After I knew that quarantine is no longer necessary for fully-vaccinated people with negative PCR tests, I decided it was time to go to Japan to get a fresh “Aikido-air” from the first hands.
My flight was rescheduled and rerouted due to the war in Ukraine, but we arrived in Narita in time. Japan was still closed to tourists, so Narita was terrifyingly empty. It was more staff than passengers, but it was the swiftest passing through all customs and security I have ever experienced in Japanese airports.
I left my staff in the hotel, ate lunch, and headed to Hombu Dojo, where Fujimaki sensei led afternoon practice at 3 pm. Previously I met him in Iwama in Ibaraki Branch Dojo, so I was happy to see him again.
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| Poster of Aikido Hombu Dojo at Wakamatsu-Kawada station |
Unfortunately Japanese are still very concerned about COVID, so they were practising wearing masks. Luckily Fujimaki sensei almost immediately put his mask on the chin, so most students did the same. Nevertheless, it was sweltering and humid. Ironically a day before my arrival weather was not much different from Ireland. But the day I landed, intense heat came to Japan, so I struggled a lot. |
| Hiroshi Fujimaki shihan and Raman Bekarevich |
Initially, I hoped to practise two evening training as well, but after the flight, my body was not ready to practise at high temperatures and humidity without the air. So I took the easy way and walked around Tokyo, hoping to adapt to the local weather. I came to see the Olympic stadium, but it was already closed, so I could see it only from the outside. |
| At Olympic Park in Tokyo |
After dinner, I found a coin laundry near my hotel, where I washed my gi before falling asleep.  |
| Japanese street in a sleeping area near Shinjuku |
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