Iwama dojo

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Iwama dojo, Ibaraki dojo, Aiki Shuren dojo (合気修練道場 - dojo for training in aiki), or Ibaraki Aikikai Shibu dojo (the branch dojo of Aikikai in Ibaraki) is a small aikido practice hall, dojo, located in the town of Iwama in Ibaraki Prefecture where the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, lived since 1942 until his death in 1969.

The Iwama dojo has became a focus of the followers of Iwama style aikido. This line of aikido recognizes Iwama dojo as the birth place of the martial art of aikido, since the art was officially named aikido in the same year. After Morihei Ueshiba's death, Morihiro Saito was the caretaker the Aiki shrine and the instructor responsible for training in the dojo while the place was owned by the aikido organisation Aikikai founded by Ueshiba and his students in Tokyo.

After Saito's death, his son Hitohiro Saito tried to follow in his father's footsteps but in 2004, Hitohiro Saito and the Aikikai parted ways. Hitohiro Saito established his own organization and is teaching from the Tanrenkan dojo in Iwama. The Aikikai assigned other senior teachers in the Iwama area to be responsible for the Iwama dojo, which the Aikikai is now calling the Ibaraki dojo.

Every year, on May 29, there is a huge celebration called Tai Sai at Aiki jinja and the dojo, which attracts hundreds of aikido practitioners.

[edit] Aiki Jinja

Aiki Jinja (合気神社) is the shrine built by Morihei Ueshiba in Iwama in honor of the deities of aikido. Jinja is the Japanese term for a shrine. The shrine grounds include a dojo (training hall).

The first shrine was a small temple built in the 1940s, the second one, much bigger, was erected in front of the small one in 1962. They were both renovated by the Saito family in 2001-2002 with the approval of the Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba. This renovation also included a beautiful fence set up around the compound, and a huge stone with the carvings "Aiki Jinja" designed by Seiseki Abe, a master of calligraphy and of Aikido who was also the calligraphy teacher of Morihei Ueshiba and is the teacher of Hitohiro Saito Shihan.

Every month, on the 14th, the Saito family hosted the Doshu and a religious service was held at the Aiki Jinja (Tsukinamisai). Later, a small party with all the uchi deshi (resident students) and the Saito family was held inside the old dojo.

Every year, on April 29 a big religious and commemorative event is held by Oomoto priests in commemoration of Ueshiba's death on April 26, 1969. Through the years, the Saito family developed this event transforming it into a very big day for the small Iwama town and for aikido. Hundreds of visitors, some of them old students of the founder of aikido, others very big and famous aikido masters, come to Iwama to participate in the event. A religious celebration is held in the temple and ancient music is played. Before finishing a small ritual demonstration of aikido is held. To finish, the more than a thousand visitors are invited to a huge lunch in the dojo compounds.