A Trip to Japan - Page 2

The weekend was followed by a 2-day gashuku led by Motomichi Anno sensei at the Kumano Juku dojo in Shingu, considered by many to be the first Aikido dojo founded by O’ Sensei.  One recurring theme we were asked to consider throughout the seminar was the importance of striving for Harmony in heart, mind, body, and spirit.  And from there to take our practice out into the worlds within which we interact. 
Training at Kumano Juku dojo, Shingu

The Kumano region is a very beautiful part of Japan.  Since ancient times, it has been considered holy ground, a sacred place of the gods.  In addition to our visits to the Kumano Hongu shrine, we also were able to spend a few hours at the Kumano Nachi shrine, site of Japan’s most famous waterfall, Nachi-no-taki.  We wrote blessings that we had brought with us from students back home onto small wooden tablets, which were then hung on an outdoor display.  These are gathered up on the 18th of each month and burned in a ceremonial fire, thus releasing the prayers to the kami.  Standing before Nachi waterfall inspired a haiku within me, which I wrote onto one of the plaques:

Some of the water
spilling over Nachi’s crest
does not fall, but flies!


Nachi Waterfall
From Shingu we then traveled to Kyoto, with a brief stop in Tanabe to visit O’ Sensei’s grave.  After taking time to formally tend to the gravesite, we took a few moments for silent reflection.  It was a powerful realization for me, having never met O’ Sensei while he was alive, that I was then as close on a physical plane as I could ever be to him.  And in those moments we each were in contact with a ‘heart’ message.
During our 4 days in Kyoto and 2 days in nearby Nara, we visited a number of famous shrines and temples.  Among those that really stand out are the Kinkaku-ji “Golden Pavilion” shrine and the Ginkaku-ji “Silver Pavilion” shrine.

Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion", Kyoto

On our next to last day, while having breakfast at the 3 Sisters Inn (a small ryokan with about 10 rooms), we discovered that another one of the guests, Ed Grover, had visited our dojo 20 years ago! 
In many ways, the 2-week experience was mostly about connections:  with the heart of Aikido at Kumano Juku Dojo and Oyuno Hara Taisha; with the beauty of Nature throughout Kumano; with the timeless art of the shrines and gardens in Kyoto and Nara; with old pathways criss-crossing again (Tet Tanaka and Ed Grover); meeting Aiki friends old and new from around the world; with Linda and Laurin our dear friends and travel companions, and with Eiko Watanabe, a complete stranger who without any hesitation took an hour out of her time while traveling home from work to walk with 2 ‘lost’ foreigners until we found the place we’d been trying to find in downtown Kyoto.  These experiences were good for the soul.  It calls to mind O’ Sensei’s vision:
“Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.”


All photos copyright by Laurin Herr, Michael Smith, or Danielle Smith