Kenkichi Sakakibara, (1830 - 1894). Swordsman, the son of a vassal of the Shogun. When he was 13 years old, he came under the tutelage of Seiichiro Odani (Nobutomo) to learn Jikishinkage-ryu kenjutsu (swordplay) and master its secrets. After the Meiji Restoration in 1873, he organized the Gekikenkai to perform Gekiken (swords attack) shows with the permission of the government. The popularity of Kenjutsu had been gradually declining, but it was successfully revived thanks to the shows.