Kanazawa Samurai Spirit
Starting in 2026, the venue will be two temples.
Joining the existing Jōshō-ji Temple will be Ryūen-ji Temple, where participants will experience samurai spirit through zazen meditation.
Please note that due to the intense heat in August, sessions will only be held in the mornings.
If you encounter any issues with credit card payment, please contact us via email. Be sure to include your preferred date, time, and number of participants. Payment in Japanese yen is required on the day of your experience. E-Mail: kanazawa.samurai.spirit@gmail.com
At Jōshō-ji Temple, founded in 1589, experience the spirit of Bushido through activities such as kendo practice, enjoying incense aromas, and Japanese drum performances.
If the venue is Ryūen-ji Temple, you can participate in a “Zazen meditation experience” instead of the Japanese drum performance.
Morning and evening activities
Start with monko, or the art of incense, said to have been practiced by samurai warriors as a spiritual discipline before battle, calming their minds through fragrance.
After preparing your spirit by breathing in the fragrant wood wafting from the incense burner, learn the basics of kendo in the precincts of the temple. Receive instruction on how to bow, hold and swing a shinai (bamboo sword), then practice striking a target with the sword.
Afterwards, participants will get to view the “Hagi and Rabbit” and “Bamboo and Tiger” paintings on the temple’s wooden doors, which are said to have been created by Tawaraya Sotatsu, a painter from the Edo-era (1603-1867), and are usually off-limits to the public.
The taiko drumming experience is performed while chanting the Lotus Sutra. Participants take turns beating the drums as the priest reads the sutra and spend time in prayer. Participants then experience burning incense while the priest reads the names of all participants, praying for their safety and health on their journey.
Finally, enjoy making your own matcha (powdered green tea), a drink enjoyed by samurai in the old days.
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Kendo practice
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Smelling fragrant incense
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Playing Japanese drums
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Incense offering experience
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Matcha green tea experience
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First, let us begin with “monkou” (incense appreciation). This is the art of incense, said to have been practised by samurai before the war as spiritual cultivation, using the power of fragrance to calm the mind.
After deeply inhaling the fragrant wood scent wafting from the incense burner and settling the mind, one learns the basics of kendo within the temple grounds. Instructed in the etiquette of bowing, the stance and swing of the bamboo sword, one practises striking the target.
You will experience a ritual where a priest reads aloud the names of all participants and burns incense to pray for safe travels and good health.
Then, you will experience zazen meditation to empty the mind.
Finally, enjoy the experience of preparing and savouring matcha tea, brewed in the traditional manner, just as the samurai of old did.
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Kendo practice
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Smelling fragrant incense
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Zazen meditation
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Incense offering experience
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Matcha green tea experience
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Experience it Yourself
Stay, Relax, Dine
Ryūen-ji Temple also offers zazen meditation.
Kendo
Kendo is the practice of Samurai using a bamboo sword. Kendo is a martial art that aims to train the body and mind and to develop the human spirit through continuous practice.
“Numerous experiences in 1 hour and 30 minutes.”
“Samurai kendo, Japanese fragrance experience,
Japanese drum performance, etc!”
“An unforgettable experience in every way.”
