Iai is the art of quick-drawing a sword and striking all in one motion.

The origins of Iai are found during the Eiroku period (from year 1558) with its first ancestors being Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu, a member of the Tateoka family from Dewa (in the Yamagata prefecture). His style was called the Shin-Muso Hayashizaki way or by its other name Jyushinryu way. In the early Edo period, the 7^th generation of orthodox masters, Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Hidenobu, added his original work to the ancient traditions and the name of the school got changed to Muso-Jikiden-Eishinryu. In the 2^nd generation of Eishinryu, it got passed down by Arai Seitetsu, and in the 3^rd generation it got brought to the Tosa province (todays Kochi province) by Hayashi Rokudayu Morimasa. Since then, until the end of the Tokugawa period, it was handed down as the Tosa domain, but thanks to the efforts of the 17^th generation of Oe Masaji, the 18^th generation of Hokiyama Namio, the 19^th generation of Fukui Harumasa and the 20^th generation of Kono Minoru Hyakuren, it got spread throughout the country, centered on the Kansai region, and is now a major school of Iai.

The Meishinkan Dojo was founded by teacher Kimura Shoji, who was the apprentice of Harumasa Fukui, head of the 19^th generation. The Iaido Dojo is one of the leading traditional Dojos in Osaka. 

Meishinkan Dojo cooperates with the following Dojos, which are all part of the General Incorporated Association of Japanese old martial arts and orthodox Iaido. Joint activities include area promotion meetings and national conferences.

The members of the organization:

・Meishinkan Dojo (Osaka)

・Ajikai (Saitama, Fukuoka)  

　　https://ajikai-dento-iai.hp-ez.com/page0

・Kyoto-Hakutoukai (Kyoto)

・Kaya-Keikokai (Kagoshima)