Tsunejiro Uemura (Wado): Calligrapher and Master
Tsunejiro Uemura (1906–2003), master calligrapher under the name Wado, brushed the iconic cover of Karate-do Kyohan (1935) and served as a foundational pillar of Chuo University and Shotokai
Archival Document • The Shotokai Encyclopedia Archive
Master Tsunejiro Uemura (1906 – 2003)
Master Calligrapher (Wadō) • Assistant to Funakoshi • Co-Founder of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai
Primary Source Reference:
This biography is documented in the official publication "There Is No First Strike in Karate-do: English Translation of the Nihon Karate-do Shotokai Booklet" (Pages 10, 13, 20, published May 16, 2023 by Nihon Karate-do Shotokai Central Headquarters Dojo Shotokan, 2-1-7 Kikukawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan).
• Download Official English PDF Document
• View Official Announcement on Shotokai.jp (News #5329)
Archival Master Seal: Tsunejirō Uemura (植村 常次郎)
Original 1935 *Karate-do Kyohan* cover calligraphy by Uemura
Early Student at Meisei Juku and Chuo University
Tsunejirō Uemura (植村 常次郎, 1906 – July 18, 2003) was one of Master Gichin Funakoshi’s earliest mainland disciples. Born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, he began his karate training in the 1920s at the Meisei Juku dormitory dojo and became a foundational leader of the Chuo University Karate Club upon its formation.
Alongside Takeshi Shimoda, Uemura accompanied Master Funakoshi as an assistant instructor on rigorous instructional journeys, helping introduce karate to university student bodies and martial societies throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Calligrapher of Karate-do Kyohan (1935) and the Hombu Shomen
In addition to his martial accomplishments, Uemura was an accomplished master of Japanese calligraphy (shodō), creating works under the artistic pseudonym Wadō (和堂) and leading the prestigious Seiwa Shodokai (清和書道会).
When Master Funakoshi completed his definitive magnum opus, Karate-do Kyohan (空手道教範 - The Master Text), in 1935, he entrusted Tsunejiro Uemura with brushing the monumental kanji characters for the book's title and front cover.
Furthermore, the revered calligraphy banner "空手に先手なし" (Karate ni Sente Nashi — "There is no first strike in karate") hanging in the Shomen of the Central Headquarters Dojo Shotokan in Tokyo was personally brushed by Master Uemura Wadō.
Legal Incorporation of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai (1958)
Following the passing of Master Funakoshi in 1957, Uemura stood firmly with Giei Funakoshi, Shigeru Egami, and Genshin Hironishi to defend the non-competitive, orthodox legacy of Shotokan.
On February 24, 1958, Uemura was one of the formal founding directors who registered and legally established Nihon Karate-do Shotokai as a non-profit association with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Throughout the decades, Master Uemura continued to serve as a senior director, elder advisor (顧問), and spiritual anchor of Shotokai, maintaining close ties with the Chuo University Karate Club and the Central Headquarters Dojo in Sumida-ku until his passing on July 18, 2003 at the remarkable age of 95.
Key Historical Data
- Born: 1906, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan
- Died: July 18, 2003 (aged 95)
- Kanji: 植村 常次郎（和堂）
- Artistic Name: Wadō (和堂); Head of Seiwa Shodokai
- Affiliation: Meisei Juku, Chuo University Karate Club, Nihon Karate-do Shotokai
- Key Achievements: Brushed title calligraphy for the original 1935 edition of Karate-do Kyohan and the Central Hombu Dojo Shomen scroll; Co-incorporator of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai (1958).