was a Japanese practitioner of kendo, iaido and aikido.
Nakakura was originally the top kendo student of Nakayama Hakudō.[1] When Nakayama was asked to send a representative of kendo to Morihei Ueshiba's aikido dojo, he appointed Nakakura to the role.[2] Nakakura married Ueshiba's daughter Matsuko and was legally adopted into the Ueshiba family, taking the name Morihiro Ueshiba.[3]
Nakakura was impressed with Ueshiba's martial skills (particularly after his adopted father was able to fend off a simultaneous attack from both Nakakura and the fencing expert Junichi Haga), but disagreed with Ueshiba's Oomoto-kyo beliefs and left the family after a few years.[1] His role as heir to Ueshiba's art was taken by Ueshiba's birth son, Kisshomaru.[2]
Nakakura continued to train in kendo and iaido throughout his life, achieving 9th dan in both.[4]