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.

In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms are now in full bloom, and the warmer air lets us feel the arrival of spring with all our senses.

We are pleased to share the latest updates for the always popular Aikikai Hombu Dojo Shihan Seminars.
This edition includes the July seminars as well as newly added information for April.

〇 Lentestage 2026

This morning, we needed to head to Seibukan before 8:30 so we could join the zazen session.

Since attending the 9:30–11:00 class would mean missing our hotel checkout time, we decided to bring all our luggage and meet in the hotel lobby.

Even though we had already become familiar with the route, everything feels different when you’re carrying bags.

Our luggage was only for three days, so it wasn’t too bad, but the New Zealand members were carrying three weeks’ worth of belongings.

Going up and down stairs naturally took more time.

G carried M’s bags without a single complaint, looking every bit the gentleman—as if to say, “This is a man’s job.”