The modern martial arts of Japan are now popular worldwide. These arts were developed in Japan after the end of the feudal era in that country in 1867. Unlike ancient martial arts used by the samurai on the battlefield, today’s budo or martial arts are practiced in Japan and elsewhere by people from all walks of life.

The ultimate goal of Japan’s martial “ways” lies in the perfection of aesthetic form, the cultivation of moral energy, and the promotion of spiritual harmony with others.