The other day while finding temples to add to our interactive map, I noticed something strange. I kept noticing the same symbol continuously popping up. This symbol was the manji, or as it is more commonly known, the swastika. Before World … Read More
Earlier this week, I hopped aboard a train to Yokohoma and headed to Sojiji temple. It was here that I had the incredible opportunity to take place in Zazen, led by the Soto Zen monks of the temple. When I … Read More
NEWS FLASH! We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special bulletin. On December 14th, crowds of history fans will descend upon Sengakuji Temple in Takanawa! Here’s why: SENGAKUJI TEMPLE AND THE AKOU INCIDENT The 14th of … Read More
ZENDOUJI Temple, Tarui town, Gifu Prefecture Can a feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern day Cupid? Episode One: Setting the scene Since the beginning is always a good place to start, let me start with … Read More
Japan is unique because it respects traditional culture, yet it lets new customs develop as well. Therefore, you find new technology and traditional values coexist. This coexistence makes Japan special for foreign visitors. In the following, we are going to … Read More
Every local shrine in Japan is responsible for celebrating its own deity and holding its own festivals. Because of this responsibility, and because there are so many shrines in Japan, there are countless numbers of festivals (called matsuri … Read More
One of the most famous names in Japanese history would be Sugawara no Michizane. This name is known all over Japan, thus considered as much of a household name as Ieyasu Tokugawa. Sugawara no Michizane is enshrined in hundreds of … Read More
If you frequent Japanese Shinto shrines, you may have noticed that they are commonly placed in forests or are at least filled with many trees or other objects of nature. This is because the Shinto religion believes in “kami,” … Read More
Imagine you are going out to dinner at your favorite Chinese or Japanese restaurant. What is the first thing you see as you approach the entrance? Most commonly, you’ll find a pair of statues flanking each side of … Read More
In front of every Japanese Shinto shrine there lay a gate made of two vertical posts connected by two posts on top. These gates are called “torii gates” and they are one of the defining characteristics of a Shinto … Read More
This past week I had the opportunity to attempt zazen meditation at both a Rinzai-zen school and a Soto-zen school. Since the differences between these two schools is highly debated, I will explain only what I, an English-speaking foreigner, could … Read More
A question that many foreigners to Japan seem to ask is, “Are Japanese people religious?” This is a very fascinating question, considering that most Japanese people practice two religions, rather than just one or none at all. To many … Read More