Ueshiba Morihei (植芝盛平, December 14, 1883 – April 26, 1969)

Ueshiba Morihei, honoured as “Kaiso” (the Founder) or “Ōsensei” (Great Teacher), is the revered founder of Aikido. Born in Tanabe to a landowning family, Ueshiba immersed himself in various martial arts and served in the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War. After his discharge in 1907, he moved to Hokkaidō, where he studied Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu under Takeda Sōkaku. In 1919, after returning to Ayabe, Ueshiba joined the Ōmoto-kyō movement, where he deepened his spiritual practice and established his first dojo. A transformative experience in 1925, during which he described feeling enveloped by a “golden spirit,” marked a shift toward a more peaceful approach in his technique, with a focus on harnessing ki, or spiritual energy. Moving to Tokyo in 1926, Ueshiba eventually established the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, teaching widely and promoting Aikido across Japan, including at military academies. Following World War II, he retired to Iwama but continued developing Aikido, which his students later spread worldwide. Today, his legacy endures globally as Aikido is practiced as a path to both self-defense and spiritual development.