Plan Status:
CULTURE/
EXPERIENCE/
FOOD/
NATURE
Sankoin Temple Mindful Sutra Copying Experience in a Zen Tea Room With Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine With Translation.
Tokyo
4hours
A Sacred Calligraphy Ritual at a 660-Year-Old Zen Nunnery.
In the heart of Tokyo's quiet Koganei district, Sankoin a Rinzai Zen nunnery with over 660 years of history — opens the doors of its tea room, Ryukokaku, to you. Not for sightseeing, but for something far more intimate.
Shakyo, the meditative practice of hand-copying Buddhist sutras, has been a cornerstone of Japanese spiritual life for over a millennium. This is not a class. It is a time — carefully, quietly, yours.
Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of an authentic tatami tea room.
No floor seating required—tables and chairs are provided for your comfort.
Held every second Thursday of the month at Ryukokaku the shoin-style tea room of Sankoin this experience invites you to:
Hand-copy a Buddhist sutra an atmosphere of calm that is almost impossible to find elsewhere in Tokyo
Drop in entry is welcome — arrive any time between 10:00 and 11:30
Share your experience on SNS and receive a complimentary picture postcard
Enjoy lunch ("Yuki" Shojin Ryori Course):After the session, extend your time at Sankoin with a shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) lunch — the "Yuki" course featuring seven dishes and Sankoin's signature special tea, served in the temple's serene surroundings from 12:00 to 14:00. Sankoin's shojin ryori carries a lineage of over 660 years, rooted in the imperial nunnery tradition — a culinary heritage found nowhere else in Japan.
And Hoyu would translate the explanation about it when you eat. Hoyu is also an English speaking tour guide at Sankouin.
Translation fee is included.
Every second Thursday | 10:00–11:30 (drop-in welcome)
Standard plan: Participation fee applies | Lunch plan: (starts only just 12:00–14:00, meal included)
SNS share → free picture postcard
Venue: Ryukokaku Tea Room, Sankoin (Rinzai Zen Nunnery), 3-1-36 Honcho, Koganei, Tokyo | 15 min walk from JR Musashi-Koganei Station (Central Exit)Highlights
You can experice Shakyo (Buddhist sutra copying) and Special Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Shakyo sample is provided for tracing, so even people who cannot read Japanese can enjoy iit easily.
Max Number of Guests
4 People
Itinerary
Calligraphy experience(10:00-11:30) , eat Vegetarian Cuisine(12:00-13:50) at Sankouin Temple with my interpretation.
Meeting Point
Musashikoganei Station or Sankouin
Sankouin: 3-1-36 Hon-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo
Map
What To Bring
Precautions
This experience requires a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 participants per booking. The complimentary picture postcard is provided on the condition that guests share the designated post on SNS prior to or during the session. Out of respect for the temple, please dress modestly and avoid tank tops or other revealing attire. We recommend bringing insect repellent that is not a spray.
Not Allowed:
Do not touch or handle any objects, furnishings, or artifacts within the Sankoin Tea Room without permission. Please treat the temple space with the respect it deserves as an active place of religious and cultural significance.
About Host
"Hi, I teach calligraphy to foreign guests at Koganei City, which is 25 minutes ride on the Chuo t.rain from Shinjyuku. You can find your favorite words however you don't know Japanese. I can also teach tablet calligraphy using Zenbrush2 and 3 by Apple. I'm an English teacher and good at communicating in English. I want people of international badkground to enjoy Japanese culture, not only as a spectator, but also as an active participant. I think calligraphy can be a gateway for you to know Japanese beauty and art and further understanding of our culture in a whole new way. So why don't you give it a try? My classroom is close to Edo Tokyo Open-air architectural museum in Koganei park, so I can take you and explain after the lesson. Also if you want to go to calligraphy exhibition, I can explain.. "
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