News

On Sunday 7 June, we arrived in Kamakura just after eight in the morning and made our way through the successive torii gates lining the tree-lined avenue leading to the grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. Beneath a shelter beside a beautiful lake carpeted with broad lotus leaves, we spotted a group of children in keikogi. As we drew closer, Takeda Daiyu Sensei greeted us warmly and outlined the morning's programme in excellent English.

The 63rd All Japan Aikido Demonstration was held on Saturday, 23 May 2026, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Organised annually under the auspices of the Aikikai Foundation, this landmark event brings together aikido practitioners from across Japan and from around the world for a full day of demonstration, exchange, and celebration of the art founded by Ueshiba Morihei O Sensei.

This Saturday, Yokohama AikiDojo had the honour of welcoming Lia Suzuki Sensei for a very special morning of aikido. A 7th dan instructor and founder of Aikido Kenkyukai International USA, Suzuki Sensei brings with her a remarkable training history deeply rooted in Japan, having spent nine years in training under Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan before returning to build her own organisation in the United States.

On Sunday, May 10th, 2026, the annual Shobu Festival Dedication Demonstration (Shobu Matsuri Hono Embukai) was held at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Dojo in Kamakura. Organized by Aikido Kenkyukai International (AKI) Kamakura, Numata Dojo, AKI Misaki, AKI Otsu, and Shinmei Aikido Association, this gathering has become one of the most cherished annual occasions in the affiliated dojo community of the Kanagawa Prefecture.

Guillaume Erard Sensei travelled to Montreal, Canada last month for his first seminar on Canadian soil. Hosted at McGill University in the heart of Montreal, the two-day event brought together practitioners eager to explore both the technical depth and the historical roots of aikido under his guidance.

Yokohama AikiDojo participated in the 13th Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Seminar led by Katsurada Eiji Sensei on Saturday, February 28, at the Kanagawa Prefectural Budokan. This seminar, organized as part of the Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation's official events, brought together practitioners from various dojos to refine their skills and deepen their understanding of Aikido. Yokohama AikiDojo was represented by five of its members, who made the trip to train together under Katsurada Sensei's guidance.

The traditional Aikido Kagamibiraki ceremony held at the Aikido Hombu Dojo on January 11, 2026, marked an exceptional start to the year for the global Aikido community. Among the 1,064 practitioners promoted during this prestigious annual event, Yokohama AikiDojo instructor at large, Odilon Regnard, received his 5th dan certification, a significant milestone in his distinguished martial arts career and a major advance for our organization.

The 2025 Aikido Kanagawa Training and Exchange Practice was held on Saturday, December 27th. The final practice session of the year, it brought together aikido enthusiasts from the Kanto area for a lively end-of-year celebration of intense practice and networking. The event took place at the Kamakura Budokan near Yokohama. The three-hour training session was filled with a passionate atmosphere, defying the chill of the year-end weather.

La Réunion is currently hosting an international Aikido expert, Guillaume Erard. Welcomed by the Saint-Pierre Aikido School, he has clearly fallen under the spell of the landscapes in the south of the island.

Yesterday, I had the honor of attending the celebration for Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. Over 1,100 practitioners and supporters from across Japan and around the world gathered to mark this historic achievement—an unprecedented three-generation legacy of imperial honors within the Ueshiba family.

On Saturday, July 26th, members of Yokohama AikiDojo proudly took part in the 21st Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Demonstration, held at the Kanagawa Budokan. This annual event brings together aikidoka from across the prefecture to celebrate their shared practice through formal demonstrations (enbu), highlighting the breadth of aikido expression in Kanagawa.

This summer, Guillaume Erard Shihan—6th Dan Aikikai and esteemed instructor of both Aikido and Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu—led a remarkable series of seminars across Europe, visiting Emmendingen, Bayonne, Paris, and Cambridge. Central to this tour was a deep exploration of the root techniques preserved in the secret transmission scrolls (densho) and their evolution from the late 19th century to modern practice.