After the retirement of Shibata Sensei XX in October 2011, his adopted son (i.e. his son-in-law), Shibata Kanjuro XXI, took over as the official head of Zenko International – the multi-national umbrella organization of Shibata-style KYUDO. Shibata Sensei is a 21st generation master bowmaker, archer, and is also a 4th generation official bowmaker to the Emperor of Japan in the Shibata family lineage.
Sensei lives in Kyoto, Japan where he has operated a ‘YUMI’ or bowmaking workshop for more than two decades. A link to Sensei’s blog (in japanese).
Events with Kanjuro Shibata Sensei XXI
Kyudo: The Way of the Bow 2025September 18 - 21, 2025
Kyudo integrates technical skill with the development of a completely focused and disciplined mind. Influenced by Shintoism and Zen, it is a path of self-development and meditation that requires the archer to cultivate precision, a clear mind, and freedom from fear. Originally a samurai discipline, the purpose of Kyudo now is to purify one’s heart and mind, awaken natural human dignity, and to go beyond the obstacles of ambition, aggression or confusion. The weekend presents the opportunity for both beginning and continuing students to learn and practise an ancient form of kyudo using traditional Japanese bamboo bows (yumi) and arrows…
