Hana Sekine
Centenary 29th July 1920 - 2020
ONE
HUNDRED Today – 29
July 2020 - Hana Sekine, daughter of Mr Gunji Koizumi.
Hana next to the painting of her father Gunji Koizumi at the Budokwai 2014
Hana was
born in London living her younger life in Ebury Street and Eccleston
Street, at the age of six she moved to Kemptown, Brighton for about five
years and on her return to London she finished her education at the
Greycoat School.
When the
second world war broke out Hana became a nurse at a hospital in Mill
Hill, and with her mother was also running a small café – for 2/6d (15p
or 0.17 euros) they served a splendid three course lunch, and as written
at the top of their menus – ‘Meals served in the air-raid shelter if
necessary’!
On 7 June
1947 at Caxton Hall Hana married Percy Sekine.
Hana had known Percy since she was a young girl, their fathers
were already friends as the Japanese community in London, at that time,
was quite small. Two years
after their marriage Douglas their only child arrived.
In 1954 Percy and Hana opened the Judokan club at Hammersmith,
London. Hana worked
tirelessly for the next fifty years.
She was club secretary, behind the bar almost every night and of
course head nurse to all the judokas!
She must have bandaged hundreds of bleeding fingers and toes
during her time! The
Judokan became internationally known, with many famous Japanese judoka
as Matsushita, Yamashita, Watanabe and Nakanishi visiting from time to
time. The club membership
also boasted many famous names from all walks of life and Hana and Percy
were great friends with them all.
Regrettably
the Judokan closed in 2004 and Percy sadly died in 2010.
Nothing
daunted Hana, she could be found holidaying in Italy in her early
nineties and in 2012 was even photographed on a Harley Davidson in
Sorrento!
Hana
attended the Budokwai Centenary dinner in February 2018, was delighted
to meet old friends and was kept busy autographing the newly published
Budokwai Centenary book.
She also attended the Budokwai dinner in February 2020
Hana now is
taking things a little easier, but she keeps jolly, is always ready for
a laugh, never complains and is as kind and generous as ever.
She is still in touch with many friends from around the world and
her Wednesday tea parties (until the pandemic arrived) were a regular
get together for old Judokanians.
We all wish
Hana a Very Happy 100th Birthday.
Many thanks to Bill Musgrove who put together this article.
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