Harada Mitsusuke

Harada was born on 16th november in 1928 in the Manchuria (China) as a son of a railway official. In 1938 after his parents moved back to Tokyo, Harada started in the november of 1943 with the training of Karate (teacher: Hironishi) in Zoshigaya. In the same Dojo also Funakoshi Gichin taught. Harada learned also from Funakoshi Yoshitaka. Because of the war he couldn't train between March 1945 and 1947. Reason was the destruction of the Shoto-Kan.

When Harada entered 1948 the Waseda university, he practiced further in the university club Karate, where he was taught by Kamata Toshio (Watanabe) and Funakoshi Gichin. At this time Harada trained also with Nakayama Masatoshi, who should become the leader of the JKA.

After finishing his study at the universtity, he began to work in a bank in Tokyo. Egami Shigeru selected him, in order to get a personal training by Egami. Half a year, he trained each day three hours with Egami. By this training with Egami and Okuyama Tadao he was strongly influenced by Egamis understanding of Karate and his training methods. In 1956 he were sent to Sao Paulo (Brazil) in order to work there. There he used the chance to introduce Karate in South America and he founded the "Karate Do Shotokan Brazileo organization". During his time in Brazil he received from Funakoshi Gichin the 5th Dan.

In 1963 Harada was invited to France (together with Oshima and Murakami), in order to demonstrate Karate there. Because of visa problems it was not possible for him to stay in France. Thus he went later into the Netherlands and to Great Britain, in order to demonstrate Karate there. Great Britain became Haradas homeland nearly. And he became the first Karate Instructor, who lived in Great Britain. 1967 he created the "Karate Do Shotokai" (KDS), which chief-instructor he was. Today Harada live in Cardiff and teaches in Great Britain and Europe.

Harada Mitsusuke owns the 5.Dan. That was last graduation, which he received from Funakoshi Gichin. He rejects it to get a higher graduation.