Hi Jon
Kato is the manager for the Jinenkan
Manaka sensei resigned as a member of the Bujinkan as an organisation. He never told Hatsumi sensei he was leaving as his student.
Hatsumi sensei from what i gather has never dismissed him as a student. Nagato sensei told me in private conversation this year that there is only one person who has been removed from the Bujinkan and also no longer permitted to come back and he is Spanish.
Nagato sensei then said Manaka and Tanemura left the Org to do their own thing, but neither was expelled or told never to return.
In the west we would clearly take someone quitting the org to be a complete removal, but the Japanese dont always eee it that way either. I know Tanemura sensei published part of his resignation recently but not all of it so we can not say if it states he is quitting as a student of Hatsumi sensei or not.
Paul Richardson - Shidoshi
Bujinkan Lincoln Dojo