With the outbreak of war more students were called up for the army. Morihei left his son in charge of the Tokyo Dojo and he and his wife moved to Iwama where they lived a quite life in a converted barn until the end of the war.
It was during the war in 1942 that Morihei called his system Aikido “The Way of Harmony and Love”
At Iwama Morihei began construction of what he called the birthing room or inner sanctum of Aikido including the Aiki Shrine and an outdoor dojo. this was completed in 1945 just before the end of the war. After the war martial arts went into a decline. Morihei continued to live in Iwama living a simple live farming and teaching young people from the sourrounding areas.
From 1950 onward Morihei began once more to travel around Japan to teach and give lectures. Aikido grew in popularity all over the world and in Japan new dojos were set up all over the country.
In Feburary 1961, Morihei went to the United States on the invitation of the Hawaii Aikikai. Morihei said he had come to build a silver bridge to bring the different countries of the world together through the harmony and love contained in Aikido.
In 1967 a new Hombu Dojo was constructed in Tokyo. In January 1968 a commemorative ceremony was held in honour of the new Hombu Dojo, Morihei spoke about the essence of Aikido technique. Later that year Morihei gave what was to be his last demonstration of Aikido. In 1969 he attended the New Year’s celebration at the Hombu Dojo. Although he appeared to be in good health at the time, his physical condition deteriorated rapidly and he passed away peacefully on April 26th 1969.
Kisshomaru Ueshiba was elected to succeed his father on June 14th 1970.
