If there were only right-minded people things would be fine but there are many with mistaken beliefs. If the Emperor were surrounded by such persons the results would be disastrous. I don’t understand why he doesn’t use people like us as his close associates. (Laughter)

That’s right. The things that have occurred up until now could not have been avoided and we are still a feudalistic country. Therefore what I am suggesting is that we should discard our old clothes and convert Japan into a true, new country which we should all serve. This is what I would like to happen. You work hard and deal wisely with those you dislike and set an example no matter what people say about you…. Well, having too many fools like this is a problem too isn’t it?

"Fool" (ahoo) is written with two Chinese characters which mean "easy to handle". Well, if everybody becomes a "fool" the world will be easy to handle, won’t it?

I am content to be called a fool. This fool thinks in his own way and doesn’t belong to any group. Those who are making a scene are the ones who want to show how great they are. There is nothing to be gained by participating in such a group. (O-Sensei recites a poem) "The beautiful form of heaven and earth is a manifestation of a single family created by the kami…." Although I am an ignorant fool it is my opinion that if there is no center in a family it is the same as several different families living in a single household. Such a conglomeration of families doesn’t work. Everybody insists on expressing his own opinion and a leader cannot be chosen. But if there really is a great individual, everyone will follow him at any time. I have my assigned mission which I must complete and you, Sir, have your own mission. A newspaper has its own mission and a farmer his. Everyone has his own mission. Thus all we have to do is to complete our heavenly chosen missions. If this were the case there wouldn’t be any disagreements, would there?

If you said the mission of the rich was to be rich and that of the poor to be poor, the poor would not hear of it.

I am not talking about money here.

I intend to complete my mission obediently. However, in a world where people such as military officers and government officials prevent you from completing your mission by putting too much emphasis on the "Emperor," our country will end up in the same way as before. It’s pointless to complain about them not allowing you to complete your mission since the military has weapons. You are helpless.

Such weapons will no longer be needed.

Nothing will ever be done about this as long as one takes the attitude that he will reduce arms only when others reduce them.

That’s why I am talking about getting rid of militarism psychologically. There are people who have attempted to place Japan in the center of the universe and who have died hated. There are also those who have died prevented in their attempts to advocate democracy. Since the world has been corrupted in this way, we should immediately discard such ways and take prompt action. We must purify our land. You, Sir, may not know what I mean by "purifying the land". I am not talking about "misogi" (purification) in the old sense which doesn’t work. The misogi of today has already been transformed. But at the same time we should believe in what is recorded in classical Japanese literature. The fact that the world was created through the subtle vibrations of the 75 sounds is written there. Clarification of the method of purifying all things and all people is Aikido. It is the realm of action imbued with the spirit of the kami (lit., the heaven and earth of "saisei-itchi" [1]). This is the great democracy. There are some who say that "saiseiitchi" is an excuse for the emperor to create a military government but that is ridiculous. It is the great democracy, the great principle of nonresistance.

I like the principle of nonresistance.

I want to enter into contact with pacifists. It is the religious zealots who are the most behind the times.

You often say things I like. (Laughter)

What do you think can be accomplished by such stubborn fools?

The only thing they can do is make money.

I very much enjoy praying to the kami (deities). I feel really good when I bow my head with my hands clasped in prayer. It is with a feeling of appreciation that I clap hands in front of the altar when I get up in the morning. My children laugh at me, though, saying that I am old-fashioned. I think that it is quite the opposite. I am modern. The reason for this is that I contain the universe in my bosom. I hold in my bosom the ancient ages of the kami, today and the future. The kami dwell in healthy people. Great power is given to healthy people. Look at the sun. It is dazzling, isn’t it? But it is not at all dazzling to me and I can look at it as much as I want.

Don’t you have bad eyes? (Laughter)

I make friends with the sun. The sun is at my side. If even one star passes it will influence me. I live in the same universe.

I find it’s almost impossible to follow what you are saying. Let me ask you about the old days. Would you relate some episodes about your feats?

I have forgotten such episodes. When I was a young man I thought I would serve the people of the world using my physical strength. In those days when I looked at the world I only found persons who were wise but not physically strong. So I decided to offer my body to everyone. For example, when I went to the home of a religious person, it was my work to arrange everyone’s slippers while wearing a half-coat or waistcoat.

You mean you took care of footgear?

I was used to take care of footgear and grow vegetables. It is like the "Itoen" [2] where you start by learning how to clean toilets. Since I had a mission to accomplish, I couldn’t be involved only in that kind of work. I had many low-level jobs though. Somehow I gradually became healthier while engaged in this kind of menial work. At one time I was with Onisaburo Deguchi of the Omoto religion. He said they were going to transplant a thick chinquapin tree this big. Many Omoto believers tried to dislodge the tree by using a stick like this but it didn’t budge an inch. While watching them I suddenly decided to go and move that tree. The moment I decided to do that my whole body became red and warm as though I had taken a bath and tears began to stream out of my eyes. They were tears of indignation. I wondered why peoples of the world couldn’t get along. At least we Japanese should be friends. I shed tears of indignation. Then when I worked on the tree alone it moved gently although it had failed to budge when many attempted to move it. My tears of indignation brought me power in that situation. Onisaburo Deguchi Sensei said that I was divinely inspired.

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