Daito

Daito is a Japanese toponym used for several places in Japan. The most prominent is Daitō City in Osaka Prefecture, located in the Kansai region. The name is written with the characters for "great" and "east" and roughly translates to "great east." The term occurs in other municipal names and historic districts as well, reflecting its use in regional geography.

Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu is a classical Japanese martial art founded by Sokaku Takeda in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It emphasizes unbalancing an opponent and applying throws, joint locks and pins, often with minimal force. The system was transmitted to a number of students and influenced the development of modern aikido, as Takeda’s teachings were shared and taught by various instructors in Japan and abroad. Daitō-ryū highlights concepts such as aiki, tai sabaki (body movement) and kuzushi (unbalancing) within its training.

Beyond geography and martial arts, Daito may appear as a surname or as part of other proper names. The reading and kanji for the term can vary, and romanization may be rendered as Daitō or Daito depending on context. In contemporary use, the word is primarily recognized in relation to the city in Osaka and to the martial art lineage associated with Sokaku Takeda.