I managed to board the Shinkansen bound for Shin-Kobe without any trouble, more and more passengers got on at each stop, and before long every row in the car was completely full. There was no denying that we were right in the middle of a long holiday weekend.

I enjoyed a light lunch I had brought with me while watching the scenery pass by outside the window.

Whenever Mount Fuji comes into view, my spirits naturally lift. Its dignified presence always fills me with a quiet sense of pride.

We arrived at Shin-Kobe Station around 3:30 p.m., and from there I planned to head to Shinkaichi Station, the closest stop to my hotel.

Happy New Year 2026.

With training at Hombu Dojo resuming on January 6, I can truly feel the beginning of a fresh new year.

Following the previous update, I am pleased to share information on the upcoming seminars led by Hombu Dojo instructors, scheduled for March and April.

〇 March 13–15 — Aikido Seminar

Location: Barcelona, Spain

As the year draws to a close, the final training day at Hombu Dojo for 2025 will be December 25, with training resuming on January 6 in the new year.

Here is an overview of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo Shihan seminars scheduled for January and February 2026.  
Since there are many events, this information will be shared in three parts: January–February, March–April, and May onward.

○January 3 – 2026 New Year’s Practice  

Venue: Sumida City Gymnasium  

Instructor: Shōji Seki Shihan 

Organizer: Kinoshita Dojo 

In January 2025, Nakao Sensei of Seibukan held a seminar in Auckland, New Zealand. The event was organized by Ivan Neziri, who runs a dojo in Auckland. Having once lived in Kobe and trained at Seibukan himself, Ivan was deeply motivated to share Sensei Nakao’s aikido with New Zealand, which led to the realization of this seminar.

Inspired by the seminar, my New Zealand friends decided to visit Seibukan during their trip to Japan, and we were fortunate to join them.

Their itinerary included training at the Hombu Dojo in Tokyo from the beginning of September, traveling through Kyoto and Kobe, and returning to the Hombu Dojo once again. After coordinating schedules, we settled on September 13 (Saturday) to September 15 (Monday, a public holiday) for a two-night, three-day visit.