Chronology of the Life of Morihei Ueshiba. Part 1

Year & Event
1882

• [Jigoro Kano establishes the Kano Juku School, the forerunner of the Kodokan.]
  

1883

• Birth of Morihei Ueshiba in Tanabe, Kii Province (Wakayama Prefecture) on December 14.
  

1901

• Moves to Tokyo in September and works in business of relative Koshiro Inoue.
  
• Studies Tenshin Shinyo-ryu Jujutsu under Tokusaburo Tozawa in Tokyo.
• Possible brief study of Shinkage-ryu Sword school.
  

1903

• Marries Hatsu Itogawa in Tanabe.
  
• Joins 61st Army Infantry Regiment of Wakayama (late December).
  

1904

• [Beginning of Russo-Japanese War.]
  

1905

• Departure of his regiment to Manchurian Front.
  

1906

• Discharged from Army. Returns to Tanabe.
  

1908

• Receives Yagyu-ryu Jujutsu certificate (probably Goto-ha Yagyu Shingan-ryu) from Masanosuke Tsuboi (or Masakatsu Nakai).
  

1909

• [Kodokan Judo Headquarters established.]
  

1910

• To Hokkaido to evaluate government sponsored land development project. Soon returns to Tanabe.
  
• Supports botanist Kumagusu Minakata in opposing government shrine consolidation policy.
  

1911

• Brief study of judo under Kiyoichi Takagi in Tanabe.
  
• First child, a daughter Matsuko, born.
  

1912

• Heads group of settlers from Kii Province who settle in Aza-Shirataki, Kamiwakibetsu village in Mombetsu County, Hokkaido.
  

1915

• Meets Sokaku Takeda of Daito-ryu Jujutsu in Hisada Inn in Engaru with introduction from Kotaro Yoshida.
  
• Completes first 10-day Daito-ryu seminar (March 5).
  

1916

• Engaged in intensive study of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu.
  

1917

• First son, Takemori, born in July.
  

1918

• Serves as town councilman in Kamiwakibetsu village from June 1918 to April 1919.
  

1919

• Leaves Hokkaido in December due to father’s illness. Turns Shirataki land and property over to his teacher, Sokaku Takeda.
  

1920

• Meets Onisaburo Deguchi of Omoto religion in Ayabe.Father, Yoroku, dies in January. Arrives home in Tanabe shortly after Yoroku’s death.
  
• Moves to Ayabe, site of Omoto religion, in Kyoto Prefecture, with family. Opens Ueshiba Juku dojo attached to his residence.
  
• Second son, Kuniharu, born in April.
  
• Oldest son, Takemori, dies in August.
  
• Second son, Kuniharu, dies in September.
  

1921

• [First Omoto incident occurs.]
  
• Third son, Kisshomaru (Koetsu), born in June.
  

1922

• Mother, Yuki, dies.
  
• Sokaku Takeda visits Ayabe with his family to teach and stays from c. 28 April to 15 September.
  
• Receives Kyoju Dairi from Takeda qualifying him as certified Daito-ryu instructor (September).
  

1924

• Goes to Mongolia with Onisaburo Deguchi with goal of establishing a utopian community (February to July).
  
• Captured and held prisoner by Chinese military for plotting overthrow of existing government and narrowly escapes death.
  

1925

• Gives special demonstration in Tokyo for high-ranking military officers and dignitaries.
  

1926

• [Kenji Tomiki begins training.]
  

1927

• Moves to Tokyo with entire family. Establishes temporary dojo in billiard room of Count Shimazu’s mansion in Shiba, Shirogane in Sarumachi.
  

1928

• Moves to Shiba, Tsunamachi, site of temporary dojo.
  

1929

• Moves with family to Shiba, Kuruma-machi, and sets up temporary dojo.
  

1930

• Moves to Shimo-ochiai in Mejiro.
  
• Judo founder Jigoro Kano observes demonstration by Ueshiba in Mejiro dojo and dispatches several Students from Kodokan including Minoru Mochizuki to study.
  

1931

• Dedication of Kobukan dojo in Ushigome, Wakamatsu-cho.
  
• Sokaku Takeda teaches seminar from 20 March to 7 April at Kobukan Dojo.
  
• Ueshiba’s name appears in Takeda’s enrollment book.
  

1932

• Budo Senyokai (Society for the Promotion of Martial Arts) is established with Ueshiba as its first head.
  
• [Gozo Shioda enters Kobukan Dojo.]
  
• [Shigemi Yonekawa enters Kobukan Dojo.]
  

1933

• Begins teaching at Asahi News dojo in Osaka with assistance of Takuma Hisa.
  
• Technical manual, Budo Renshu, is published.
  
• [Rinjiro Shirata enters Kobukan Dojo.]
  

1935

• Making of Asahi News film documentary in Osaka with Takuma Hisa.
  
• [Second Omoto Incident occurs. Arrest of Onisaburo Deguchi and his wife and other Omoto leaders.]
  

1936

• Shooting of Noma Dojo photos, more than 1,000 images capturing Morihei Ueshiba’s Aiki Budo technique.
  
• Sokaku Takeda appears in Osaka and takes over instruction of Asahi News dojo.
  

1937

• Ueshiba’s name appears along with that of Zenzaburo Akazawa in enrollment book of Kashima Shinto-ryu school.
  

1938

• Prince Teh Wang of Mongolian puppet state hosted at Kobukan Dojo during state visit to Japan.
  
• Technical manual, Budo, dedicated to Prince Kaya, containing photographs of Ueshiba’s techniques is published.
  

1939

• Invited to Manchuria to instruct at Kenkoku University. Meets famous sumo wrestler Tenryu who becomes his student.
  
• [Koichi Tohei enters Kobukan.]
  

1940

• Attends martial arts demonstration in Manchuria commemorating 2600th anniversary of Japan.
  
• [Kenji Tomiki receives first 8th dan given by Ueshiba.]
  
• [Kisaburo Osawa enters Kobukan.]
  

1941

• Gives demonstration arranged by Admiral Isamu Takeshita at Saineikan dojo on palace grounds before members of imperial family.
  
• Teaches at military police academy.
  
• Invited to instruct in Manchuria for University Martial Arts Week.
  
• Becomes martial arts advisor for Shimbuden and Kenkoku University