Date & Time: Wednesday, September 4, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Spots: Sojiji Temple and Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory
Visitor: Gio, a Filipino from Manila
Guide: Ken, KSGG
Language: English
It was a fine day after a typhoon passed. Gio and his KSGG guide visited Sojiji Temple*1 and the Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory. Gio, a man in his 40s from Manila, wanted to experience zazen (seated meditation in Zen Buddhism), so he applied for the KSGG’s Y-5 course (Sojiji and Kirin Beer Brewery). Unfortunately, Sojiji was celebrating its 700th anniversary known as “Daionki”*2, so visitors couldn’t participate in zazen or a guided tour in the temple led by the monks. The guide had informed Gio of this situation before he arrived in Japan, but he said he didn’t mind. So they decided to visit the temple anyway.
Gio met with the guide at Tsurumi Station, and they soon headed to Sojiji Temple. Actually, he had found a place in Tokyo where he could practice zazen and had tried it the day before. What an active person! But he hadn’t gotten any explanation during the zazen session, so the guide explained briefly Buddhism, Zen, and Sojiji Temple to him. The guide showed him around the main temple buildings（garans） from the outside in the lush, green temple precincts. Although, unfortunately, they couldn’t see the inside of Daisoudo, the gathering hall for monks where the monks practice zazen and eat their daily meals. However, they also explored Sanmon (the temple gate), Mukaikara-mon (another gate), Hyakkenn-roka (the long corridor), Butsuden (the Buddha hall), and Daisodo (the ancestor hall). When Gio saw a picture of monks cleaning Hyakkenn-roka, he seemed to praise the ascetic life of zen monks.
At lunch time they ate at a sushi restaurant near Tsurumi Station. Gio mentioned to the guide that there is a dish in the Philippines called “kinilau”, a marinated white fish dish, which made the conversation lively and exciting.
Afterwards, the two headed to the Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory for the reserved tour. During the tour, they smelled the aroma of barley and hops — the ingredients of beer — and tasted the wort. At the next tasting corner, they enjoyed freshly brewed beer and had a lively international exchange. Feeling pleasantly tipsy, the guide presented Gio with a Japanese paper doll made by KSGG. Satisfied to have experienced both Zen and beer in one day, Gio returned to his hotel.
*1 Sojiji Temple is one of the two head temples of the Soto Zen Buddhism, a branch of Japanese Buddhism
*2 Sojiji was founded by Keizan Zenji (Taiso Daishi). Since his passing in 1325, a commemorative ceremony has been held every 50 years. This year marks the 700th anniversary. To commemorate this, large-scale events are being held throughout the year.