kendo was introduced to malawi in 1992 when a japanese volunteer took on a group of local children as his students. the kendo association of malawi was formed in 1999 and has seen significant growth in recent years. the kendo association of malawi works closely with the embassy of japan in malawi to promote kendo as a sport and to encourage cultural exchange and interaction between the peoples of the two nations. the majority of the kendo associations activities take place in blantyre and lilongwe, with some activity in mzuzu. the association holds regular weekly practice sessions in each city, and holds at least two local tournaments each year which are patronized by all manner of people including embassy officials and japanese expatriates and their families.