March 31, 1928 – May 12, 2002
June 21, 2002. The Aiki Jinja tori looks towards the Saito residence and dojo.
Saito Sensei’s legacy of hard, technically astute training, a welcoming heart, and a firm connection with Iwama continues to inspire us. How fortunate we were to have shared the aiki-michi with him.
Photo: Patricia Yarrow
June 23, 2002. Some of Saito Sensei’s dedicated students. From Turkey, Germany, USA, England,and France, they left their various dojo and flew to Japan to take part in the funeral services, reminisce, consider the future, and, we must admit, watch the Soccer World Cup 2002 together.
Photo: Patricia Yarrow
2002. Saito Sensei’s urn (silver box) and the public funeral shomen. The urn stood in the dojo for several days before this ceremony.
Photo: Patricia Yarrow
June 22-23, 2002. Saito Sensei’s public funeral. His gi and hakama. Hitohiro’s magnificent artwork-the shishi-gashira or “lion-faced mask”.
Photo: Patricia Yarrow
June 22, 2002. Saito Sensei’s public funeral and photo. His son-in-law, Umezawa-san, a Buddhist monk, looks on. Who is the man in the framed photograph in front of the flowers, I wonder?
Photo: Patricia Yarrow
2002, April. Taisai. Saito Sensei is speaking with Gaku Homma (in front). Kawabe and Narita (with glasses) looks on. Uchideshi in back are (behind post)? from Poland, Tom from England, and Stefen Miller from Scotland.
Photo: Gaku Homma
2002. April Taisai. Saito Sensei and Hitohiro and the Shinto officials. This was to be the last event for our Sensei.
Photo: Gaku Homma
2001. Iwama. Tristao, a long time uchideshi from Portugal, at his farewell Iwama party.
Photo: Photographer unknown
October 2001. Saito Sensei prepares to display a favorite Japanese sword. This has the feeling that Saito Sensei is offering the world what he knows.
Photo: Mehmet Dogu, Turkey
October 2001. Mic relates: “A couple of days before the ‘Iwama Town Matsuri’, Saito Sensei was upset by visitors to the Aiki Jinja parking their cars in the small clearing across the street from Hitohiro’s restaurant. Sensei put up a sign and a barrier asking people who visit the Jinja not to park there. As you can see, it was a reasonably substantial log.” (It was still there, as of June 2002, but later was moved).
Photo: Mic Marelli