Aikido Styles Hard or Soft?

Question

why does aikido have so called hard and soft styles when it was devised by one man Ueshiba

Answer 1

Essentially Aikido is a soft style.

BUT, politics being what they are, Aikido has split since the death of the founder:  the various ways it is now practiced can be interpreted as hard styles vs. soft styles.

For example:  I studied New England Aikikai Aikido for two years under Sensei Kanai (now deceased) and it was considered one of the rougher styles of Aikido.

Yoshinkan Aikido is considered a 'hard' style.

Tohei Aikido is considered a 'soft' style (emphasized 'ki').