Experience Zen in Body and Mind at a Temple Museum Infusing Art and Tea with Philosophy

A Place to Experience Zen and Culture, in the Serene Seto Seaside

Hiroshima Prefecture’s Fukuyama City is a scenic city on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, kissed by a mild climate and wrapped in the region’s rich nature. Here within the grounds of the Tenshinzan Shinshoji Temple founded in 1965, the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens shares the spirit of Zen with visitors from across Japan and the wider world through art and tea culture. Open your mind through all five senses and partake in a meditative reflection on yourself and the philosophy of Zen, which is alive and well in Japan.

The spirit and traditions of Zen and tea culture are made accessible to visitors from Japan and the wider world alike in this Zen temple

The vast grounds of the temple complex are home to a variety of notable structures offering different perspectives on Zen. In addition to the Zen hall known as Daitetsudo, the Gankuin is a temple hall constructed during the Edo Period and later relocated to its current site. The Shodo is a recently constructed temple office incorporating traditional architectural elements, and the Kohtei is a modern art pavilion. Since Zen is a holistic philosophy touching all parts of life, the temple complex also has a bathhouse and a restaurant.

The Shosintei, a beautiful garden centered on a pond in the shape of the character 心, meaning “heart” or “mind”

Stroll into the Gardens From the Kohtei Art Pavilion

The boat-shaped art pavilion known as the Kohtei is the first thing that greets visitors stepping onto the temple grounds. Designed by Sandwich, a creative platform founded by acclaimed sculptor Kohei Nawa, the building draws inspiration from the temple’s history as a memorial for shipwreck victims. Its roof uses the layered wood shingle technique known as kokerabuki, exuding the tranquility of a ship on calm seas.

Zen and contemporary art meld within the iconic structures of the Shinshoji Zen Museum Gardens
Photo : Nobutada OMOTE | SANDWICH

Not far from the Kohtei sits the Shodo, where the experience begins. Let its iconic facade mesmerize you and draw you into the atmosphere of the temple grounds ahead. 

The Shodo, designed by architect Terunobu Fujimori and inspired by the famed red pine forests of the Seto Inland Sea coast, acts as a reception room and temple office. Its roof is made of hand-shaped copper sheeting, designed to meld into the landscape by evoking the look of an old pine tree on a craggy mountainside. Its name literally translates to “Pine Hall.”

Souvenirs and original memorabilia are available in the Shodo

After visiting the Shodo, enjoy a leisurely fifteen-minute stroll through the gardens, taking in the vivid autumnal reds or luxuriant summer greens of its maple trees. Countless calls from nature to Zen insight surround, from the chirping of birds to the scent of flowers wafting in the breeze. Arrive finally at the Shogondo, a permanent art exhibit showcasing the works of Zen monk Hakuin Ekaku, famed not only for his paintings but also for reviving Japan’s Rinzai sect of Buddhism.

Soak up beautiful birdsong in tranquility

Humor and Depth in the Zen Paintings of Hakuin Ekaku

The Shogondo sits atop a small hill, boasting one of Japan’s leading collections of the prolific artist and Zen monk Hakuin Ekaku. It rotates its more than 200 works to showcase the diverse artistic charms of Hakuin, who sought to convey Zen teaching through painting. His works abound in not only Buddhist imagery, but also familiar folk motifs such as Otafuku, the Seven Lucky Gods, and anthropomorphized animal characters.

Exhibits are changed monthly so visitors can enjoy the work of influential Zen monk and artist Hakuin Ekaku in all its variety

As is often the case with both art and Zen concepts, some of Hakuin’s work can seem mysterious at first brush, but thankfully you’ll have museum staff at your side to offer illuminating commentary. Through his work, Hakuin calls upon the concept of the Zen Dialogue, a form of training oriented around meditations on the nature of concepts like “true essence” and “being human.” As you consider these mysteries, gallery staff will field any questions that may arise. In order to protect the artwork, all visitors to the Shogondo are required to wear masks (provided upon entry).

Museum staff shed light upon the teachings of Hakuin

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Cuppa in a Renowned Tearoom

Move next to the temple’s tearoom, known as Shuroken. Shuroken was designed by architectural historian Nakamura Masao, modeled after the famed lost Kyoto tearooms of Sen no Rikyu’s Omotesenke school known as Zangetsutei and Fushin-an, both destroyed in the Great Tenmai Fire of the 18th Century. This august space, imbued with traditional architectural splendor and quiet tranquility, is available for your exclusive private use in this Wabunka plan.

Take in every detail, from the structure itself to its hanging scroll, flower arrangement, and tea utensils

The mindset of tea culture begins in the very approach to the room, walking the small garden path, admiring the scenery, and bending down to pass through the half-height nijiri-guchi entrance in expression of wabi sabi spirit and inner humility.

Wagashi sweets and matcha capture the beauty of the changing seasons

Tea culture is deeply connected to the philosophy of Zen, and every detail of the tearoom setting is purposed to calm the heart and commune respectfully with nature – from the flower arrangement to the tea utensils. Feel the essence of the changing seasons in the patterns and colors of the serveware.

Breathe Deep and Face Yourself in the Zen Hall

Finally, experience zazen meditation in the Daitetsudo. This Zen hall, constructed about 250 years ago at Kamakura’s Kenchoji Temple and later moved to its current location, has been restored to its original state – complete with thatched roof. Its interior zazen meditation space uses a rare configuration known as shihotan, in which individual seats the size of a full tatami mat are arranged according to the four cardinal directions. Few examples of this zazen seating configuration still exist in Japan, giving it a rare historical value. Here, in this same space used for zazen meditation by practitioners of Zen for centuries, you can experience zazen for yourself.

Practitioners devote themselves daily to the teaching of Rinzai Zen within the hall

The temple’s head priest offers instruction on body position and breathing before the zazen meditation begins. Zazen focuses on putting the body and breathing in order, believing that order in the mind will follow naturally. However, it is far from the only kind of Zen meditation. Here, you can also experience kinhin, sometimes referred to as “walking Zen” (compare to “zazen,” which translates to “seated Zen”). In kinhin, practitioners seek order in the heart by standing and walking slowly through the hall and gardens, following the lead of the head priest.

Receiving instruction from the head priest on posture and breathing for zazen meditation

Taking Zen with You

True to the concepts of Zen, what is offered by Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens is not an “answer,” but rather guidance toward the inner realization that Zen resides in everything. Open your mind through all five senses as you experience art, tea, and zazen meditation. Let yourself discover, growing in curiosity and awareness toward life. What you find here was within you all along, and can be taken with you – wherever you go next.

The museum teaches the value of experience in gaining insight into Zen