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Iwama, Japan |
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The aikido Iwama dojo in 1973. It's still much the same. Years later: zillions of leaves raked, thousands of ginko nuts very carefully bagged, all without disturbing the precious, moss. Honbu dojo in Tokyo is now in charge of classes and Hitohiro Sensei has his own dojo nearby. |
News from Iwama: Saito sensei's public funeral was held June 22, 23, 2002. Here is my essay about that unique weekend,and photos.Hitohiro sensei continues to run the dojo and welcomes visitors. More information will be posted on my website: www.saitosensei.com
 "Osensei" Ueshiba Morihei, (1883-1969) the founder of aikido. He developed aikido in Japan and moved to Iwama in 1942. |
 Saito sensei lived in Japan in the small town of Iwama, two or three hours north of Tokyo. His family has lived there for centuries. His son Saito Hitohiro sensei continues with his own organization. For many photos of Saito Sensei's pivotal life, check out www.saitosensei.com. |
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| Guidelines for going to Iwama to train or visit. |
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First, be aware these procedures may change at anytime. You are strongly advised to call (be aware of time zones) and confirm that the uchi-deshi program still exists and if the time of your visit is convenient for Saito sensei. Then, follow these procedures: If you want to visit Iwama on your own, your sensei must write to Iwama
to say you are coming. Please check the time zones between you and Japan before calling! Don't forget to say how many people are coming and how long they will stay. Take it from me, do not plan to leave Iwama and go to Tokyo or anywhere else in the middle of your stay. Minimal stay is a week if that is all you can do. If you are not currently living in Japan, popping in for the day is NOT A GOOD IDEA. Please don't come unless you can stay at least a week, better one month! There are other fees, including your departure fee. Be prepared to leave about Y5,000-Y10,000 for "the kamisama" and spending another Y3,000-Y5,000 for a big bottle of sake (please buy "jun-mae-shu" type), again, the for kamisama. The uchi-deshi there will guide you with this procedure. Plus there are smaller daily fees for food and, in winter, heating oil of around Y300/day. In general, bring more money than clothes or anything else as you can buy about anything in town or nearby. Warning: People with larger feet should bring a pair of slip-on shoes. These are hard to find. |