Hisashi Noma 野間恒

(24 April 1909-7 November 1938). Kendoka. Son of Seiji NOMA, founder of Kodansha Publishing Company. One of Japan’s top kendoka during the mid-1930s and a friend and contemporary of Kiyoshi NAKAKURA. In May 1934, he won the kendo championship in the Imperial Tournament held in celebration of the birth of Crown Prince Akihito. Noma studied aiki budo under Morihei Ueshiba for a brief period c. 1934. He is the photographer who took all of the NOMA DOJO photos of Morihei Ueshiba with Shigemi Yonekawa as uke in 1935. Using a Leica camera, Noma took more than 1,000 photos and this collection is the largest and most detailed record of the techniques of Morihei Ueshiba during the prewar period. An analysis of the techniques preserved provides irrefutable evidence of the strong, lingering influence of Daito-ryu techniques on Ueshiba.

Josh Gold

Executive Editor of Aikido Journal, CEO of Budo Accelerator, and Chief Instructor of Ikazuchi Dojo.

Add comment

Archives