Blast from Chicago Aikido’s Past – Archival Photo from local Japanese festival

Our friend Erik Matsunaga, head instructor of  Ravenswood Shorin-ryu Karate Dojo and writer for the Japanese American online journal Discover Nikkei, recently shared with us this excerpt from a 1967 edition of the Chicago Tribune.

Dated August 27, it features a photo and caption of an Aikido demonstration by the old Illinois Aikido Club (Chicago’s first Aikido dojo, and starting point for instructors such as Joe Takehara and Mike Mamura) at the annual Ginza Holiday Festival at the Midwest Buddhist Temple.

The caption contains several interesting inaccuracies, referring to the dojo as “Aikido Club of Illinois,” and referring to the temple as “Midwest Buddhist church.” Plus the use of the term “Oriental”; now largely considered inaccurate and outdated.

Thanks Erik for providing us with this piece of local Aikido and Japanese American history.