智誠館 CHISEIKAN ・ KYOTO
A Dojo for Today’s and
Tomorrow’s Leaders.
In a complex and rapidly changing world, leaders need the ability to bring mind and body into alignment, see what truly matters, and act without hesitation.
For more than 13 years in Kyoto, Chiseikan has explored the embodied intelligence of Aikido and the underlying principles of technique, or riai, pursuing both the deeper essence of budo and what it means to lead.
After 13 years in Kyoto: Training resumes in Shijo in October 2026 | Permanent dojo opening Spring 2027
CLASSES
For Today’s and Tomorrow’s Leaders
Leadership keeps asking more of you.
At Chiseikan, you train to see more clearly, stay composed under pressure, and act with greater precision.
These capabilities are rooted in principles refined through generations of budo. At Chiseikan, they are not simply explained. You make them your own through regular Aikido practice.
What you develop in the dojo becomes part of how you lead, decide, negotiate, and act — especially when the situation demands more.
For Today’s Leaders
Executive Class
For: Business owners, senior leaders, and top management
A form of embodied learning for executives. Through Aikido practice, you experience the principles of budo physically and learn to apply them to business decision-making and leadership.Rather than relying on intellectual understanding alone, you develop embodied intelligence that can reveal new ways forward when conventional thinking reaches its limits.
Classes are fully bilingual in Japanese and English. Advance application is required for admission. When business travel takes you away from Kyoto, you may also continue training, subject to availability, at affiliated dojos in Tokyo, Niigata/Uonuma, and Perth, Australia.
For Tomorrow’s Leaders | Age 25+
Young Leaders Class
For: Emerging and next-generation leaders aged 25 and above
For young professionals who want to continue growing and develop the capacity to perform at their best, whatever the situation.
Train alongside intellectually sharp, highly motivated peers and, at times, experienced executives.
From an early stage in your career, you will develop an internal standard for sound judgment and cultivate the ability to lead others with clarity and confidence.
ADVANCED CLASS
Advanced Martial Artists Class
For: Martial artists who hold 1st kyu or dan rank in another school or tradition, or equivalent experience
For experienced practitioners who feel that their current training alone is no longer taking them deeper.
In this class, you can master the techniques and riai of Minoru Mochizuki’s Aikido, together with its authentic budo philosophy. Chiseikan is the only dojo in the Kansai region transmitting this lineage in this form.
Beyond a Single Dojo: A Wider World of Budo
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Broader training access (additional fees apply): In addition to our branch and sister dojos in Tokyo, Niigata/Uonuma, and around the world, you can also train at martial arts dojos of other traditions overseas.
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Exposure to diverse techniques and perspectives: Because we maintain partnerships and exchanges with dojos of other martial traditions even in our regular training, you gain valuable opportunities to encounter different techniques and viewpoints.
Admission Requirements
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1st kyu or above in another martial art or Aikido tradition, dan rank, or equivalent experience
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A serious commitment to learning Nenshinryu Budo
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Previous rank and experience in other schools are respected.
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Members begin with a white belt in our school.
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Students learn our unique technical system and may earn rank through our own grading system.
※Admission includes a preliminary assessment and trial training session.
At Chiseikan, you’ll find an environment where your martial arts learning and potential can keep expanding, without limit.
FOUR VALUES
Four Values That Redefine Leadership
適
Adaptability
TEKIRYOKU
An unwavering center with the flexibility to change
Develop the ability to remain grounded in your principles while responding fluidly and immediately to rapidly changing circumstances.
影
Influence
EIKYŌRYOKU
Changing the situation without relying on force
Learn the riai of receiving, redirecting, and making use of another person’s force rather than trying to overpower it. Applied beyond the dojo, these principles help leaders avoid unnecessary confrontation and guide situations toward better outcomes in organizations, negotiations, and relationships.
洞
Insight
DŌSATSURYOKU
Seeing the essence in an instant
In a world overflowing with information, develop the ability to look beyond the surface, recognize what truly matters, and make clear decisions without hesitation.
共
Co-Creation
KYŌSŌ
A high-quality community of global leaders
Train in a fully bilingual environment with executives and leaders from Japan and around the world who share a serious commitment to learning, growth, and leadership.
INSTRUCTORS
Instructors
Authentic Budo. Real-World Leadership Experience.
Chiseikan rests on two foundations.
The first is an authentic martial arts lineage passed directly from generation to generation. The second is years of practical experience working directly with executives, organizations, and people carrying significant responsibility.
Chiseikan is where these two worlds meet. Our instructors bring both a deep understanding of budo and direct experience leading, teaching, and developing people in real-world settings.
Yoshie Sugai
Dojo-cho | Nenshinryu Budo Shihan-dai
From the Depths of Budo to Embodied Intelligence for Executives
The Pursuit of Budo and the Development of Nenshinryu
Yoshie Sugai began training in Aikido in Japan and overseas in 1996. Following a four-year break for childbirth and raising her family, she encountered Kinefuchi Shihan in 2003, whose teachings carry forward the budo philosophy of Minoru Mochizuki. She immersed herself in training across the four dojos where Kinefuchi Shihan taught, undertaking intensive practice while contributing directly to the establishment of the Aikido Club at the International University of Japan in Minami-Uonuma and to the creation and technical systematization of Uonumaryu Aikido, which later became Nenshinryu Budo. Her practice has focused relentlessly on riai: understanding both the logic underlying a technique and the physical movement that makes it work. She holds 8th dan and the title of Shihan-dai.
