As per the article Bjorn Eirik Olsen was a key participant. His love of Japan was driven by his interest in Aikido, and he has become one of the relatively few

As per the article Bjorn Eirik Olsen was a key participant. His love of Japan was driven by his interest in Aikido, and he has become one of the relatively few westerners to reach 7th Dan. He's a very nice guy, and entertaining with stories from those days.