Die Karateschule Shiramizushuyokaikan
= self-discipline, kaika = assembly hall) is located about 30 km north of Tokyo in the prefevture Saitama in the district Kitakatsushika in the town Sugito.
We received the address of Takamasu Arakawa Sensei, the head of the Karate school Shiramizushuyokaikan, via C’s Karate connections. After a written announcement (from Germany) and an announcement via telephone from Shibuya we started from Akihabara with the Tobu line. As learned during the telephone call our destination station was Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen (Tobu Zoo), which arouse our suspicion in the beginning, because not long ago foreigners in Japan were classified a little different …
After one hour by train, anxious waiting in front of the station finally a car with two students with Dogis arrived. Success.In front of the Dojo Arakawa Sensei and some of his students welcomed us heartily.
The Dojo was large and friendly. Besides Karate lessons English and painting lessons are provided as well.
And now a picture of some of the trainer staff. The ladies at the sides were trainer as well, and the smiling Japanese in the middle is a Canadian, who was training in the Dojo for one year (and lived near by) and who supported the English lessons.
After a tour through the Dojo all together went for lunch with delicious Japanese food. At late afternoon Arakawa Sensei accompanied us to the station (another line than on our way there, which drove us back directly to Shibuya).
Arakawa Sensei promised to guide us to the near by located Budo University in the prefecture Chiba during our next visit to Japan.
Furthermore he informed us that he would visit Europe (and Berlin) in 2009.
C&P