I was invited to adjudicated two events in Taiwan on 14/3 & 15/3/15, one in Taipei arena and one in Taichung stadium. Mr Hide Tanka from Japan adjudicated the same two events as me. After finishing 1st day adjudication on 14/3, we were whisked off to Taichung by a bus in the morning of 15/3 & back to Taipei in the same evening. In the morning bus trip, I overheard Mr Tanaka talking to Ms Josephine Tan from Singapore about the politics history in Japan, a subject quite appealing to me. In the evening returning bus trip, my curiosity brought me sit besides Mr Tanaka to ask him about the history of Japan Dance history for the past 10 years. Mr Tanaka was so kind to tell & explain every detail to me as follows :
History of Japan Associations (information provided by Hide Tanaka, Vice Chairman, JBDF Western Division on 15/3/15)
National Dance Council Japan (NDC J) : Chairman Mrs. Yoko Torii ,Chairman of JBDC (JBDF), Vice Chairman Mr. Isao Nakagawa of JDC, Vice Chairman Mr. Hiro Amano of JCF
10 years ago, 3 members of JBDF & 3 members of JDSF meeting to talk about working together with Japan Athletic Association to join JOC (for Olympics)
JBDF had been a member of JNCPD (Member of WDC in Japan, now obsolete). WDC found a document JBDF liaison with JDSF contents in which were not agreed by WDC,
And also JBDF decided to have BDJ to be a member of WDSF/PD. BDJ Chairman is Mr. Shigemitsu Tanabe who has been Vice Chairman of JBDF and also Vice Chairman of WDSF/PD.
So that WDC decided to stop the membership of JNCPD.
NDCJ was formed in April 2015, at the beginning JBDF was turned down by WDC to be part of NDC J because of the said document in relation to the deal with JDSF and the fact that a very top committee of JBDF working as Vice Chairman of WDSF/PD.
At that moment JBDF did try to re-join WDC but WDC did not accept this application. Then Chairman of JBDF Mr. Anzai flew to England in May 2014 to meet Mr. Donnie Burns MBE to explain the situation and wish to join WDC again. Donnie asked Mr. Anzai to clear the issues in the said document and to resign as Vice Chairman of WDSF/PD . The said document had to be thrown out before WDC could accept JBDF and Mr. Tanabe had to resign his position in WDSF/PD. Mr. Anzai promised Donnie in the meeting. Four months of time limit was given to JBDF. Deadline on 22 August 14 still saw JBDF not change their stance as JBDF Committee maintained that the promise was only Mr Anzai’s private comment.
As some WDC members in JBDF found that JBDF never tried to join NDC J when it started officially on 22nd August 2014, Western Division of JBDF (Chairman Mrs. Yoko Torii) decided to join NDC J as a part of JBDF.
But JBDF committee then decided NOT to join NDC J/WDC on 11th September 2014 then told Western Division must leave NDC J, otherwise to take the membership right away and told JBDF competitors not allowed to dance Joint All Japan Championships 2014 which was held on 3rd November.
By the guidance from Government people, however, JBDF decided to cancelled ALL of penalties and decisions what they told Western division of JBDF. So many JBDF dancers could dance at Joint All Japan Championsips and Mr. Hiro Torii could join the judge panel without any penalty.
At end of October 2014, Western Division of JBDF Mr. & Mrs. Torii formed new JBDC (consisting of some Eastern JBDF members, Tokyo, few Western members). So NDC J since then resumed to have three Associations – JDC, JCF & JBDC, until now.
JBDF now says “we are neutral, not belonging to WDC or WDSF”. And they are planning to organize Japan International Dance Championships 2015 which will be held this June, inviting competitors and judges from both of WDC and WDSF ! How could you think to support this event ?
Lawrence Chan