Hagukumi

Hagukumi Dojo is a cultural and martial arts centre in The Hague, based at the former library on Mient. Its name, meaning “The Hague school or group for learning,” was given in 1999 by the dojo’s Japanese aikido teacher, Fujita Sensei, an eighth-dan Aikikai aikido shihan. The centre brings together two organisations: the Cultural Foundation for Massage and Movement Arts (CSMBK) and the Dutch Cultural Aikido Club (NCAC).

Together, they offer activities focused on movement, wellbeing and traditional practices. CSMBK provides training and courses in shiatsu massage, foot reflexology, Qi Gong, yoga and Tai Chi. NCAC runs daily aikido classes, including weapons training, with introductory courses for beginners and programmes for juniors and seniors.

The dojo’s history reflects a long effort to establish a stable place where aikido and shiatsu could be practised; after leaving an earlier venue in 2009, the group helped restore the former library’s cultural and social role in the neighbourhood. Hagukumi also shares information about aikido in the Netherlands and abroad