I don’t think folks have seen this article discussed on here - and please let me know if linking to my blog is an unwelcome contribution.
The piece is a way of sharing a lot of the first hand knowledge and experiences that me and JP have been lucky enough to obtain over multiple trips to Japan between 2014 and 2018. I think it is much easier to get a good feel for where the modern sport is now with a richer picture of where it came from.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy: