We Spotlight Aikido
Master Rinjiro Shirata



Rinjiro Shirata (1912-1993) was a 9th dan Aikikai shihan, and awarded 10th dan posthumously. He was born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, in a family of Omote Kyo believers. His mother practiced Aiki at the Budo Senyokai dojo in Manchuria.

Rinjiro Shirata entered the Kobukan Dojo (hell dojo) of Morihei Ueshiba in 1933 as an uchideshi. He was well known for his modest character and exceptional physical strength, and became a top student.

Training at the Kobukan was severe and tough, but Rinjiro and the uchideshi thought it was full of joy. They would try techniques on each other as hard as they could, after the general public session was finished and O-Sensei had left.

This very intense training certainly helped the uchideshi make good progress.

He travelled to Osaka with O'Sensei as his assistant, where he stayed and continued to teach. About 1936, Kenkoku University in Manchuria decided to include aikido in its curriculum and O'Sensei was appointed as advisor.


He recommended that Shirata become a professor there, but, the China Incident occurred and he went in the Imperial Army, and spent the war years in Burma.

Shirata resumed teaching Aikido around 1960 when he was in Yamagata, and in 1962, he received the 8th dan rank from Morihei Ueshiba.  

Rinjiro Shirata was a great support to the Aikikai and awarded 9th dan in 1972 by Kisshomaru Ueshiba and one of a few people to have achieved this level.

Morihei Ueshiba developed Aikido from his combat studies of Daito-ryu Aiki jujutsu with Sokaku Takeda, and his spiritual studies with Onisaburi Deguchi.


Aikido focuses on harmony and non-resistance, leading to Success


Master Rinjiro Shirata
Aikido Hombu Protector



He was active in the International Aikido Federation from 1976, occupied high posts and served on the technical council. He traveled to Honolulu in 1978 and to Chicago in 1984 at the invitation of Akira Tohei Sensei. On both occasions foreign students responded enthusiastically to his skillful, gentle approach.


Devoted to the spread of aikido and a strong supporters of the Ueshiba family, Shirata was a regular participant in major Aikikai sponsored events like the Japan Aikido Demo, the Iwama Taisai, Kagami Biraki at Tokyo Hombu Dojo.


Shirata Sensei was among the most respected  aikido teachers and was widely-known abroad through the book Aikido: The Way of Harmony by John Stevens, which he supervised and featured his techniques.


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