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Old 08-25-2003, 09:24 AM   #1
Adam Garrison
 
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Dojo: Okinawa Aikikai
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
United_States
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Smile Dojos in N. Japan - need advice!

Greetings to all!

I am in dire need of some advice from those of you who have traveled and trained in Japan. Let me briefly explain my situation...

My wife & I are looking to move to Japan for a few years in about six months, as soon as she works out the details regarding her employment in Yamagata (Yamagata-ken). She is essentially going to move with me just because she knows that it has been a dream of mine to live and train in Japan for a period of time.

My fear is...how do I know that the area where I am going to be living is going to have a solid aikido dojo with a regular schedule of classes available? It seems that the majority of dojos, or at least ones that I can find via the web, are located in southern or central Honshu.

I just wanted to see if I could get some feedback from a few folks before we commit and are stranded in an area where training will require a considerable travel investment.

I know that the late Rinjiro Shirata Sensei had a dojo in Yamagata (right?), and that John Stevens teaches in Sendai when he is not traveling. Is Shirata Sensei's dojo in Yamagata still operating, and alive with his spirit of traditional aikido practice? If so...then I will be excited and hope that I might be able to train there. If not, can anyone offer any suggestions concerning the dojos in Northern Honshu? I appreciate any advice or information that anyone has to offer.

Cheers,

Adam Garrison
Okinawa Aikikai, US Dojos
Washinton, DC

Adam Garrison
Okinawa Aikikai / US Dojos - Washington DC
Systema DC / NVA Study Group
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Old 08-25-2003, 09:55 AM   #2
Ron Tisdale
Dojo: Doshinkan dojo in Roxborough, Pa
Location: Phila. Pa
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,615
United_States
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If you email me I might be able to provide a contact.

RT

Ron Tisdale
-----------------------
"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
St. Bonaventure (ca. 1221-1274)
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Old 08-25-2003, 10:57 AM   #3
Chris Li
 
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Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,313
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Re: Dojos in N. Japan - need advice!

Quote:
Adam Garrison wrote:
I know that the late Rinjiro Shirata Sensei had a dojo in Yamagata (right?), and that John Stevens teaches in Sendai when he is not traveling. Is Shirata Sensei's dojo in Yamagata still operating, and alive with his spirit of traditional aikido practice? If so...then I will be excited and hope that I might be able to train there. If not, can anyone offer any suggestions concerning the dojos in Northern Honshu? I appreciate any advice or information that anyone has to offer.
There's a list of Yamagata dojo at http://www.aikido.ne.jp/html_j/dojo/yamagata.html , the Aikikai home page also has a list of Aikikai dojo throughout Japan at http://www.aikikai.or.jp/ .

Stevens has (as far as I know) a group going. If you're in the area I strongly recommend that you check out Funakoshi and his group.

Best,

Chris

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Old 08-27-2003, 07:55 AM   #4
Adam Garrison
 
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Dojo: Okinawa Aikikai
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
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Ron & Chris,

Thanks for the invaluable info!

Does anyone out there have any recommendations on how a gaijin can go about finding a job in Japan once he gets there? My wife will most certainly have a job soon, and I will have to go over on a dependent's visa intitially (which does not allow me to work, if I understand the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site correctly).

Any Advice from anyone out there who has had to walk a similar path?

Adam G.

Adam Garrison
Okinawa Aikikai / US Dojos - Washington DC
Systema DC / NVA Study Group
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Old 08-27-2003, 09:13 AM   #5
PRapoza
Dojo: Cape Cod Aikido Kenkyukai 541 Thomas Landers Rd., East Falmouth
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 30
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Dear Adam,

You are very fortunate to be training near one of the best teachers I know of. His name is Kadoya sensei. His web address is http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/%7Eshonai/

You'll have to go and train with him to see what I mean. Please email me with any questions. Let me know how it goes.

Paul Rapoza

capecodaikido.com

P.S. His english is excellent, by the way.

Last edited by PRapoza : 08-27-2003 at 09:21 AM.
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