The Iwama Dōjō is a ''

dōjō A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Way" in Japanese. History The word ''dōjō'' originates fro ...

'' built by the founder of aikido,

Morihei Ueshiba was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art, martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher". The son of a landowner from Tanabe, Wakayama, Tanabe, Ueshiba studied a number of ...

, who lived there from 1942 until his death in 1969. It is located in the former town of Iwama and became an important historical location for the development of

aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

and "a

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

to the aikido community." This

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

is also where

Morihiro Saito Morihiro Saito (斉藤守弘 ''Saitō Morihiro'', March 31, 1928–May 13, 2002) was a teacher of the Japanese martial art of aikido, with many students around the world. Saito's practice of aikido spanned 56 years, from the age of 18, when he ...

, one of the founder's closest students, learned and taught aikido from 1946 until 2002 developing what is often referred to as the

Iwama Style Iwama-style Aikido is the style of aikido that was taught in Iwama by the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, and especially the lineage passed on through Morihiro Saito, a close disciple who was given responsibility over Iwama dojo by Ueshiba. I ...

. Iwama was a small farming village in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, located 100 km north-east of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and at the centre of

Ibaraki prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

. Iwama was annexed into the City of Kasama in 2006 (dissolving Nishiibaraki County, which had previously contained Iwama Town). The original Iwama aikido dojo, Aiki Shrine and the neighbouring Tanrenkan are now addressed in the Yoshioka district of Kasama city, Ibaraki. The Iwama dojo was significantly damaged in the 2011 earthquake. The Aiki Shrine and other dojos in former Iwama Town were also affected by the disaster.

The Ibaraki Dojo

The Ibaraki Branch Dojo (茨城支部道場 ''Ibaraki Shibu Dojo''), also known as the Ibaraki Dojo or the Shibu Dojo, is a small

, run by the Aikikai Foundation. The land on which the dojo and shrine were built was first purchased by

, the founder of aikido, in 1940. In 1943 he built the first part of the current Aiki Jinja and an "outdoor dojo" where he lived a life of ''"Buno Ichinyo"'' (the union of agriculture and

Budō is a Japanese language, Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. It is commonly translated as "Martial Way", or the "Way of Martial Arts". Etymology is a compound of the root ( or ; ), meaning "war" or "martial"; and ( or ; ), ...

). This dojo was completed in 1945 and was originally called "The Aiki Shuren Dojo" (合気修練道場, lit. harmonising drill dojo). At first the dojo did not include ''tatami'' mats, and students received training directly upon the wooden floor. Eventually 24 mats were installed. The dojo was later moved to the present day location and expanded to 60 mats. When the founder formally established the

Aikikai The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Doshu (the family heir of the founder of Aikido). It is represented globally through the International Aikido Federation ...

for the promotion of aikido in 1948, the dojo served as the world headquarters for the art and remained so until the opening of the new

Aikikai Hombu Dojo The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai#Aikikai Foundation, Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Aikikai#Doshu, Doshu (the family heir of the founder of Aikido). It is represented globally th ...

in 1956. After the death of the aikido founder in 1969,

became the caretaker and chief instructor at the Iwama Dojo and caretaker of the Aiki Shrine and remained so for more than thirty years. After Saito Shihan's death in May 2002,

Moriteru Ueshiba is a Japanese master of aikido. He is a grandson of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido, and son of Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Ueshiba is the third and current '' Dōshu'' (hereditary head) of the Aikikai. Biography Ueshiba was born on April 2, 1951, ...

became the default Dojo Chief while Saito's son,

Hitohiro Saito Hitohiro Saito (斎藤仁弘 ''Saitō Hitohiro'', born 12 February 1957 in Iwama) is an aikido instructor and founding headmaster of Iwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-kai. Hitohiro is the son of Morihiro Saito. At age seven, he started to learn aik ...

, assumed the role of Acting Dojo Chief on behalf of the

Dōshu The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Doshu (the family heir of the founder of Aikido). It is represented globally through the International Aikido Federation ...

. However, in November 2003, Hitohiro Sensei announced his departure from the Aikikai. Hitohiro's organisation was formed following his formal separation from the Aikikai in November 2003. This created a split among students of Morihiro Saito with some joining Hitohira Sensei's new organisation and others (most notably the three that Saitō had promoted to 7th dan, William Witt, Paolo Corallini, and Ulf Evenås) remaining affiliated with the Aikikai. In December 2003, the dojo was renamed the Ibaraki Branch Dojo with Hiroshi Isoyama taking on the role of Acting Dojo Chief and Senior Instructor. Isoyama first began training in the Iwama dojo in 1949 at the age 12, as a direct student of the Morihei Ueshiba and the registration documents that he signed stated the name: " Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu". Isoyama's position was later taken over by

Mitsuteru Ueshiba is the son of the current Aikido Dōshu, Moriteru Ueshiba. In keeping with the iemoto system, he is expected to succeed his father as Dōshu. He is the great-grandson of Morihei Ueshiba, the Aikido founder. From April 2012, Ueshiba is Dojocho o ...

who then became the current Dojo Chief in place of his father in April 2015. Isoyama Shihan remains as chief instructor and Executive Advisor with support from Inagaki Shihan. On 11 March 2011, the dojo was severely damaged by an

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

and rendered unusable. Aikido practice continued in the Aiki Shrine from 14 March until 17 September 2011 when the newly repaired dojo reopened for training. The Ibaraki Branch Dojo has nine regular local instructors, headed by Hiroshi Isoyama (8th dan), with the majority of the teaching (including the live-in student programme) being carried out by Shigemi Inagaki (8th Dan). Additionally, Dojo Chief

and Aikido Doshu

visit on Wednesdays and Saturdays respectively to teach the general class. General classes are held every day of the week for regular students while live-in students (内弟子 uchi deshi ) practise three times per day in addition to carrying out other duties such as maintaining the dojo and shrine precincts.

