The Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF) is currently carrying out a signature-collecting campaign (September 30 to November 20), to pursue the possibility of being included in the official categories of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Such possibility arose as a result of the policy change, which stems from the idea of the new IOC President, and this possibility is to be determined at the IOC Extraordinary Executive Board Meeting scheduled for December 2014. If a decision is made as a result of this meeting, it is our sincere hope that Karate is included as an official category at the Tokyo Olympics.

Karate can be divided based on different competition systems, into the point-based Light Contact (World Karate Federation (WKF) Rule) and the knockout based Full Contact. Now that the inclusion of Karate in the Olympic Games is attracting attention, while hoping for the understanding towards our Full Contact Karate competition, we would like to request for your support to make Karate an Olympic category, based on 2 rules (Light Contact and Full Contact).

There are more than 200,000 practitioners of Full Contact Karate in Japan, and the General Incorporated Association Japan Fullcontact Karate Organization (President: Gen Nakatani, member of the House of Representatives) was established in March 2013 as an organization to unify the Full Contact Karate competition. 250 domestic groups, and several international organizations with Branches in more than 100 countries are affiliated to this organization, and the 1st All Japan Fullcontact Karate Championship (Venue: Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, Spectators: 10,000) was held in May 2014 with the attendance of special guests, President Marius Vizer of SportAccord, and Mr. Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation.

For those who support Karate, especially our Full Contact Karate, we would like for all to understand this actual situation of the Karate world and our beliefs, and for your help in providing the many children practicing Full Contact Karate, a grand dream, the Olympic Games.

As there are 2 rules in Wrestling, Freestyle and Greco-Roman, it is our wish to pursue the inclusion of Karate in the Olympic Games, based on 2 rules, Light Contact and Full Contact, and as a sign of our strong wish, we decided to start our own signature-collecting campaign. I ask for your understanding and support, so that all supporters of Karate can join hands and pursue the 2020 Tokyo Olympics together.