【探訪】気を再現 己と対峙するＭＲ（複合現実）剣道

"Yaaah!" A cheer rises in the solitude of the room. He faces himself. The one opponent with whom he cannot exchange swords has now appeared "before his very eyes." Kendo is one of Japan's traditional martial arts. It has a competitive aspect, where victory is decided by the superiority of technique, and an aspect of physical and mental training that emphasizes respect for the opponent and the arena. It is a lifelong sport enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, and in 2027 a world championship will be held in Tokyo. Karen Furuta (23), a first-year master's student at the University of Tsukuba, started kendo in the third grade of elementary school and has a history of winning the team competition at her national technical college tournament. While receiving daily instruction to "don't lose to yourself, overcome yourself," she developed the idea of ​​"training with yourself" to become stronger. Having retired from competitive athletics due to injury, she thought it might be a useful training method that puts less strain on the body. It took about a year to perfect the new training system. Using a technology called MR (mixed reality), which projects a virtual alter ego into real space, he created a digital human that digitized his body movements. When there is contact, the gloves worn in place of the kote vibrate, providing a tactile response. Furuta had concerns that kendo and this new technology might not be very compatible. Wanting it to be accepted solely as a training method, he eliminated elements such as determining victory or defeat and eliminated any game-like aspects. To achieve this, he placed importance on the existence of "ki" in kendo. He focused on recreating something that cannot be seen with the eyes and is often spoken of in spiritual terms. Multiple speakers were installed so that the vocal energy of the ki can be recognized auditorily. To visually determine when ki is being filled, the "alter ego" is not deformed, and particular attention was paid to the stance and clothing. When you actually experience it, you're amazed at how realistic it feels. The tension of facing a real person. When the opponent strikes as if they have a will of their own, you can even sense their presence, such as their scent. Not only in martial arts, but also in traditional performing arts, there is a significant decline in the number of competitors and practitioners. Attempts to bring new perspectives through techniques and ideas will help broaden the base of participants. (Photo and News Department, Kawaguchi Ryosuke)