Aikido is a Japanese martial art in which the opponent’s attack is redirected to avoid damage, rather than opposing it head-on. Aikido consists of elegant moves which are like strokes of calligraphy that can throw over the opponent in a split second. While it may seem otherwise, Aikido is not about determining a winner or loser and does not have organized competitions. Due to this, it is called the “Non-Fighting Martial Arts”. Currently, it is said that there are around one million practitioners of Aikido in 130 regions and countries around the world.

Many students from overseas come to learn Aikido in Japan. There is an Aikido Dojo in Shinjuku, Tokyo where a number of Aikido students from abroad come to practice every day. One of them aspires to open his own Dojo back in his country. Another student is on a self-finding quest and has dedicated everything for Aikido in the past few years.

People with different goals and a variety of reasons in life gather to this place to practice Aikido. What do they hope to achieve? The program features Aikido’s appeal seen through international students’ perspective.