I visited Iwama from May 15 through 29, 1998, and got in some excellent training. My feeling when leaving was that I wanted to come back soon and stay longer. Saito Sensei did most of the teaching, and Hitohiro taught about twice a week. Saito Sensei was very active and looked as if he was recovering very well from surgery for cancer of the esophagus and a hernia.
The
general conversation was about the possible sale of the dojo property by the
Ueshibas. It would be a big setback for Aikido in general if this beautiful property is
sold. Saito has built a new dojo on his own adjacent property, and the Aiki Shrine (Jinja)
is national property, so if the property is sold the Iwama training will continue.
Formal training was held at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The morning keiko/practice was either jo or bokken outdoors, weather permitting, while the evening practice was Taijutsu in the dojo. Saito taught all of the weapons practices, and he and Hitohiro basically split the evening sessions. We practiced all day in various ways, but these were the formal practices.
Two days after I arrived, the whole dojo rode into Tokyo on two buses for the annual Aikido exposition at the Budokan. Saito Sensei demonstrated Kentai Jo with Mark Larson.
While at the Budokan I ran into Bob Nadeau, my former teacher at Aikido of San Francisco. A real coincidence. He said he was visiting for the first time in 30 years. He was part of a group that stopped by the Iwama dojo for a visit several days later. Nadeau was an instructor at Aikido of S.F. along with Bill Witt and Frank Doran.
For anyone planning to make the trip Iwama, I'm including a copy of my itinerary and expenses.
Richmond to NY/JFK to Tokyo/Narita
Wednesday, May 13
Leave Richmond 9:55 a.m. United Flight 4668
Arrive NY JFK 11:15 a.m.
Leave NY 12:15 p.m. non-stop on United Flight 801
Thursday, May 14
Arrive Tokyo/Narita 3:00 p.m. Thursday, May 14
Train from Narita to Iwama, Ibaraki Prefecture
From the airport, you take a shuttle train to Narita Station. From there, you take the Narita Line to Abiko. At Abiko you transfer to the Joban Line and ride it north for about an hour to Iwama. Note that the Joban Line has white cars with a blue stripe.
Not everyone has heard of Iwama. The big city north of Iwama is Mito, so it's better to ask for the train to Mito (if for any reason you have to ask).
43 minutes on Narita Line from Narita to Abiko.
63 minutes on Joban Line from Abiko to Iwama.
Fare is 1620 yen, or about $15.
Tokyo/Narita to Chicago/O'Hare to Richmond
Friday, May 29
Leave Tokyo/Narita 12 noon, on United Flight 884
Arrive Chicago/O'Hare 9:29 a.m.
Leave Chicago/O'Hare 1:45 p.m. on United Flight 1838
Arrive Richmond 4:37 p.m.
------------------------
Expenses
Monthly fee for Uchideshi Y75,000 $564.00
Daily Training Fee Y 2,500 $ 18.80
Registration Fee, New Students Y 3,000 $ 22.56
The first
five days were Y 4,000 $ 30.00
after that, daily fee was Y 2,500 $ 18.80
May 15 through 29 is 15 days
Actual payment will be:
Registration Y3,000 $ 22.56
First five days Y20,000 $150.38
Next 10 days Y25,000 $187.97
Sub Total Y48,000 $360.90
Also:
Uchideshi food money Y 3,990 $ 30.00
Train to Iwama Y 1,620 $ 12.18
Train to Narita Y 1,620 $ 12.18
Sub Total Y 7,230 $ 54.40
Departure Tax Y 2,000 $ 15.03
Total Y57,230 $430.29
In currency, I carried
Y127,000 equaling $1,000
also $500 in traveler's checks
and $200 in U.S. currency.
TOTAL $1,700.00
I converted my dollars to yen in at a bank in Richmond, Va., and arrived in Japan with $1,000 in yen. Upon arriving at the dojo, I paid my fee up front.
I returned to the U.S. with Y34,000, the equivalent of $267.72.
My total expenditures were, therefore, $732.28.
I did not have to use the traveler's checks or U. S. currency.
The round-trip plane fare was $1,244.00.
Adding in the plane fare, the total cost of my trip was $1,976.00.
My travel agent was Jerome Woerner at Japan Travel Bureau in San Francisco. He's a shodan at Pat Hendricks' dojo in San Leandro.
Send questions or comments to Tim Sheldon
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