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Articles >>> First Impressions and Lasting Memories: My Journey to Japan By Tom Nguyen It is through the eyes of someone not accustomed to traveling that I attempt to relate our wonderful journey to Japan to attend the All Japan Aikido Demonstration. In fact, with the exception of Sensei Phong and Andrew Avalos, this was a first-time visit to Japan for most of our delegation, including Adam Le, Eric Raye, Thai Luong, and My Nguyen. After flying 11 hours and losing a day crossing the Pacific, we arrived in Tokyo on a beautifully sunny and warm Thursday afternoon. We were met by Mr. Do Thong Minh, an author and long-time friend of Sensei Phong, who escorted us to our hotel, located in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo. Mr. Do operates the Mekong Center, a cultural resource center he operates to serve the small Vietnamese population of about 12,000 spread throughout Japan. We were grateful to Mr. Do for committing his time and effort in accompanying us on our first couple of days and acting as our interpreter and guide, especially when we had to navigate Tokyo’s vast subway system, our primary mode of transportation. While making our way through the teeming crowds in this complex subway system, Sensei kept joking that one of us should try to find his way back to the hotel on his own, and I could see us getting easily lost and separated if we didn’t have Mr. Do along to help keep us together and guide us onto the right trains and off at the right stops. On our first day, along with Mr. Do and his friend, Vu, we went sightseeing and first stopped to see the Tokyo Tower, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower and houses the signal transmitters for the major TV and radio stations as well as restaurants, shops, and an aquarium. Later, we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, which is comprised of two beautiful and magnificent skyrise buildings, recently constructed to not only house Tokyo’s government offices, but to also symbolically act as the visionary center of this world metropolis. We took the elevator to the public observatory on the 45th floor of one building, where we were treated to a spectacular 360 degree vista of Tokyo. On our way back to the subway, a group of schoolgirls seemed to be interested in Eric and giggled their hellos to him as they passed, so we teased him the rest of the way. Pointing to his cool sunglasses and laid-back attitude, we figured they must’ve thought he was some great western movie star, maybe Jean Claude Van Damme. We were discovering so many new experiences and quickly becoming used to all the differences in Japan: driving on the left side of the road, bicyclists and pedestrians sharing the same busy sidewalks, no tipping taxi drivers or at restaurants. At our hotel, we were introduced to traditional Japanese bathing. The rooms have no individual showers. Everyone is provided a bathrobe and bathing is done on the top floor, where the common shower area is located. After showering, people soak and relax together in a huge hot bath, with a view of the city below. On Saturday morning, May 22nd, we arrived at the Budokan for the 37th Annual All Japan Aikido Demonstration, In Memory of Ueshiba Kisshomaru Doshu. The Budokan is the premiere martial arts arena in Japan, where important martial arts tournaments and displays are traditionally held. It is located at the Northern Corner of the Imperial Palace, once known as the Edo Castle during medieval Japan. As we approached, we could see the formidable structure of the Budokan, sitting atop the lush, green elevated grounds of the Imperial Palace, with a wide river guarding its base. Entering the grounds through the huge castle gates surrounded by immense stone walls, I could almost imagine in my mind the regal samurai who once stood guard at these ancient fortifications. After we entered the Budokan, Sensei and the ukes, Andrew, Adam, Eric and myself, dressed in our uniforms and waited in nervous anticipation as the opening ceremonies began. The scene downstairs was a frenzy of activity, and I was amazed at seeing so many hundreds of aikidoka coming from different parts of Japan and many different parts of the world, all gathered here in one place. While Thai and My were busy setting up our video and camera equipment, Mr. Do and his precocious and helpful 10-year-old daughter watched from above in the spectator seats. With so many schools participating, performance time was limited to only a minute and a half for each group. Each school was quickly escorted to its respective mat, and with the loud beat of a large Taiko drum, the school would start its performance, and as soon as the drum sounded again, the school was expected to end and bow quickly and be escorted off the mat. The procession of schools and demonstration teams onto and off the mats progressed like efficient clockwork, set to the enormous beat of the Taiko drum. Being one of the first schools to perform, we lined up behind our escort, holding up a white sign reading “Westminster, America” and the moment suddenly came with our guide briskly leading the way through the door into the performance area with the full arena of spectators before us. One by one, following Sensei’s lead, we bowed onto the mat, and Sensei began the demonstration. I remember watching Sensei performing with his usual effortless ease and grace. I dared not look up at the stands full of people. I remember my turn and being thrown with Sensei’s fluid power onto the hard tatami mats. All too suddenly, the Taiko drum announced our time was over, and as we all quickly bowed and were escorted off the mat, it seemed to us that our minute and a half went by too fast, especially to Sensei, who had wanted to display more techniques. However short and quick our time was, we heard word from fellow student, George Kongo, that many in the Hombu Dojo organization had taken notice of Sensei’s brilliant performance, and the Doshu had personally extended his thanks to Sensei for coming such a long way to participate in this event. Well-known and highly respected within the Aikikai organization as well as the international martial arts world, Sensei Phong was greeted throughout the day by other senseis familiar with Sensei Phong’s reputation and work, including Sensei Horizoe and Sensei Wakabayashi. Sensei Horizoe is a committee member of a government non-profit organization working with UNICEF and the Peace Corps, and Sensei Wakabayashi had known Sensei’s Phong’s late brother, Sensei Tri, for quite some years. Both senseis had recently traveled as part of an Aikido delegation on a recent goodwill trip to Vietnam. All of us could relax now that our performance was over, and watch the rest of the day’s demonstrations in leisure in the spectator stands or do some shopping at the vendor