Recommend me a Kano biography

**Scott Larson** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:00pm

I'm going to be ordering this book:
Amazon.com: Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo: Jigoro Kano, Yukimitsu Kano, Naoki Murata: Books

but I would also like to get a biography on Kano.

**shmuel** · Posted On: 7/04/2008 8:00am

Try this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Budo-Mas...5176344&sr=1-2

The author is better known for his biographies of Ueshiba, but he has written a bit about other people.

(take what he writes about Ueshiba with a pinch of salt!)

**gabro** · Posted On: 7/04/2008 2:17pm

Try this one: http://www.amazon.com/Father-Judo-Bi...5198951&sr=1-4

I am not mad keen on the lack of sources and the hand-waving, but it is the best we have got in English.

**Scott Larson** · Posted On: 7/04/2008 2:49pm

wow, I was expecting a really well made bio, but I guess I'll just wait till one comes out.

**ozarkjudo** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 7:26am

The Father of Judo, A biography of jigoro Kano. by Brian Watson. one of the best ive read.

**Sophist** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 10:04am

I'm going to instead direct you to a brilliant post on judoforum by one of the most informed judoka on there. Synopsis: you will not get an accurate biography of Kano without access to his diaries, which are being withheld by his grandson.

http://judoforum.com/index.php?showt...=0#entry368022

**Scott Larson** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 2:30pm

Wow. Excellent post.

**Tom .C** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 3:21pm

Originally Posted by Scott Larson

Wow. Excellent post.

One hell of a post and enlightening as well.

**Tsurumakii** · Posted On: 8/26/2011 8:32am

Originally Posted by Sophist

I'm going to instead direct you to a brilliant post on judoforum by one of the most informed judoka on there. Synopsis: you will not get an accurate biography of Kano without access to his diaries, which are being withheld by his grandson.

http://judoforum.com/index.php?showt...=0#entry368022

Those diaries (which sit in a foot-square box in a back room of the Kodokan library)-- wonder if they'll ever be released. They are quite small and a bit grubby, and written in English. I'll bet that no one person has ever read all of them (except for Kano, of course).
The reason for not releasing them is that they are considered the property of the Kano family. There is an inner sanctum at the KDK which contains books, documents and papers which are virtually inaccessible to mere mortals. When I had learned to read Japanese, I asked the late Kawamura Teizo, one of the high-ups there, whether I could have a look at some. He told me no, that even he needed permission to even enter the room, and that if he wanted to read something in the room, he could only do it with a guard present.