Illicit Payments Involved in Promotions to Highest Rank in Iaido

August 17, 2018

Tokyo- Applicants paid cash to judges when they took examinations for promotion to the highest rank of eighth dan in Iaido, a traditional Japanese martial art that emphasizes techniques for drawing a sword, it was learned Friday.

The All Japan Kendo Federation, which contains Iaido as one division, said it detected cash payments to judges by exam takers in the past and has already punished them.

According to the federation, a man planning to take an eighth-dan examination provided seven judges with 100,000-200,000 yen in advance in 2012. In 2016, another examinee attempted to buy the honorable rank for over 2 million yen.

As the path to the top rank is very narrow, such an illicit practice has existed since long before, a federation official said.

An official of the Japanese Olympic Committee said the federation, one of its members, told the JOC that it had completed an investigation into the matter and taken the necessary measures.

The official suggested the issue may be discussed at the JOC's membership review committee. Jiji Press