Establishing the Kyoto Dojo and Training Executives
In 2013, Yoshie established the Uonumaryu Aikido Kyoto Dojo and subsequently oversaw multiple training locations in Kyoto. Her teaching moved beyond simply learning forms or reproducing movements. Instead, she focused on the budo principles underlying technique. From this emerged a distinctive training approach designed to help already accomplished leaders refine their leadership capabilities further through the embodied intelligence of budo. She has since delivered this training to senior executives and top leaders from major organizations.
Establishing Chiseikan and the Challenge of Budo Today
Following the renaming of the tradition as Nenshinryu Budo in autumn 2020, Yoshie established Chiseikan in Kyoto’s Shimogyo Ward in spring 2021. Her teaching is grounded in rigorous martial arts practice and a precise understanding of riai. It has earned the respect of experienced martial artists and dan-ranked practitioners while also enabling leaders from Japan and around the world to explore the fundamental principles of leadership through both language and physical experience.
Qualifications and Areas of Expertise
Budo and Bodywork
Language and International Training
Japanese Culture and Aesthetic Disciplines
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Nenshinryu Budo, 8th Dan, Shihan-dai
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Chiseikan Instructor
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Esalen Massage Practitioner
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Thai Massage Practitioner
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EIKEN Grade Pre-1
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Secretarial Skills Test, Grade 2
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Graduate, Schola de Regina finishing school
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Graduate, Tokyo School of Business
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Licensed Kimono Dressing Instructor
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Certified Preserved Flower Instructor
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Extensive study of tea ceremony, ikebana, calligraphy, Japanese dance, dance, and other traditional and embodied arts
副師範 Assistant Instructor
Philip Sugai
Assistant Instructor | Professor, Doshisha Business School | Director, Value Research Center
Philip Sugai began practicing Aikido in New York City in 1999. After moving to Japan, he trained in Aikikai Aikido in Niigata City before beginning his study with Master Toru Kinefuchi in 2003, in the Aikido Club that Yoshie Sugai had established at the International University of Japan, and has trained under him ever since. A 7th-dan black belt in Nenshinryu Budo, he supports Yoshie in the dojo. As a Professor at Doshisha Business School, he built the university’s Value Research Center on the principles and philosophy Yoshie teaches, a foundation he credits for much of his work on the global stage.
EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS AND KEYNOTES
Executive Programs and Keynote Experience
Programs jointly delivered by Yoshie Sugai and Philip Sugai
The instructors of Chiseikan work far beyond the dojo, delivering specialized executive workshops and keynote presentations for major corporations, leading business schools, and international conferences in Japan and around the world. These sessions combine Yoshie Sugai’s experiential leadership methodology, developed through the embodied intelligence of budo, with Professor Philip Sugai’s academic expertise in contemporary management and global strategy. The result is a distinctive approach that works simultaneously through the mind and body, allowing leaders to refine their decision-making and explore the principles of navigating conflict without unnecessary confrontation.
International Conferences and Keynotes
Invited keynote speakers at global business forums and international events, including the Nitto Global Business Summit in Turin, Italy.
Global Universities and Executive Workshops
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Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
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RMIT University, Melbourne
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University of Auckland
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University of Ferrara
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Oxford-Cambridge Alumni Association of Victoria
Leading Executive MBA Programs
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IMD Executive MBA
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University of St. Gallen Executive MBA
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EHL-CEIBS Hospitality EMBA
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Shizenkan MBA
OUR STORY
History and Relaunch Schedule
More Than 13 Years of Chiseikan in Kyoto
Yoshie Sugai began studying under Kinefuchi Shihan in Niigata in 2003. After receiving 8th dan, she was authorized to establish the world’s first Kyoto branch of what would become Nenshinryu Budo.
She subsequently established the private Chiseikan dojo in Kyoto’s Ukyo Ward, which operated through 2025, building more than 13 years of teaching experience in Kyoto. Chiseikan then entered a one-year hiatus during an extended period of overseas academic research. Throughout that period, however, its instructors continued training and participating in seminars at dojos representing a wide variety of martial arts traditions, continuing to develop both their practice and their capabilities as teachers.
Chiseikan Returns to Kyoto in Two Stages
October 2026 | Interim Dojo in Shijo
Temporary Dojo
Training resumes at a dedicated practice space in Shijo, Kyoto, beginning with the Young Leaders Class:
Mondays | 19:30–21:30 | Once per week
Through regular practice, we will begin rebuilding and expanding the new Chiseikan community.
Spring 2027 | Permanent Dojo
A permanent Chiseikan dojo, designed specifically to provide an optimal training environment, is scheduled to open in spring 2027. All classes will begin operating from the permanent dojo at this stage.
Members joining from October 2026 will transition directly to the new dojo.
FEES
料金
All fees are in Japanese yen and include tax.
Monthly Tuition
Initial Fees and Insurance
The admission assessment is approximately 60 minutes and includes an in-person interview and practical trial training session. Advance reservation is required.
If you decide to join Chiseikan during your trial session, the admission fee will be waived.
Leave of Absence: Members may take a leave of absence for up to one year while maintaining membership status by continuing to pay the annual membership fee.
Detailed registration fees and grading requirements for kyu and dan ranks will be provided upon admission.
Admission & Waiting List
New Member Waiting List and Advance Registration
Admission to the Executive Class and Young Leaders Class is selective.
To maintain the quality of the training environment and the relationships within the Chiseikan community, prospective members are asked to submit an application and participate in an interview before joining. During the interview, we will ask about your professional background, why you wish to train at Chiseikan, and what you hope to develop through your practice. Interviews may be conducted in either Japanese or English.
Because membership is intentionally limited, advance registration allows us to maintain the quality of the training environment as Chiseikan reopens. Please contact us through the registration form. A member of the Chiseikan team will contact you personally.
ウェイティングリストに登録
Registration creates no obligation to join Chiseikan. Personal information submitted through the form will not be shared with third parties.
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