Japan has a rainy season from mid-June to mid-July. One of the seasonal flowers of June is the hydrangea, which thrives on rainy days, so at this time of year hydrangeas provide some of Japan’s beautiful scenery. A spectacular place to go and enjoy the hydrangeas is the famous Meigetsuin Temple in Kamakura. Kamakura is an hour by train from Tokyo and is known as Little Kyoto, as it has many temples, and is where many cultural figures have chosen to live. Meigetsuin (which means ‘Bright moon temple’ in Japanese) is also known as the Hydrangea Temple, and the thousands of hydrangeas filling the temple grounds are called ‘Meigetsuin Blue’.
The Meigetsuin Temple was founded in 1160. Later, Hojo Tokiyori, the fifth Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, built Saimyoji Temple on this site.
Once you reach the top of the hydrangea-lined stone steps of the Meigetsuin Temple, you arrive at the Hojo (or main hall). The round window in the Hojo is known as the ‘Window of Enlightenment’, and from there you can enjoy the atmosphere of the garden beyond. In Zen Buddhism, the circle represents enlightenment, Buddhist nature, the universe, etc. The circular window is also said to reflect the heart, and – something that is typical at Meigetsuin – the image of the moon.
One of the other important temples in Kamakura is Tokeiji, founded in 1285. During medieval times, when women were not allowed to divorce, this temple was a place of refuge for women who wanted to flee from their marriages, and for 600 years until the Meiji period, the temple continued to practice the law of severing marriage ties. In 1871, the law of severing ties was abolished because of an anti-Buddhist movement, and in 1902 the history of the temple came to an end.
In 1905, Zen Master Shaku Soen, head of both the Kenchoji and Engakuji sects, came to the temple, restored the dilapidated buildings, and became its new founder. After that, many politicians, businessmen, philosophers and cultural figures became his followers, including Daisetsu Suzuki, who helped spread Zen around the world. Daisetsu later established the Matsugaoka Library on the mountain behind the temple, which became a global base for the development of Zen culture.
In the past, men were not allowed into the temple, and access to it was strictly controlled, but after the Second World War the grounds were renovated as a flower garden, and the temple now welcomes all kinds of worshippers.
Although not the largest temple, and not the most visited by tourists, Tokeiji has had a great influence, and has saved many women over 600 years.
As you may know, the Japanese tea ceremony was developed as a part of Zen ritual in the 15th century, and was then mainly practiced by high ranking Samurai in the 16th century. Since then its popularity has slowly shifted, and now 80% of tea ceremony practitioners are female. My teachers have some male students, but over half of them are female. It should be more balanced, as the tea ceremony is a great way to reduce stress levels. We have had many people come to our Japanese tea ceremony workshops and to our pop-up shops, and interestingly some of the very serious tea lovers have included young male customers.
Tokeiji is not a place of refuge anymore, but there are still so many people around the world who need some help and support. I worked with the NHS last year, as there was a patient whose last wish was to experience the tea ceremony, so I went to a hospice to meet him and to fulfill his wish. I met the most wonderful NHS and hospice staff there, who were working and helping the patients, and it was very humbling and a great honour to be a part of their work. I do hope that I can create a good balance in my work between what is meaningful and what is good business. A good motto for me in life is Ichigo Ichie (which means ‘each meeting is a life-time event, and we should appreciate each moment and each encounter’). It is a famous Japanese saying, and it comes from the tea ceremony.
Should you want to learn more about our tea ceremonies, contact us and one of our friendly staff will be in touch.
