Budokan Hall

Budokan Hall

Budokan Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Budokan Hall originated from Japan’s police system as a place for practicing martial arts, and later expanded to cities and schools. Taiwan was once a Japanese colony, and the ruling authorities naturally introduced various aspects of Japanese culture in order to shape the culture of the motherland within the colony. This applied culturally, and naturally extended to architecture as well. The Budokan Hall is one such example that was introduced to Taiwan under these influences. Police officers bear the responsibility for social stability and public safety, often having to confront bandits and criminals, so it was essential for them to learn self-defense martial arts to protect themselves and the public. As such, martial arts were particularly important and necessary for police officers tasked with maintaining public order. Therefore, in 1895 (the 28th year of the Meiji era), the “Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society” was established in Kyoto, Japan, with police officers as its main members. The martial arts training facilities built by this organization were called “Budokan.” When Japan ruled Taiwan, the Japanese police system influenced Taiwan. Thus, Taiwan’s martial arts culture was introduced, led, and developed by the Japanese police force at the time. With the promotion of the police system, various “Budokan” venues were subsequently built in Taiwan’s prefectures, sub-prefectures, and districts. In 1924 (the 13th year of the Taisho era), the Kaohsiung Budokan was completed at 4-chome, Minatocho, and was managed and used by the Kaohsiung Police Station—currently located at No. 36, Dengshan Street, Gushan District, behind Gushan Elementary School and to the left of the Zhongshan University Xiziwan Tunnel. It is a Japanese-style brick building. Japan built martial arts halls across Taiwan to provide spaces for civil servants, police officers, and students to practice martial arts. Boys had to learn judo, kendo, or sumo wrestling, while girls primarily focused on archery. Each year, martial arts competitions or demonstration events were held across Taiwan to select winners, who would then advance to the finals held at the local headquarters of the Budokan in Taiwan, in order to promote the martial spirit of bushido. The interior of the building was mainly divided into two sections: the east side was the kendo practice area, and the west side was the judo practice area, accommodating approximately one hundred people. It was under the jurisdiction of the police station at the time (now the intersection of Linhai 2nd Road and Linhai 1st Road, next to Yongguang Hang).

After the Nationalist Government took over Taiwan, the site was managed by Gushan National School and was once used as housing for teaching staff. Later, when no one occupied the building, it fell into a state of disrepair. In 1999 (the 88th year of the Republic of China), the Kaohsiung City Civil Affairs Bureau designated it as a historical monument. In 2003 (the 92nd year), after the establishment of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, active restoration planning and design efforts were undertaken. After a year of restoration, the work was completed in December 2004 (the 93rd year), and in April 2005 (the 94th year), the site was entrusted to the non-profit Kaohsiung Kendo Culture Promotion Association for management. This marked the city’s first case of outsourcing the management of a historical monument for non-profit purposes, and also the first in Taiwan to repurpose a historical monument for its original function. The Budokan Hall’s architecture incorporates spatial elements from three types of buildings: Buddhist temples, palaces, and Shinto shrines, while also integrating functional features for martial arts activities, resulting in a unique spatial form. The roof of the Kaohsiung Budokan is in the “irimoya” style (similar to the “hip-and-gable” style in China), and the front entrance features a “karahafu” gable. The eaves are supported by symmetrical columns, with three grouped columns at the front and a combination of one central column and two engaged pilasters at the back, resembling the “Tuscan order.” The column surfaces feature arrow and target reliefs, subtly alluding to the Budokan’s original traditional martial arts activities.