If each organization was issuing their own shihan certificate, it wouldn't be such an issue. But they don't. The Aikikai issues the shihan certificate. That's the disconnect for me.

If the Aikikai issues shihan certificates for an organization and that status is only recognized within that organization and then if the Aikikai issues shihan certificates to its own Aikikai Honbu training staff and that status crosses over to all organizations affiliated with the Aikikai, then there is a higher status granted to Aikikai shihans as compared to other organizational shihans.

If that's true, then the Aikikai isn't really recognizing "shihan" status to people in organizations at all. If it did, then those people in other organizations would have the same status as Aikikai honbu shihan.

Again, if that isn't what's happening, I certainly hope someone will correct me.