Iwama (岩間町,Iwama-machi) was a smalltown located inNishiibaraki District,Ibaraki Prefecture,Japan.
On March 19, 2006, Iwama, along with the town ofTomobe (also fromNishiibaraki District), was merged into the expanded city ofKasama.
The former town of Iwama is located about 100 km northeast ofTokyo and near the city ofMito. Iwama is at the base of Mt. Atago (愛宕山 Atago-San). Mt. Atago is part of a larger Prefectural Park that extends up towards Kasama. On top of Mt. Atago is a kids' play area with a giant slide (about 150m in length) as well as the Atago shrine (愛宕神社 "Atago Jinja").
As of 2003, the town had an estimatedpopulation of 16,588 and adensity of 332.23 persons per km2. The total area was 49.93 km2.
Iwama is known for having been the residence ofMorihei Ueshiba, founder ofAikido, from 1942 until his death. It was during this period that the term "Aikido" came into use. The world's only shrine to Aikido was built here by the founder along with a smalldojo. Practitioners from around the world come to Iwama to train asuchideshi (内弟子) or “live-in students”. There are two famous Aikido dojos in the town including the originalIwama dojo (now called the Aikikai Foundation Ibaraki Branch Dojo) and theShin-Shin Aiki-Juku. The latter is operated byHitohiro Saito (the son of one of Ueshiba's most famous disciplesMorihiro Saito) who formed his own organisation (theAiki Shuren-Kai) in 2003. Ueshiba’sdojo continues to operate within theAikikai under his original students, including Chief InstructorHiroshi Isoyama, Shigemi Inagaki and others.[1] TheAiki Jinja, orAikidoShrine, is situated opposite theIwama Dojo and near theAiki Shuren-Kai Shin-Shin Aiki-juku.
The town's officialmatsuri is held in the last week of September, but throughout the year it also observes the usualJapanese holidays.
The Aiki Jinja Rei Taisai (Aiki-Shrine Grand Festival) is held every April on the 29th (Showa holiday) and features a "hono embu" (demonstration offering) by theAikido Doshu. More than a thousand people usually come for the celebration which also features aShinto ceremony carried out byŌmoto-kyō priests.[1]
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