> Japan Karate Association Honbu Dojo

The Japan Karate Association Honbu Dojo (日本空手協会 本部道場; JKA) is the headquarters of the world’s largest and most influential Shotokan karate organization, founded on May 27, 1949, in Tokyo. The JKA was established by senior students of Gichin Funakoshi — the Okinawan master who introduced karate to mainland Japan in 1922 — including Isao Obata, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Hidetaka Nishiyama, who formalized Funakoshi’s Shotokan style into a structured institution with standardized curriculum and instructor certification. The honbu dojo sits in Bunkyo-ku at 2-23-15 Koraku and serves as the chief technical and administrative center for a global network of affiliated dojos and national federations. Masatoshi Nakayama, who directed the JKA for decades, is credited with modernizing Shotokan’s kata and developing the JKA’s internationally recognized grading and competition systems. The organization operates the honbu dojo as a training facility open to both members and non-members, offering courses for practitioners at all levels. Kusahara Katsuhide serves as current chairman. The JKA is one of the oldest Shotokan organizations in the world and counts some of the most technically refined competitive and traditional karateka among its graduates.