On Monday, December 12, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Machida Campus for the new kyūdō facility. Kyūdō is traditional Japanese archery, similar to western archery but at the same time so different that the university has both a kyūdō team and an entirely separate archery team.

Established in 1970, J. F. Oberlin’s kyūdō team has compiled an outstanding record: just since 2010, they have won the prestigious All-Japan Ōza Tournament four times (three times for the women and once for the men) and have finished second three times (once for the men and twice for the women). It seems fair to say that they have carved out a place for themselves near the top of Japan’s collegiate kyūdō world.

The kyūdō team’s present training facility has been in use since 1988. In his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, Toyoshi Satow, chancellor of J. F. Oberlin University and Affiliated Schools, said, “The kyūdō team has practiced so hard and achieved so much that it’s only right that the university should upgrade its training environment.” The new facility is scheduled to be completed in July, 2017.

Designed by Furuhashi Architect and Associates, the new facility will make extensive use of wood and other natural materials to create a space that is at once traditional-looking and modern.