Kanji “Kizuna” – Family by Heart
The Japanese word “Kizuna” means bonds or connection between people.
Every year the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society “日本漢字能力検定協会“ through a national ballot in Japan choses the Kanji of the Year.
The character with the most votes, which represents the events of the past year is chosen as Kanji of the year.
For Japan, 2011 was dominated by the Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami in March.
The disasters led to unprecedented numbers of Japanese helping one another, bounding the nation.
Half a million people took part in the annual poll for the kanji character, conducted by Japan’s Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
About 60,000 people nominated “kizuna”
After meeting Soke Sadatomo Harada in 2013 in Niigata, Japan, Soke Harada presented the Kanji “Kizuna” to SJJI President, Tony van Venrooy.
This beautiful Kanji and aspecially its meaning is representing the bound between Japan and our Western Style of Ju-Jitsu.
Karate and Ju-Jitsu, Martial Arts and Budo, these are some of the things that connects us all, like being part of a Worldwide Family.
Familiy by Heart
Kizuna