booths. As we enjoyed spectacular demonstrations by many of the top Shihan, we were also looking forward to the real highlight of the event…the last performance of the day by Doshu himself. As Doshu entered the arena, a hush fell through the crowd, and all the lights in the arena were suddenly thrust on, spotlighting much more than just the single man standing in the middle of the arena…there stood Doshu, representing a direct link to O’Sensei and the origin of the beautiful art that we strive to perfect within ourselves. His demonstration was stunning, his technique fast, crisp, and smooth. It was quite an honor to be able to watch Doshu perform his marvelous, flowing technique and we all had big smiles after it was over, all of us impressed and stunned by his display of skillful mastery and beauty. At the end of the day, we were in tremendously good spirits as we left the Budokan. With the pressure of our performance having been lifted, the rest of the night was a big collective sigh of relief. The day happened to also be my 29th birthday, so I was in an especially playful mood. Adam and I were very loud and boisterous on what is supposed to be a quiet, polite subway ride home, as we practiced our limited Japanese on each other, laughing and trying to outdo the other as we accused each other of being a “gai-jin” (foreigner). Sighing and rolling his eyes, Andrew sat quietly regretting he ever taught us any Japanese phrases, but it was all in good fun and affection for the beautiful culture we were experiencing. After only a few days, I had come to love Japan, its people, its language, and felt accustomed to its ways. Adam and Andrew had become so proficient at recognizing our subway routes and reading the maps, that they now knew with confidence where we were and how to return to our hotel. My big step would come later after dinner. After George treated us all to a nice dinner in celebration of Sensei’s successful performance, I decided once I returned to the hotel to overcome my shyness and take a hot bath. Besides, it was my birthday and I was in Japan! A hot bath would be my Japanese baptism! Naked strangers or not! On Sunday, we headed to the Hombu Dojo for our much eagerly awaited class with Doshu. There is a very family-like feel at the Hombu Dojo, like our own dojo, and after respectfully taking our shoes off upon entering the first floor, we joined some parents watching a children’s class on a floor above, and later saw Doshu, in his modest manner, friendly smile and casual attire. Doshu is said to be the nicest gentleman and very easy to talk to, but I still felt a tremendous reverence and bowed deeply when he passed. Because aikidoka from all over Japan and the world were in Tokyo that weekend for the All Japan Aikido Demonstration, the class quickly overfilled with visiting senseis and students. Doshu led the class in a brief warm-up and quickly commenced instruction with his now familiar fluid, powerful technique and smooth grace. Although attendance was heavy and there was little room to fully take ukemi, we learned much from just watching Doshu expertly execute many techniques, such as tenchi-nage and a variety of suwari-waza techniques. After class, we were all grateful to have had the rare opportunity and privilege to be instructed by Doshu, and it was a further honor for us to join him afterwards for group pictures. During practice, I was especially impressed with the number and skill of women aikidoka in attendance. In Japan, it is much more common to find women participating in Aikido and other martial arts than in America, and I had the privilege of meeting and practicing with two very skilled women, Yoshiko Horii, a childrens’ instructor and Kisayo Katayama, a university student. I was especially impressed with Kisayo’s skill. Kisayo has been practicing Kendo for 6 years and Aikido for 2 years, and for an aikidoka practicing only a couple of years at her university Aikido club, I was floored (literally!) by her powerful technique and skill as she expertly executed shiho-nage. I extended a heartfelt invitation to my new friends to come practice at our dojo if they ever had the opportunity to visit southern California, as neither had ever been to the US, and sadly bid them farewell as our brief time at the Hombu Dojo came to an end too soon. We joined Sensei Wakabayashi and his student, Alan, for lunch, along with Mr. Hayakawa, an associate of Mr. Do and editor of a news journal for the Mekong Center. Afterwards, we were back on the subway, heading to Sensei Fujita’s resident for an early dinner. In a comical moment, we briefly lost our way walking to Sensei Fujita’s apartment building, but we were later spotted by Mrs. Fujita, riding on her bicycle in search of us. As we approached Sensei Fujita’s building, we could see his smiling face sticking out his 5th story window and arms waving in greeting. I don’t know who was happier to see the other…him or us, but we all laughed as we quickly snapped pictures of him to preserve the humorous moment. Inside their warm, cozy apartment, we were introduced to a few other aikidoka friends of Sensei Fujita, and on the occasion of our last night in Japan and in honor of Sensei Phong, Mrs. Fujita had prepared a wonderful Japanese feast, and Sensei Fujita himself spared nothing, as he pulled out his best beer and sake! Long after I was full, Mrs. Fujita brought out more and more exotic and delicious dishes to the table, and I didn’t have to understand Japanese to see that Sensei Fujita’s humorous friends wanted us to drink more sake. Gesturing in a lighthearted and funny way, they indicated I should drink up if I was ever to become a “big Shihan”. Of course, I dutifully passed my sake to Eric, or tried to empty my glass inconspicuously into Adam, My and Thai’s glasses. After much good food and drink, and hearty conversation and laughter, we bid many thanks of gratitude and a fond farewell to Sensei Fujita and Mrs. Fujita. After a lovely, warm and beautiful four days, our last morning in Japan seemed to indicate our mood as we awoke to cloudy weather and rain. I think all of us were sad at having to leave after such a wonderful time. Our bags packed, our airport shuttle waiting, we solemnly prepared for our return home. On the long flight home, I thought about all the wonderful people I had met, the exciting new things I had learned, and the beautiful places I had seen. Traveling to Japan was truly an experience of a lifetime for me and I am truly humbled and grateful to Sensei for allowing me to accompany him on this unforgettable journey, and if I may speak on behalf of the delegation, we are all thankful and indebted to the students, parents and friends of our Tenshinkai family for showing so much support and helping make this trip possible for us. Domo arigato gozaimasu. |
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