Donations for O Sensei statue?

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Demetrio Cereijo]

Hi,

There's been some debate* lately in spanish aikido forums about the Aikikai Foundation asking for donations to build a big bronze statue of O Sensei in Iwama.

The Aikikai Foundation is asking for a 3000 yen per individual (of course voluntary) donation to be made before 25 March 2009 so the statue can be ready for the 40 anniversary of the founder's passing ceremony.

I'd like to know how is the fund raising going in your countries and what are the opinions of aikido practitiones around.

*For what i'm reading these days, lots of people thinks this is not a very good idea: with world's financial crisis it seems this is not the best moment to spent money in statues.

[Garth Jones]

Maybe the fundraising is mostly going on among the Iwama folks, but this is the first I've heard of it. Of course, I may not be well informed. In any event, there is a big bronze statue of O'Sensei in Tanabe, where he was born.

[Peter Goldsbury]

Hi,

The Aikikai Foundation is asking for a 3000 yen per individual (of course voluntary) donation to be made before 25 March 2009 so the statue can be ready for the 40 anniversary of the founder's passing ceremony.

Hello,

Where is this information? It does not appear on the website of the Aikikai Foundation.

Hiroshi Osoyama made a verbal announcement at the end of the IAF Congress in Tanabe, last year, but there was no time limit mentioned nor any mention of an amount.

Best wishes,

[Demetrio Cereijo]

Prof. Goldsbury,

This information has been published both in spanish forums, for instance in Aikiforum.com (http://aikiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2871), and in aikido dojo websites like this one: Aikido club Amagoia (http://www.aikidoamagoia.com/?p=p_31&sName=Escultura-de-O-sensei-en-Iwama.).

Here is the google automatic "translation" for the announcement found in the Aikido Club Amagoia website:

Sculpture of O Sensei in Iwama.

Coinciding with the fortieth anniversary of the death of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, is to erect a large sculpture representing his figure in bronze at the shrine of Iwama in Ibaraki.
This sculpture will be funded with voluntary contributions from aikidokas worldwide. The single share that has established for this purpose Aikikai is 3,000 yen, which at the current exchange rate is about 25 euros. AEA (Association of Cultural Aikikai Spain, led by maestro Kitaura Yasunari) will be responsible for collecting input from those who want to contribute and send this money to Aikikai in Tokyo.
This has put at your disposal the following account of BBVA: AEA 0182 4072 66 0201 5204 43 you must specify the income concept Iwama Sculpture "and carried out before March 25.

I think this is more or less intelligible but if you need a better translation I'll give a try.

Regards.

[Peter Goldsbury]

Hello Demetrio,

I studied Latin for many more years than I care to admit, so reading Spanish and Italian is not so difficult.

I am aware that advertisements have appeared in the Japanese Aikido Shimbun, the Aikikai's newspaper, but I do not remember seeing any specific amount, or a payment deadline. Japan's economy is suffering, also, and it is fairly commonly accepted in the dojos around here that it will take a long time to reach the target.

Well, of course, people can pay what they wish, but if it were so important to obtain donations from overseas Aikikai members, it might have been better to publicize it on the Aikikai's website--in English, rather than in Japanese in a newspaper that very few people read overseas. Perhaps this is an 'initiative' from Kitaura Shihan.

Best wishes,

PAG

Prof. Goldsbury,

This information has been published both in spanish forums, for instance in Aikiforum.com (http://aikiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2871), and in aikido dojo websites like this one: Aikido club Amagoia (http://www.aikidoamagoia.com/?p=p_31&sName=Escultura-de-O-sensei-en-Iwama.).

Here is the google automatic "translation" for the announcement found in the Aikido Club Amagoia website:

I think this is more or less intelligible but if you need a better translation I'll give a try.

Regards.

[Flintstone]

For those who can read Spanish, there is a similar discussion here (http://aikidojozaragoza.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1726).

The general feeling is that there are better things to do with that money than erecting a bronze statue of the Founder on his 40th anniversary, specially in these times of crisis.

[jennifer paige smith]

The general feeling is that there are better things to do .......

I couldn't agree more.

[David Yap]

Prof. Goldsbury,

This information has been published both in spanish forums, for instance in Aikiforum.com (http://aikiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2871), and in aikido dojo websites like this one: Aikido club Amagoia (http://www.aikidoamagoia.com/?p=p_31&sName=Escultura-de-O-sensei-en-Iwama.).

Here is the google automatic "translation" for the announcement found in the Aikido Club Amagoia website:

I think this is more or less intelligible but if you need a better translation I'll give a try.

Regards.

Here's the original letter signed by Tada shihan:

David Y

[Peter Goldsbury]

Hello David,

Yes. Since my last post I have seen the latest edition of the Aikido Shimbun and have noted the total amount requested and the individual amounts requested. So it clearly was not an initiative of Kitaura Shihan, in Spain.

At the last IAF Congress, Isoyama Shihan announced the project, but I have not seen any letter in Japanese, addressed to individual dojos in Japan, like mine. Perhaps the announcement in the newspaper was considered sufficient.

What more can I say? There is a statue of O Sensei near the sea in Tanabe and it is a popular place for aikido visitors to take their photographs. On the other hand, some of us believe that the money would be better spent on some kind of support scheme to help the development of aikido in poorer countries, or those countries in the center of local war zones. After all, aikido is all about peace, and especially about not about winning and losing, right? :)

Best wishes,