Aiki Jinja

Aiki Jinja (合気神社) is the

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

built by

in Iwama in honor of the deities of

. The shrine grounds include the Ibaraki Branch

(training hall). The 42

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

enshrined within the Aiki Jinja include Morihei Ueshiba's Guardian Gods, Saruta Hiko no Ookami, Kunitsu Ryuoh Kuzuryu, Daigongen, Tajikarao no mikoto, Amenomurakumo Kukisamuhara Ryuoh, Ketsumi Miko no Ookami, Wakumusubi no Mikoto, Ryuoh, Daigongen, Ootengu, Daibosatsu, and others. The first part of the shrine building (the ''

Honden In Shinto shrine architecture, the , also called , or sometimes as in Ise Shrine's case, is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined ''kami'', usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a sta ...

'' or ''"Okuden"'' housing the deities of aikido) was completed in late autumn, 1943. The second bigger part (the Haiden) was erected in front of the Honden in 1962. Both parts were renovated by care-taker

in 2001-2002 with the approval of

. This renovation also included a fence set up around the compound, and a stone with the carvings "Aiki Jinja" designed by Seiseki Abe, a master of both

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

and Aikido, who was also the calligraphy teacher of Morihei Ueshiba. A large statue of the founder of aikido was erected in the shrine grounds and unveiled on 8 November 2009. Surplus material from this monument was used to make a bust of the founder which was unveiled at the newly rebuilt Iwama Station on 24 July 2012. The

Torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...

gate and Honden were damaged during the Great Tohoku earthquake. The relatively unscathed Haiden was used for aikido training while the dojo was unusable. When

was alive, once a month he would preside over what was initially a small religious ceremony in the Aiki Jinja called ''Tsukinamisai'' (月並み祭), which lasted up to an hour. Food offerings of fruits, vegetables, and fish adorned the

kamidana are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto . They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of worship. The is typically placed high on a wall and contains a wide variety of items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, the mos ...

. Later, a small party with the uchi deshi (live-in students) was held inside the dojo. After Ueshiba died, caretaker Morihiro Saito took responsibility for hosting the ceremony every month on the 14th. This tradition is kept up by current

. Every year on April 29 (the start of the Japanese Golden Week holiday), the annual shrine festival ''"Aiki Jinja Rei Taisai"'' (合気神社例大祭　"Grand Festival of the Aiki Shrine") is held by

Oomoto file:Chouseiden.jpg, 200px, ''Chōseiden'' (長生殿) in Ayabe, Kyoto, Ayabe , also known as , is a religion founded in the 1890s by Nao Deguchi, Deguchi Nao (1836–1918) and Onisaburo Deguchi, Deguchi Onisaburō (1871–1948). Oomoto is typ ...

priests in commemoration of Ueshiba's death on April 26, 1969. Under former caretaker

, the event grew to become a very big day for the small town of Iwama. The festival has continued to attract hundreds of Aikido practitioners to the small dojo and shrine under current Dojo Chief

. The Aiki Shrine Festival usually starts with a ''"shubatsu"''　(a Shinto ritual), ''"taisai-shukuji"''　(ritual felicitations) and ''"

tamagushi is a form of Shinto offering made from a ''sakaki''-tree branch decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, or cotton. At Japanese weddings, funerals, miyamairi and other ceremonies at Shinto shrines, ''tamagushi'' are ritually presen ...

-hoten"'' (offering of sacred sprigs) by the Ueshiba family and representatives from the aikido world and local community. The attendees then take part in a ritual prayer and memorial service offered by the Ueshiba family and other dignitaries. A special Shinto prayer called the ''"Amatsu Norito"'' is recited before the current

makes a speech and a ritual demonstration of Aikido called a ''"hōnō embu"'' (奉納演武) within the haiden of the shrine. The festival usually closes with ''"naorai"'' (a celebratory meal) in the dojo and surrounding gardens, often with the azaleas in bloom.

Tanrenkan

Tanrenkan (鍛錬館) is an aikido training hall run by

, now Hitohira, who is the son of

. It is the main

of the Iwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-Kai organisation. The Tanrenkan was built in 2000 on Saito family land and exists independently of the original Iwama dojo.

Other Iwama dojo

There are also other aikido dojos in former-Iwama: * Shin-Shin Aiki

Juku ''Gakushū juku'' (; see cram school) are private, fee-paying schools that offer supplementary classes often in preparation for key school and university entrance exams. The term is primarily used to characterize such schools in Japan. Juku t ...

(神信合氣塾) is located 700 metres south-east from Tanrenkan. It is the old "Shin Dojo" built by Saito Morihiro Shihan. Uchi-deshi from Tanrenkan stay here. * Nisshinkan is a small dojo operated by Nemoto Hiroki (Aikikai 7th dan) next to his "Aiki House" student accommodation. * There is also aikido at Iwama Budokan (Martial Arts Hall). It is located at Iwama Junior High School, 1.3 km north-east from the founder's dojo. It is used by Watahiki (Ibaraki Branch), Nemoto and ISSASK.

References

External links

植芝盛平は神様か？日本敗戦の日に思う事
Nippon Kan {{DEFAULTSORT:Iwama Dojo Aikido organizations Dōjō Shinto shrines in Ibaraki Prefecture Independent shrines