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On September 29^th, we took a walk around Daifukuji Temple, surrounded by beautiful nature.

The first place we visited was the Iwase family home, an important cultural property built in the mountains of Gokayama. It is a Gassho-style mansion from the Edo period that is still lived in and managed by the Iwase family today.

We watched the “Kokiriko Bushi”, a dance performed in one of the winter festivals that are popular in this region. These festivals provide entertainment while waiting out the long deep, heavily snowed winters of Toyama where snow is known to pile as high as up to five stories.

An altar dedicated to Amida Buddha is where local folk practice a combination of Pure Land Buddhism and worship the mighty gods of nature. In a local society where bear rugs and cuisine are commonplace, being thankful for such gifts of nature is crucial for this way of life.

Then, we passed through Toyama Prefecture and went to the Suzuki Daisetsu Museum in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Suzuki Daisetsu was a Buddhist philosopher responsible for introducing Japanese culture and Zen Buddhism on a large scale throughout the Western world. Built in honor of his name, the Suzuki museum is a place where visitors are encouraged to explore their artistic creativity.

On the day that we visited, we were surprised to see so many visitors from abroad, and equally surprised to see just as many young Japanese enjoying the museum.

He says that Zen is “Freely using the creative and compassionate impulses that are innate in our hearts.”

It is also one of the ways to solve the various problems that modern society faces. Modern people may have a simple desire to free their minds.

After that we visited Kitaro Nishida’s museum of philosophy. A close friend of Daisetsu, Nishida believed that philosophy is the undying pursuit of knowledge, and not so much simply accumulating more information, but gaining a deep understanding of the truth.

While we were busy philosophizing, day had somehow become night, so we finished up in the hot spring and made our way back to the temple lodge near Gokayama, nestled deep in the mountains.

The next morning, on the 30^th, we visited the “Mediation Village” near the temple lodging,

It is located at an altitude of about 600 meters and was built in 2003 as an exchange facility with Tukucha Village, Nepal. A Nepalese monk and painter spent three and a half years creating the world’s largest and most beautiful mandala. Nepalese Buddhist statues and other items are on display. You will be overwhelmed by the mandala, which you have never seen before.

After that we visited the Ainokura Gassho style village, which is a popular and well known tourist spot. As we explored, we got a sense that this place is also deeply rooted in the worship of Amino Buddhism and Shinto.

Finally, we visited the national treasure Takaokasan Suiryuji Temple near Shin-Tomioka Station.

Built by the samurai lord Maeda, its grand, beautiful and dignified presence was deeply moving and cleansing to the soul.