Support Hawaii’s Young Kenshi – “HAYA-TOU” Collectable Enamel Pin

In collaboration with our friends at the Waipahu Seibukan and Aiea Taiheiji Kendo Clubs, California Budogu is proud to offer these premium—and adorable—enamel pins, each designed by their club members. 

Proceeds from every purchase directly support Hawaii’s young Kenshi, helping to grow their local Kendo community and fund their journey to the Steveston Tournament in Canada. Each pin features a completely original character and story, making it not only a fun collectible, but also a meaningful way to support the next generation of Kendoka!

Meet Haya-Tou: The Bell that Rang at Midnight!

High in the mountains of Aiea, a golden bell rang softly each night. It was hung from the neck of a dog named Hayatou, the swift blade.

Hayatou returned to his solitary plateau every evening, waiting alone at a weathered shack. Long ago, his owner had vanished in a sudden, violent storm, but Hayatou waited. The bell was all he had left from his owner, and it rang with each passing breeze, calling out to someone who would never return.

Far below, the sad cat, Nyantou and stoic octopus, Takotou, wandered, searching not for a place, but for a purpose. One moonlit night, a faint chime drifted from the mountain peaks drawing their attention. They followed the sound in silence and found Hayatou still as stone, staring beyond the trees, ears twitching to every whisper of the wind. The two didn't approach but simply observed from afar. Hayatou eyed them warily in silence.

Yet within that silence, trust grew quietly. In the days that followed, Hayatou observed Nyantou's and Takotou's Kendo with growing curiosity. Eventually, Takotou began to teach him.

Hayatou learned quickly. Though he couldn't hold a Shinai in his paws, he carried one in his mouth.

With his blinding speed, Hayatou learned to strike Do with flawless precision. His speed made him impossible to hit. Yet he still chose to wear a do and tare. Not for defense, but because he believed others would aim there as he so often did.

With time, his bell rang louder, no longer with longing, but with life. His bell rang like a memory. Echoing the love that once was, and of the new family that had taken root in its place.

And so they journeyed on. The three of them: the sad cat. The stoic octopus, and the swift dog with the golden bell.