The Kencho-ji Temple is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, and ranks first out of five temples that are called “Kamakura’s Five Mountain Zen Temples.” This temple was built in 1253, which was the fifth year of the Kencho … Read More
What is Sendazuru?-The most beautiful Origami: Senbazuru Have you ever heard of the story of Sadako Sasaki? The 12-year-old Sadako Sasako developed leukemia right after the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. She tried to make 1,000 Origami cranes in order to … Read More
11 Yokote Snow Festival Every year on February 15th, beginning 450 years ago, there is a traditional event in honor of the Japanese water deity. The word “kamakura” means “igloo.” During the Kamakura festival, you can see many big Kamakura … Read More
6 The Sendai star festival The Star Festival is derived from the legend of Vega and Altair. This princess and prince had much fun being together and stop working hard on their royal duties. The king was angered by this … Read More
The word of festival in Japanese is “Matsuri”. The purpose of having traditional events and local events is to create community revitalization. It looks like there are many different kinds of festivals in Japan, however, they all originally derive from … 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
Dokuonji is a temple that was constructed nearly 400 years ago and holds a rich history. Regardless of nationality or religion, anyone is welcome to join monthly meditation and Sutra writings at Dokuonji. Once a year, Dokuonji hosts a temple … Read More
There are many factors that go along with becoming a Buddhist monk. It is generally understood that monks live drastically different lifestyles than most people, however, people rarely consider their diets. Along with the other unique aspects of their lives, … Read More
Kitakyushu is close to many Asian countries, and because it is conveniently located on the strait connecting Tokyo and Shanghai, it has been blessed with prosperity as a gateway to Asia and as an industrial base in Japan. Have you … 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
When you think of temples and shrines in Japan, you might imagine Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa or Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, both famous sightseeing spots in Tokyo. However, there are many more shrines and temples you should visit in Japan. … Read More
The 3 Dragon Gates of Tokyo Torii gates represent the border between the secular world and the sacred worlds of the Shinto religion. The gates act as a passageway into the sacred space of a shrine. It’s not uncommon for … Read More