Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo

The Japan TimesCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by Monique BaeOctober 27, 2025 at 01:00 AM

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long article 5 min

Monique Bae first encountered the naginata, a traditional Japanese weapon with a curved blade at the end of a long wooden pole, while studying "The Tale of the Heike" in an undergraduate course at Binghamton University. Twelve years later, living in Japan, she discovered a local community dojo offering beginners classes on naginata usage. In summer 2023, Bae joined a six-week course organized by the Kita City Naginata Federation at Takinogawa Gymnasium. The class was taught by Kato Sensei and focused on learning how to use bamboo-bladed naginatas in a safe environment, far from their historical battlefield origins.

Key Topics & Entities

Kita City Naginata Federation 30% Takinogawa Gymnasium 30% Kaminakazato Station 30% Genpei War 40% Tomoe Gozen 50% New York 60% Binghamton University 70% The Tale of the Heike ×280% naginata ×6100%

Keywords

naginata 100% japanese history 80% community dojo 70% traditional weapon 60% kita city naginata federation 50% takinogawa gymnasium 50% bamboo blades 40% beginners class 40%

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Very Positive

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The Japan Times

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Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

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90%

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New York

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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naginata japanese history community dojo traditional weapon kita city naginata federation takinogawa gymnasium bamboo blades beginners class

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