“One of the most interesting things about the All-Japan demonstrations is that you can see an entire range of aikidoka from hobbyists to the world’s finest teachers in a single venue, in a single afternoon.”
Aikido Journal #118 (Fall/Winter 1999)
I recently attended the All-Japan Aikido Demonstration sponsored by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo for perhaps the 20th time. The 1999 event was held on May 22 at the Nippon Budokan in commemoration of the late Aikido Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999). There was a huge portrait of Kisshomaru Sensei hanging above a flower display behind the shomen. An impressive sight, indeed, and a constant reminder of his legacy! I think this year’s demonstration was especially important in a psychological sense in that, among many things, it represented a strong show of support for the new Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba. Moriteru Sensei is now 48 years of age and, coincidentally, the same age as his father when he assumed the title of Doshu.
For many years now, I have received permission to go down on the floor where the demonstrations take place to shoot pictures from close range for this magazine. It is from this vantage point that I have not only been able to see the numerous performances close up, but also visit with the many teachers and guests who are regularly on hand. It’s always a pleasure to see the same faces year after year and a few new ones as well.
I’ll never forget the first time I attended the event in 1973 when it was held at the old Hibiya Hall (Hibiya Kokaido). That year’s demonstration turned out to be significant in several regards as it marked the last All-Japan performance by 10th dan Koichi Tohei before his departure from the Aikikai. It was also the last time that Sadateru Arikawa, now 9th dan, gave a public exhibition and, on that occasion, it was a veritable tour de force. I clearly recall—I can indeed say “clearly” because I shot several rolls of 8mm film—a fascinating performance by Mitsugi Saotome who did a scary randori against five or six attackers armed with knives! It was quite breathtaking to watch him duck and dodge while avoiding engaging a single opponent for more than a split second! That year there were also fine demonstrations by several top teachers who have since left us like Kisaburo Osawa, Bansen Tanaka, Seigo Yamaguchi, and the late Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. If I’m not mistaken, Gozo Shioda Sensei of Yoshinkan Aikido was also in the audience.
It occurs to me that few people other than the old-timers of the Aikikai will remember the beginnings of this famous event. It all started back on May 5, 1960 when the first All-Japan Demonstration was held at the Yamano Hall in Tokyo. This was of course well before my time, but recently I came across a pamphlet which lists the dates and locations of all of the demonstrations since the inception of the event. Two years later in 1962, the second demonstration was held at the Asahi News Hall, after which the site was moved to the Hibiya Hall. Except for the demonstration of 1969 at the Budokan, the yearly All-Japan Demonstration was held at the Hibiya Hall through 1977. This is an old facilty built about 70 years ago that seats around 2,000 people. Incidentally, the Hibiya Hall was the site of the 1935 Kobudo Demonstration in which Admiral Isamu Takeshita demonstrated Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu techniques as the representative of the Kobukan dojo of Morihei Ueshiba! Starting in 1978, the Aikikai event was moved to the Nippon Budokan, the famous martial arts arena in downtown Tokyo that was built in 1964 and served as the site for the Judo competition at the Tokyo Olympics of that year. For those of you who have never seen this magnificent structure, it is octagonal in shape and seats some 14,000 people. The acoustics are excellent, too, and it is also used for concerts. I remember hearing the late John Denver sing there in the early 1980s.
The 1978 demonstration was my second one and the first I attended after relocating to Japan. I recall Morihiro Saito Sensei’s thrilling kokyunage demonstration using Shigemi Inagaki and Bruce Klickstein as ukes. Saito Sensei moved with the power of a freight train and Inagaki-san ended up with a separated shoulder on that occasion! I also have a vivid recollection of Hiroshi Isoyama wowing the audience with his spectacular technique which included a finale where he lifts his opponent up over his head before sending him crashing to the mat. Parenthetically, Isoyama Sensei suffered a serious hip injury a number of years ago but is again in top form. We will have a fascinating interview with him in our spring in which he describes how he overcame his injury by devising his own therapy against his doctor’s advice.!
