There’s a cafe in Tokyo which serves not only coffee but also prophetic messages from God. It is called “Yogen Cafe.” Its vision is not only to serve high-quality products and services to customers but also to deliver God’s messages of love. It is said that many of the customers come alone in order to…

With the number of Shinto deities that the Japanese people worship, it can be difficult to identify who is who and for what. Apart from the unique names and how Japanese culture associates nature with gods and goddesses, one thing that makes the Shinto religion even more popular is the great reverence locals show to…

Yamabushi are Japanese mountain people who believe in connecting with nature in order to gain inner power. These people usually make pilgrims to temples and shrines, pray and study hard, perform rituals and help villagers to understand their religion. As of this year, Megurun Inc. and Daishobo, a pilgrim lodge, are launching a mountain training…

Not only are Buddhist monks in Japan allowed to get married and have children, they are also allowed to eat meat and consume alcohol. However, these only apply to some of them. Monks who have vowed to be celibate are not allowed to do the aforementioned things, whereas monks who have not vowed to be…

Approximately 90% of the Japanese population are followers of Shintoism (神道), Buddhism (仏教) or both. This can be attributed to the high regards paid by the Japanese towards their ethnic origins as well as the value they put on ancient traditions. Shintoism, in particular, has been popular both in traditional and pop culture thanks to…

If you like traveling in Japan and prefer the atmosphere of a tranquil environment, then you should try staying at a temple which is known as “shukubo” lodging. It is an ideal option if you’ll be going on a pilgrimage or just wanting to tour around to get a better taste of the Buddhist or…

Buddhism is a major religion in Japan. Around 90 million people in the country consider themselves as Buddhists. However, in people’s day-to-day lives, many aspects of Buddhist practices and teachings do not necessarily affect them nor are being practiced. It is also quite hard to meet a monk who will give proper guidance to the…

It was during the Obon festival (one of the only decent-length holidays we get all year) when a freak storm cancelled our boat across to Tomioka (and therefore, also our booking at a luxury hotel). Checking into a cheap hostel, we thought our perfect summer break had been cancelled. However, always determined to look on…

Have you ever wondered about the path required to becoming a Shinto priest? In the past, there were no standardized certifications required for Shinto priesthood as it used to be a hereditary profession. However, in modern times, those who want to become official Shinto priests must pass examinations by the Association of Shintō Shrines (Jinja…

This may come as a surprise to both tourists and some residents of Japan but there are about 80 mosques that have already been established in the country since the Second World War broke out. Most of these mosques are relatively small. However, in the heart of Yoyogi Uehara sits a magnificent structure that could…