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In February of 1961, aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba O’Sensei was invited to Hawaii to preside over opening ceremonies of the first aikido dojo established there. At a farewell party held in his honor just before his departure, O’Sensei briefly addressed the assembled well-wishers, summarizing his feelings thusly:

“The reason I am going to Hawaii is to build a “silver bridge” of understanding. I have been building a ‘golden bridge’ within Japan, but I also wanted to build bridges overseas and, through aikido, to cultivate mutual understanding between East and West. I want to build bridges everywhere and connect all people through harmony and love. This I believe to be the task of aikido.” (The Spirit of Aikido, Kisshomaru Ueshiba)

Although O’Sensei’s first and only visit to Hawaii did not occur until 1961, construction of his “silver bridge,” or shinbashi, began with another man’s earlier visit. Katsuzo Nishi, a wealthy local businessman and owner of the Nishi Kai health club in Honolulu, extended to O’Sensei a formal invitation to send a representative to Hawaii to demonstrate the art that had impressed him so much during an earlier visit to Japan. In response, in February of 1953, O’Sensei dispatched Koichi Tohei Sensei to Oahu as his ambassador.