Kofukuji Temple Giving Foreign Visitors Guided Tours in Nara; History, Meditation Methods Explained

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, January 12, 2025

NARA — Kofukuji temple in Nara has been organizing tours for foreign visitors, allowing participants to experience the copying of sutras and the making of omamori lucky charms.

On Dec. 19, three foreign visitors were given a special tour of the temple’s Tokondo, or East Golden Hall, which is usually closed due to preservation and repair work to the adjacent five-story pagoda. Both the Tokondo and pagoda are designated as national treasures.

Kofukuji chief steward Akitoshi Tsuji gave a tour of the hall and explained that the top of the pedestal of Buddha statues represents the Pure Land, and that each statue has its own role.

Tsuji emphasized that Buddhist statues at the temple are not works of art but are instead objects of worship. They have been taken outside and protected each time a fire broke out, Tsuji said.

He also introduced methods to meditate and rest the body and soul. Participants sat inside the hall, quietly regulating their breathing.

Dian Kinney, 56, from the United States, said Tsuji’s explanation was wonderful, and she wants to visit the temple again.

The guided tour will be available until February.