Hyogo in Spiritual mission experience

• Age 10～Age 100
• Within 1 hour
• 10:00 / 11:30 / 13:30 / 15:00

For international customers, why not express your soul through calligraphy? You will be able to write your name, motto, favorite words, and anime characters in kanji. Immerse yourself in the rich tradition of Japanese calligraphy right next to the iconic Himeji Castle. Feel the real brush strokes as you embark on a journey through centuries of cultural heritage. Join us for an unforgettable experience that will inspire your creativity and deepen your understanding of the art of calligraphy. Don't worry if you are a first-timer, any skill level is welcome. Awaken your senses to the beauty of calligraphy. Our instructors will help you. For domestic customers, this is a calligraphy experience centered on kanji. Why not express your heart through calligraphy? Write your favorite characters, mottos, and words for loved ones in kanji. Why not spend a rich, brief moment, slowly settling your mind and feeling the aroma of ink? For first-timers and experienced people alike. Awaken your senses to the beauty of calligraphy. Our instructors will support you carefully. Whether you are a first-timer or an experienced person, you can relax and enjoy making memories of your trip! The room is a Japanese-style room with tatami mats, but you can choose to practice calligraphy at a table with a Terakoya desk and chair in seiza. Let's enjoy experiences that you can't usually have, from practicing on Hanshi paper to creating works on colored paper and postcards! ~Experience flow~ ①Explanation of the experience plan and hearing. (5 minutes) While drinking tea, we will ask you about today's plan. ②The teacher will create a sample. (5 minutes) The teacher will write a sample of the desired calligraphy style and decide the activity content. ③Start practicing on Hannsi (Japanese calligraphy paper) (20 minutes) You will practice freely while adding explanations of brushes and kanji. Even if it's your first time, you can practice as many sheets as you like with free expression. ④A lecture before finishing the final work and an explanation of the points to finish the work. (10 minutes) If you would like to do a large-scale wall calligraphy performance, we will hold a first trial performance. If you wish, we will hold a lecture before finishing your work, such as making Shikishi (traditional Japanese square paper), postcards, or Sensu (traditional Japanese holding fan). After that, you can practice on special paper. Enjoy free expression. ⑤ Completion of the work and a commemorative photo. The finished work will be stamped with a finishing seal, and you will be given a commemorative photo and a digital video upon request. *We can also set a "time extension" for the leisurely time upon request. Up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

• Pickup Service
• For Rainy Days
• In Door Activity

• Age 6～Age 100
• 2～3 hours
• 10:00 / 13:00 / 15:00

At Senkoji Temple, which boasts a history of 1100 years and has a temple on the summit of Sakiyama, a sacred mountain on Awaji Island, you can visit the main hall while enjoying the view of Sumoto City, one of the eight scenic views of Sumoto, and experience a sutra copying experience in a mysterious silence, which is an extraordinary experience. If you wish, you can also visit Iwato Shrine after the experience. Sakiyama, also known as Awaji Fuji, is said to be the first mountain created in Japan in the legend of the creation of the world by the gods Izanagi and Izanami. At Senkoji Temple, which has a temple on the summit of Sakiyama, you can experience copying sutras. First, you can climb about 200 steps to tour the grounds of Senkoji Temple, learn about the origins of Senkoji Temple, and see the place where the Awaji Island custom of "Dango Korogashi", which is rare nationwide, is performed at the temple. You will also be greeted by a lion-like boar, instead of a lion-dog, enshrined in front of the main hall. Because it is a temple on the mountaintop, you can see the central and southern part of Awaji Island, and if the weather is good, you can see the Naruto Strait and Wakayama. Return to the temple office and go to the "Daishido" to experience copying sutras. In copying sutras, you will copy the general Heart Sutra. Place the paper on top of the model Heart Sutra and copy it with a brush pen. Beginners are also welcome. By copying the characters in a solemn space, you can spend a valuable time reflecting on yourself. You can donate the copy to the temple or take it home. After the experience, you can also visit "Iwato Shrine", a popular power spot that enshrines a huge rock where Amaterasu Omikami hid herself, about 10 minutes down from the temple. (Please note that this is a full-scale mountain path) Experience schedule (for example, if the tour starts at 13:00) Meet at 13:00 *Walk around the temple grounds, including visiting the main hall (guided by the head priest Okazaki) 14:00 Experience copying sutras at the Daishido (approx. 30 minutes to 1 hour) 15:00 Scheduled end *After the tour, you can walk around the temple grounds and visit Iwato Shrine (on your own). It takes about 10 minutes to walk one way up the mountain path to Iwato Shrine.

• For Rainy Days
• In Door Activity
• For Groups

• Age 12～Age 100
• 2～3 hours
• 10:00 / 14:00

Naohara Gyokusei is a master of Nanga painting who grew up on Awaji Island. He is also a Rinzai Obaku sect monk, and at Kokusei Zenji Temple, which he rebuilt, you can enjoy a beginner-friendly zazen experience and appreciate Gyokusei's friendly Nanga paintings that he personally painted. After the 60-minute zazen experience, you will listen to the current chief priest explain the Zen teachings contained in Gyokusei's works while drinking tea, then move to Minami Awaji City Takikawa Memorial Museum Gyokuseikan (5-minute walk) and view the diverse works of Naohara Gyokusei that are housed in the museum. This is a special experience that expresses the trinity of Nanga, haiku, and Zen, and allows you to feel the spirit of "kugazenichinyo" and reflect on yourself. Naohara Gyokusei is a master of Nanga painting who has ties to Awaji Island. He was also a painter and haiku poet, and a Rinzai Obaku sect monk, and became the chief priest to rebuild the dilapidated Zen temple Kokusei-an (later Kokusei Zenji) on Awaji Island where he grew up. At Kokusei Zenji Temple, which was magnificently rebuilt by Gyokusei, you will first complete a beginner-friendly zazen experience (about 60 minutes), after which you will listen to the current head priest explain the Zen teachings contained in Gyokusei's works while drinking tea, and then view Gyokusei's intimate works, which are privately painted by Gyokusei and housed in a storehouse within the temple grounds. You will be able to view rare sliding door paintings and other works up close without any partitions. After that, you will move to the Takikawa Memorial Museum of Art Gyokuseikan (about a 5-minute walk, 200m), where many of Gyokusei's paintings are on display, and finally view the masterpieces housed in the museum's collection. You will be able to experience a special time to reexamine yourself through the spirit of "Kuga Zen Ichinyo," which expresses the trinity of Nanga, haiku, and Zen that Naohara Gyokusei loved.

• For Rainy Days
• In Door Activity
• For Groups