October 21st finally arrived—the day of our departure.

Our flight was scheduled for 17:55, so leaving home in the afternoon would have been more than enough.

Since I had time, I joined the morning training session before heading out. After lunch, we made our way to Narita Airport, only to find out that our flight would be delayed by about 30 minutes.

I had once missed a connecting flight because of a delay, so the news made me a little uneasy. Still, with more than three hours between flights this time, all I could do was trust that everything would work out.

As announced, the plane took off 30 minutes late. The cabin was completely full—there wasn’t a single empty seat.

The flight to Taipei would only take a few hours, but imagining spending the following 13-hour Taipei–Vienna flight in the same packed conditions sent a chill down my spine.

— A season of growth, deepening skills, and heartfelt connections —

This is the fourth and final installment of our 2026 seminar information series featuring Nebi Vural Sensei from Turkey.

A total of 31 seminars are scheduled for 2026, promising an exceptionally rich and active year. To make the information easier to follow, we have introduced the seminars in four parts, each covering a three month period. This final chapter highlights the events from October to December.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Büşra Akdoğan, who has been continuously sharing the latest updates on Nebi Vural Sensei with us since the early days of Aikido Travel. We truly appreciate her warm and ongoing support.

On October 25–26, 2025, I took part in a seminar in Prague led by Fujimaki Shihan from the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

The journey began with my encounter with Tomáš, who had once been a trainee at Hombu Dojo. Even before becoming a trainee, he visited Japan every year without fail to train, and through those repeated visits we naturally became close.

He and his friends would often say, “You should come to the Czech Republic someday.”

If this had been just an ordinary sightseeing trip, I might not have felt such a strong pull. What truly motivated me was the fact that the annual Prague seminar would be taught by Fujimaki Shihan, to whom I am always deeply grateful.

The thought of training under a beloved teacher together with friends in the Czech Republic became the driving force behind this trip.

I had originally planned to visit in 2026, but due to family circumstances, the trip was moved up by a year.

We would like to share with you the following notices currently posted at Hombu Dojo.

Memorial Gathering for the Founder and Kisshomaru Second Doshu

A memorial gathering for the Founder and for Kisshomaru Second Doshu will be held as follows. We look forward to your participation.

•    Date & Time: Saturday, April 25, 19:00–20:00

•    Location: Hombu Dojo, 3rd Floor

A small reception will follow the presentation.

*The 19:00~20:00 Regular Class on the day will not be held.