Hombu Dojo Visit
A Return to the Heart — for the First Time
10th February 2024 marked my first visit to Hombu Dojo — a place long revered in the Aikido tradition. Stepping onto its tatami, I felt a stillness and strength that words could scarcely express.
I had the honor of being personally accompanied by Yamashima Sensei to Hombu Dojo, where he introduced me to Doshu Ueshiba Moriteru. For someone who had travelled to Japan with Aikido at heart, it was a deeply meaningful moment — to stand at the home of Aikido, guided there by my teacher and welcomed into a place I had long hoped to experience.
That day, I joined the keiko led by Doshu. Near the end of the practice, something unexpected happened. Doshu came over to me and asked, “Nhien-san, you are from Vietnam?” Then, with a warm smile, he said, “Let’s take a picture together.”
It was a simple gesture, but one I have never forgotten. That day, I was also fortunate to meet Ueshiba Mitsuteru Sensei and many respected Sensei and Senpai from Japan and Europe.
Below are moments from that memorable day at Hombu Dojo — a day of keiko, encounters, and connections that became another important step along my Aikido journey.
