Menkyo
Japanese term
title: "Menkyo" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["japanese-words-and-phrases", "licenses", "titles-and-rank-in-japanese-martial-arts"] description: "Japanese term" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menkyo" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Japanese term ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox martial art term"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| kanji | 免許 |
| hiragana | めんきょ |
| revhep | menkyo |
| :: |
| pic = | kanji = 免許 | hiragana = めんきょ | revhep = menkyo
Menkyo is a Japanese term meaning "license." It refers to the license to teach used by practitioners of various Japanese classical arts and martial arts certifying some license within the school or ryū. The menkyo system dates back to the 8th century.
Koryū Tradition
Although it is most commonly thought to be used for classical martial arts and ways, it can also be used for other arts such as painting (sumi-e), tea ceremony (chadō), flower arranging (Ikebana) or calligraphy (shodō).
Different martial art ko-ryū use different license; one outline is:
- Okuiri : enter into art.
- Mokuroku : certificate, and entered into official rolls.
- Sho Mokuroku
- Hatsu Mokuroku
- Go Mokuroku
- Menkyo: License.
- Shoden Menkyo
- Chuden Menkyo
- Okuden Menkyo
- Hiden Menkyo
- Menkyo Kaiden: Around thirty years' experience.
Menkyo Kaiden
Menkyo kaiden, (めんきょかいでん) is a Japanese term meaning "license of total transmission." Kaiden means "initiation into an art or discipline." It is a license that is used by a school or ko-ryū, meaning that the student has learned everything and passed all aspects of his/her training within the ko-ryū.
In the menkyo system of licenses, the menkyo kaiden is the highest level of license that exists under the menkyo system. Advancement of license is not determined by years spent learning, but how well one masters the discipline. However, the transition from menkyo to kaiden require usually at least thirty years' experience. A holder of menkyo kaiden is often, but not always, the de facto successor to the sōke of the koryū.
References
References
- (1982). "Japanese Swordsmanship: Technique and Practice". Weatherhill.
- Draeger, Donn F.. (1976-04-01). "Ranking Systems in Modern Japanese Martial Arts: Modern vs. Classical".
- Heilman, Bruce. (May 1991). "The Belt Ranking Game". Active Interest Media, Inc..
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