In late March 2026, Kumamoto is preparing to host one of the most anticipated events on the aikido calendar: Cherry Blossoms Season – the 16th Aikido World Seminar, which will take place from March 27 to 29 at the Nurse Power Arena and bring together instructors and practitioners from around the world. The organizers openly declare the goal of the seminar: to deepen the technique and spirit of aikido and strengthen friendship “beyond countries and styles,” turning the event into an international platform for the lively exchange of experience.
The city, cherry blossoms, and the venue
The seminar will be held in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, at 2-chome-7-1 Izumi, Chuo-ku, at the Nurse Power Arena, which has been hosting major martial arts events for many years. The dates of March 27-29 were chosen to coincide with the peak of the cherry blossom season: participants train in the hall and find themselves almost immediately surrounded by blossoming avenues and views of historic Kumamoto Castle, making the seminar both a sporting and cultural journey.
Organizer and key figure: Munetsugu Sakabe
The organizer is Munetsugu Sakabe, who holds the title of Shihan, 7th dan Aikido Aishinkan, head of Aikido Aishinkan Kumamoto, and long-time organizer of the annual World Seminar in this city. Many international groups have already passed through his dojo, Aishinkan Kumamoto, and the format of the World Seminar Kumamoto has become a tradition: in 2026, the 16th meeting will be held, which underscores the sustainability of the project and the trust of the global aikido community.
Participating instructors: geography and styles
The list of invited instructors for 2026 includes:
- Lia Suzuki, 7th dan shihan, Aikido Kenkyukai International USA;
- Susumu Takahashi, 6th dan sensei, Kuwamori dojo in Tokyo;
- Edgar Johansson, sensei, Denver Aikikai (USA);
- Chye Lim, sensei, Aikido Kaashikoi Dojo (UK);
- Mikhail Zondzu, sensei, Aikido Aishinkan Latvia.
Each of these figures is already well known for their regular international seminars: Kenkyukai International USA is active in North and South America, Denver Aikikai is part of a network of dojos associated with the Aikikai tradition, Kaashikoi Dojo builds bridges between British and Japanese aikido, and Aishinkan Latvia represents the Sakabe-shihan line in the Baltics.
Seminar format and registration
The seminar is officially announced as a three-day intensive: training takes place in several blocks per day, with a schedule broken down by the hour, and participation is possible either as a full course or in individual classes, which is convenient for those who are combining their trip with a tourist program.
Registration is conducted online using PayPal: participants can pay the seminar fee in advance and thus secure a place on the tatami, and the official website clearly states that payment and registration are only possible via the online form.
Logistics, accommodation, and services for guests
For foreign guests, specialized aikido resources have already published lists of hotels within walking distance of the arena and transportation tips, as well as a map with the location of the seminar marked with a red dot and the nearest seminars of invited instructors around the world marked with flags.
Some websites specializing in “aikido tourism” emphasize that the Cherry Blossoms Season Aikido World Seminar is ideal for those who plan to combine training with visits to other cities in Japan: Kumamoto is a convenient base for trips to Kyushu and major centers such as Kyoto and Tokyo.
The significance of the seminar for global aikido in 2026
Thanks to its long history – sixteen annual world seminars – and attention to detail in its organization, by 2026 the Kumamoto Cherry Blossoms Season Aikido World Seminar has established itself as a meeting place for different schools: from Aishinkan to Kenkyukai and aikikai dojos on both sides of the Atlantic.
For practitioners, this is a chance not only to train under the guidance of leading instructors from Japan, the US, the UK, and Latvia, but also to see how the same principle of aikido is revealed through different teaching traditions, making the seminar one of the most significant attractions on the international martial arts calendar for 2026.
