Sharing the Joy of Fencing Globally: What “Smart Fencing” Aims to Achieve in Sustainable Sports Business

"Smart Fencing" allows people to easily and safely experience fencing using flexible swords, conductive jackets, and a smartphone app. Developed by DNP, this new system has been introduced at approximately 670 events both in Japan and abroad, reaching around 117,000 participants by December 2024, spreading the "joy of sports." In April 2024, DNP took the lead in establishing the Smart Fencing Association. Following the successful commercialization of the project, efforts continue to promote Smart Fencing. We spoke with Tetsuya Amari from the Content & XR Communication Division about the ongoing expansion of this initiative.

• Sparked by Hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Public and private sectors work together to leverage DNP's strengths in manufacturing
• Establishing the Smart Fencing Association to aim for global expansion

Profile:
Tetsuya Amari Joined Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. in April 2007. After working in the fields of optical films for displays, and information services, he is currently part of the Sales & Produce Group in Content & XR Communication Division. When he was a university student, he placed third in the individual event at the All Japan Fencing Championships and was appointed as an international referee for both the fencing and para fencing events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Q. Could you share the story behind the launch of the Smart Fencing project?

I originally have a background in fencing. I started when I was in elementary school and dedicated myself to the sport as a competitor until I graduated from university. After earning the qualification of an international referee in fencing, I continued to officiate at tournaments both in Japan and abroad as a certified international referee by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) after graduation. I planned to stay involved with fencing as a lifelong pursuit. However, this was purely a personal endeavor, and I didn’t join DNP with the intention of starting a business in fencing.

The turning point came with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where DNP became an Official Partner (Printing Services). In 2017, I was transferred to the Olympics and Paralympics Business Development Department within the Information Innovation Operations through an internal recruitment process. As part of promoting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, we organized a fencing event, providing a full set of equipment, including protective gear, masks, and swords. However, simply wearing the protective gear was challenging, and the metal swords were too dangerous for children, so the event wasn’t very well-received. That’s when I, as a former fencer, felt a spark to do something about it.

I considered how to make it simpler and safer, so I bought toy swords from a home improvement store and connected them to a fencing scoring machine to create a prototype that allowed for actual matches. When I tried it out, I felt confident and thought, "This could work!" I used my knowledge as a referee for the wiring with the scoring machine and applied my experience as a competitor to refine the features for simplicity.

In 2018, we held a trial event at Odaiba, Tokyo, featuring the improved prototype, and it became extremely popular. Our booth had a long line of people! When we shared the event on social media, we received an overwhelming response both from Japan and abroad, with requests such as "Can we borrow this tool?" and "Can you hold more events?" At the 2019 event, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, even Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), had the opportunity to experience it.

In just one year, starting from 2018, around 6,000 people experienced it. Due to the constant requests from various places, in April 2019, I began seriously considering turning this into a business within my current department.

Q. Could you please explain what Smart Fencing is?

Smart Fencing is a sport that allows you to experience fencing using a flexible, specialized sword, a conductive jacket, and a smartphone app. The sword is equipped with sensors and communication devices, and when the tip of the sword touches the conductive jacket, the sensors respond and a point is scored.

Its major features are that 1) it can be done easily, simply, and safely 2) the swords are soft and light, making them easy for even children to handle and score points with and 3) by using goggles instead of masks, you can see each other's facial expressions. In addition, the swords are designed to accommodate actual fencing techniques, so it is popular with experienced fencers as well, as they can use real techniques when competing.

With little risk of injury and the ability to be enjoyed by people of all ages and physical abilities, it is ideal for both beginners and those looking to pursue fencing as a lifelong sport. Since it places little strain on the body, it makes inviting active fencers to demonstrate or compete with participants easier, which helps attract audiences and contributes to the spread of the sport.

Additionally, we use equipment that can be easily sanitized, including goggles that can be disinfected with alcohol and jackets that are washable with water, ensuring a hygienic and safe experience.

Q. How is the Smart Fencing project progressing at the moment?

While strengthening public-private partnerships with Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Kawamata Town, Fukushima Prefecture, the company has been driving the widespread adoption of Smart Fencing in schools, educational institutions, sports facilities, and businesses, leading to its commercialization.

