[Gosho Nishi/Chotokuji Temple] Experience the Muromachi culture of the Year of the Horse with a horse race and incense guessing contest

Chotoku-ji Temple is the birthplace of Yamada Sohen, the founder of the Sohen school of tea ceremony in the early Edo period. Located west of the Imperial Palace in a quiet residential area, Chotoku-ji Temple, a Shinshu Otani school temple, is located here. Experience tranquil moments with all five senses at the origin of Sohen. As a monk, Yamada Sohen cultivated Buddhist spirit and aesthetics early on at his birthplace, Chotoku-ji Temple. Later, he entered the world of tea ceremony, following the spirit of Rikyu, but pursuing a more introspective and spiritual style of "wabicha." This approach, which emphasizes the ambiance of the venue and the feelings of the guests, without being bound by formality, has been passed down to the present day as a distinctive feature of the Sohen school. Experience Muromachi tea and incense arts at Chotoku-ji Temple. First, enjoy matcha tea in the tea room and experience the tea ceremony. Listen to the scents and compare them. If you get the right scent, you'll move your horse forward like in the game of Sugoroku. This 120-minute experience will allow you to dive into Muromachi culture, experiencing a digest of old games using tea and incense, along with the spirit and etiquette that reside within them.

You will be guided around Jogan-an, a small tea room associated with Sohen.

You will experience the art of incense, a tradition enjoyed by cultural figures of the same era as Sohen. Kurabe Umako is an incense board game based on the horse race ritual held at Kamigamo Shrine in May. Players who distinguish and match the scent of the incense move their pieces forward, and the first player to reach the goal, a green maple tree, wins. The experience begins with an explanation of the rules. First, players listen to four scents (trial scents), then a randomly played incense scent must be guessed to match which of the four scents they first heard. If they guess correctly, they move their piece on the board. This incense game, like a board game using incense, is a fun experience.

The subtle aroma of matcha, like that of fragrant wood, will calm your mind, allowing you to experience Japanese spirituality. After the experience, you will have a short meditation session or sutra copying in the main hall, and listen to a talk by the head priest, before returning home feeling refreshed both in body and mind.