiten'nō" (講道館四天王) literally translates as Four Heavenly Kings[1] of the Kōdōkan. Shiten'nō refers to four Devarajas, Hindu gods, historically adapted by Japanese Buddhism.[2] Traditionally, the Four Heavenly Kings are the guardian gods that are worshipped as the protecting deities of Buddhist sanctuaries.[3]

When Kanō Jigorō began to develop judo from jujutsu, his efforts met with opposition from jujutsu practitioners. However, Kano drew a loyal following that included exceptional fighters. Hence the term "Four Guardians of the Kōdōkan" came into existence referring to Tomita Tsunejirō along with Yamashita Yoshitsugu, Yokoyama Sakujiro, and Saigō Shirō.[4]

See also

References

  1. Brown, Ju; Brown, John (2006). China, Japan, Korea Culture and Customs. Ju Brown. p. 93. ISBN 1-4196-4893-4.
  2. Saroj Kumar Chaudhuri (2003). Hindu gods and goddesses in Japan. India: Vedams. pp. 1, 109. ISBN 81-7936-009-1.
  3. Charles Alfred Speed Williams (1988). Chinese symbolism and art motifs. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 195. ISBN 0-8048-1586-0.
  4. Takahashi, Masao (May 3, 2005). Mastering Judo. Human Kinetics. pp. iv. ISBN 0-7360-5099-X.
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