In 2019, Numazu City signed Japan's first comprehensive partnership agreement with the Japan Fencing Federation, marking the beginning of a joint effort to create a package service that covers the use of Smart Fencing tools and event management. This package is now being introduced to municipalities beyond Numazu City and is expanding nationwide.

In addition, we collaborate with Kawamata Town on the development, manufacturing, and quality control of the tools. From the early stages of development, we entrusted the design and sewing of the jackets, and they have been flexible in accommodating specification changes and repairs. When Smart Fencing was featured in the media in connection with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the people of Kawamata Town expressed their joy, saying, "We are truly happy to be involved in this." With their support, we are even more determined to expand its reach. I also hope that, in some way, this can contribute to the recovery efforts of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

We have patented the Smart Fencing tools and, through DNP's Quality Assurance Department, conducted safety and durability testing^*1 before beginning mass production. Previously, the tools were connected to the electric referee scoring machine via wired connections, but in August 2024, we launched a wireless version. With the elimination of the need for dedicated referee scoring machines, various cables, and power sources, Smart Fencing can now be easily enjoyed in a variety of locations, including outdoor settings without electricity. For the wireless version, we independently developed a smartphone app to replace the referee scoring machine. This ability to handle both software and hardware development, along with strict quality assurance, and our focus on manufacturing—being able to do everything in-house—is a major strength of DNP.

Most recently, at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we exhibited Smart Fencing at two booths, Japan House^*2 and Club France^*3, and held trial sessions. We ran the event together with Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medalist Satoru Uyama, and about 1,000 people experienced Smart Fencing. It was a great achievement and gave us confidence that we were able to hold such an exhibition in France, the birthplace of fencing, and receive high praise. DNP was the only corporate exhibitor at Club France, making it a great opportunity for our company.

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Satoru Uyama (Director at Es.relier Co., Ltd.) also serves as a director of the Smart Fencing Association.

Q. What are the future plans for the Smart Fencing project?

In April 2024, DNP established the Smart Fencing Association. With the creation of this sports organization, we aim to further expand its reach and strengthen collaborations with external partners. Building on its adoption as a demonstration event at the National Sports Festival, we also aim to advance the process of making Smart Fencing an official competitive sport.

Moreover, we have a strong desire to work with the Japan Fencing Federation to promote this sport together. With 16 Japanese medalists emerging in fencing at the Paris Games, fencing is currently receiving a great deal of attention. We also want to promote Smart Fencing as part of corporate branding for companies that have medalists, as well as for other companies' social contributions and CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives.

As for future business development, we are focusing on overseas markets. Europe, in particular, has a strong fencing culture, with a larger number of participants than in Japan, which has led to significant interest in Smart Fencing. During my time abroad as an international fencing referee, I visited fencing-related manufacturers and federations to make proposals, which has contributed to expanding our achievements overseas.

In Japan, I believe a major focus will be the adoption of Smart Fencing in educational institutions. Furthermore, we plan to enter the entertainment sector, including television.

From the initial planning stages, I have consistently approached this project with the goal of making Smart Fencing a sustainable sports business. While support such as sponsorships and athlete employment play a significant role in promoting sports, I believe that an approach like Smart Fencing, which creates a service package and expands it widely as a profitable business, is also effective in promoting sports.

As we work towards the major goal of commercializing Smart Fencing and expanding the sport of fencing, I have come to realize something important.

First, I want to express my gratitude to the people inside and outside the company who have supported me and provided valuable advice along the way. I am so grateful that I wish I could name each and every one of them. The larger the scale of the project, the more I’ve been helped by these bonds, which have been truly invaluable. Since the establishment of the federation, the scope of our activities has expanded, and I hope new members will continue to join us.

Another thing I've come to realize is that there's nothing more valuable than experience when it comes to spreading sports. Sports offer the joy of competition and the joy of watching, and both transcend language barriers. I'm delighted that this commercialization has proven that fencing has such appeal. I believe it's because we've focused on that aspect that people have embraced it.

I hope to have as many people as possible experience Smart Fencing in the future and spread its appeal to the world.

Find out more about Smart Fencing update information:
[Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/smartfencing9
[Facebook] https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554692537555
[X] https://x.com/SMART_FENCING