Mitsunari Kanai

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Mitsunari Kanai (1938-2004), was an aikido teacher born in Japan, who spent most of his teaching career in the US. He was an 8th dan teacher with the title shihan in the organisation Aikikai.

Kanai was one of the last group of uchi-deshi under the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. He entered the Aikikai in 1958 as an uchi-deshi at Hombu Dojo. He came to the United States in 1966 as a 4th dan and subsequently founded the New England Aikikai, currently located off of Porter Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was instrumental in the early development of Aikido in the United States and Canada, and taught seminars widely throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. He was one of the founders and a Technical Director of both the USAF and the CAF.

Mitsunari Kanai

Kanai was also skilled in iaido and subsequently taught this art to his senior students, many of whom hold dan rank in both iaido and aikido. Kanai was also deeply respected for his metalworking skills and deep historical knowledge of the Japanese sword, the katana, serving at times as a specialist advisor to the East Asian collection at the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

His senior students continue to operate New England Aikikai. Others have dispersed throughout the United States, starting new dojos throughout New England and as far away as Portland, Oregon. His students also run the Aikido Clubs at nearby Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University.