Chicago Aikikai aikido dojo

An inclusive community for exploring the Japanese martial art of aikido

Japanese American

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month!

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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Although Chicago Aikikai’s membership has not been majority Japanese American since the early 1970s, its roots lay in the postwar Chicago Japanese American community that was established here by people coming out of the wartime internment camps. Along with Hawaii Aikikai (Honolulu) and Los Angeles Aikikai, it is one of several aikido dojo that owe a debt to nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) who were early students of aikido in the US.

Check out our History of Chicago Aikikai video playlist on our YouTube channel. We are also presenting a selection of historical photos from our archieves below.

 

Illinois Aikido Club founding members Sab Tanaka and Joe Takehara receiving instruction from Koichi Tohei when he guest taught at Illinois Aikido Club in 1964 when it was on 3223 North Clark Street.

 

1967 Chicago Tribune photo of demo by Illinois Aikido Club at the annual Ginza Holiday Japanese cultural festival held by Midwest Buddhist Temple (originally Midwest Buddhist Church).

 

Francis Takahashi (1943-2023), who served as the Illinois Aikido Club’s second chief instructor while stationed in Chicago with the U.S. Army from 1963-1965. Takahashi was the son of pioneering instructor Isao Takahashi (1912-1972), began his training under Koichi Tohei (1920-2011) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was married to instructor Mariye Takahashi. He is seated beneath the circular mirror that was a physical representation of the dojo’s original logo (symbolizing the sun) and served as its original shomen at the dojo’s first location at 3223 North Clark Street.
Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999), son of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) and second Doshu (Leader of Aikido) teaching a seminar at Illinois Aikido Club at 1103 W. Bryn Mawr in 1973. The half-kneeling student to the right is Joe Takehara.

 

Illinois Aikido Club founding member Joe Takehara, beloved senior member Yuki Hara, and ASU founder and leader Mitsugi Saotome Shihan at Chicago Aikikai when it was on 3652 N. Lincoln Avenue in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

 

ASU Founder and Leader Mitsugi Saotome Shihan and Lake County Aikikai founder and chief instructor Charles Tseng (1936-2024) at Chicago Aikikai when it was on 3652 N. Lincoln Avenue (Photo by Christine Weyand, Thanksgiving Seminar 2005/06)

Chicago Aikikai returning to Ginza Holiday Festival

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Chicago Aikikai will be returning to give demos at the annual Ginza Holiday Japanese cultural festival at Midwest Buddhist Temple (MBT). Catch us onstage at 6:30 pm on Friday, August 8 and 3:30 pm on Saturday, August 9. And be sure to shop and sample some of the food.

Chicago Aikikai has given numerous aikido demonstrations over the years at the Ginza Holiday, an annual Japanese cultural festival and fundraiser hosted by the Midwest Buddhist Temple (MBT) in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. The temple started as the Midwest Buddhist Church in 1944 and began holding the festival in 1955. Chicago Aikikai began giving demonstrations not long after its founding in 1963 as Illinois Aikido Club.