Today, Mr. Bui Manh Ha, a businessman who runs the 13 Group of companies in Vietnam, mainly engaged in the construction of Buddhist temples, came to see us on the occasion of his visit to Japan.

First, we introduced the “Cosmic Dragon” at Yasaka Shrine. Mr. Ha brought along the vice president and professor of Hanoi University of Architecture in Vietnam.

Vice President Mr. Tuna Anh Nguyen, who possesses a profound understanding of Buddhism, was deeply impressed by Shiozawa’s ability to convey the philosophical message with such clarity. He also expressed strong interest in the dedication of paintings to the Mahabodhi Temple in India. In response, we promised to send him a catalog of Shiozawa’s works.

We bumped into the very busy chief priest Nomura and introduced Ha-san to him. We also took a commemorative photo.

Also, when we were trying to take a taxi in front of Yasaka Shrine, we bumped into the president of the martial arts equipment store TOZANDO. We introduced him to Mr. Ha here too.

Perhaps it was some kind of power that Ms. Ha possessed that allowed her to meet these two busy people by chance.

At the atelier, Mr. Hà gave us a traditional Vietnamese embroidery painting.

It is said that approximately 90% of politicians in Vietnam are Buddhists. As the economy continues to grow and infrastructure—such as roads and transportation—becomes increasingly developed, the number of Buddhist temples is also expected to rise. However, many of these temples lack artistic ornamentation. Mr. Ha spoke with great enthusiasm about the abundant opportunities for Shiozawa to contribute his artistry in this evolving cultural landscape.