AIKIKAI FOUNDATION - Newsletter Archive

AIKI TAISAI (AIKI Shrine Festival)
date: April 29, 2010
time: 11:00〜12:30
place: AIKI Shrine
 attendance: 1,500 (approx.)
admission: free*
(12:30~Lunch in Iwama dojo garden)
Greeting from Doshu:

　I am pleased that a great number of people made time in their busy schedules to attend the Aiki Shrine Festival. The founder Morihei Ueshiba passed away on April 26, 1969 and Kisshomaru-Doshu passed away on January 4. 1999.
　Aikido,founded by Kaiso, has spread to 95 countries over the past 40 years.　This is because Kisshomaru Doshu and other Sensei devoted all of their energy to the dissemination of Aikido. This is our mission and we must be mindful of the efforts of those that came before us and transmit Aikido to posterity through the deliberate and daily practice of Aikido. Thank you very much for coming today.

Reception:
*Admission free but usually almost all attendance offer some donation when they register then receive a lunch box.

Worshipers:
Over 1,500 peoples came to Aiki Jinja to pray from all over the world.



SHUBATSU:
The etiquette of the purification done by the Shinto priest before festive occasions of Shintoism.



Doshu's Speech





Demonstrations :
by Waka Sensei and Doshu		 AIKI JINJA TAISAI and a memorial service for Kaiso and Kisshomaru Doshu were held at AIKI Shrine in Kasama-shi (Old Iwama-cho), Ibaraki Prefecture. (100km North East from Tokyo)
Many people take 08:19 train (JR/JOBAN Line, bound for Mito) from Ueno Station and arrive at 10:08 at Iwama St. then walk to AIKI JINJA.

The TAISAI started at SHUBATSU (please refer to left photo) and was continued to TAISAI-SHUKUJI (complimentary speech), TAMAGUSHI-HOTEN (offering a branch of the sacred tree to a god) by Ueshiba family and some representatives, then prayed KAMIGOTO by all attendance.

Memorial service for Kaiso and Kisshomaru Doshu was almost same ceremony of TAISAI.

For closing the ceremony, Doshu and Waka sensei showed HONO-ENBU (Aikido demonstration ) with 3 sensei, Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Kodani and Mr. Oyama.
NAORAI:
get-together after the ceremony in IWAMA Dojo.



Lunch:
A lot of attendance had a lunch with some SAKE together in Iwama Dojo Garden.		 Kaiso new statue
Impression of AIKI Shrine Festival：

--I was touched to share the anniversary of the O-sensei and Kisshomaru-Doshu, with Ueshiba family, sensei, and aikidoka coming from all over the world. I think that it is a great moment in the life of an aikidoka to commemorate the death of O-sensei and Kisshomaru Doshu. Seeing the foundator's house, the dojo and the aiki jinja is like a pilgrimage.
　After the lunch, we walk to the top of the Atagosan :
　　　
a beautiful walk to a nice jinja. It is a very good day, and I advise to every aikidoka to go once to Iwama for the commemoration's.
(S. Bertolo)

-- When the train was running out of the city, I fell asleep and woke up 15 minutes before arriving at Iwama station. It was the special time of the year when rice field were covered with water for waiting for the young rice growth to be plant. The landscape was like hundred of mirrors reflecting the light of the sun. I was surprised to see so much people getting out of the train! The station is so small. We all took the way to go to the Aiki shrine. No possibility to lose your way thanks to the Iwama dojo's people who showed us the way.
At the entrance of the shrine we found the Honbu staff to welcome us and register. We received a bento box and the program of the festival ceremonies. The VIPs were invited to give offering as the priests were performing the ceremony. To close the ceremony, Doshu made an aikido demonstration inside the shrine. Waka Sensei performed suwari waza under the attentive look of his father. Doshu did tachiwaza.
After that we were all invited to share the meal in the garden of the Iwama dojo. This was my first time coming here and the place had a very strong influence on me. The all Dojo is made of wood in the traditional Japanese contracting way. There is also a big garden and I immediately thought how great it must be to train in this amazing place surrounded by nature. The Dojo is all opened allowing any one who wishes to get inside to feel the peaceful atmosphere of the place. I could have stay hours just sitting there but it was already time to come back to the big city. Thanks to the Iwama Dojo people and the Hombu staff I had the opportunity to discover this wonderful place. I came back home with the promise of coming again in Iwama Dojo and why not for training next time!
(Camille T.)   
Tips of AIKI JINJA TAISAI:
*Access to AIKI JINJA 　　　
*Map of Atagosan　(Japanese)

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Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World Headquarters
17-18 Wakamatsu Cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0056 Japan
TEL: (+81) 3-3203-9236, FAX: (+81) 3-3204-8145
Email: aikido@aikikai.or.jp