Enmeiji-tour

Temple Tour and Tea Ceremony at Enmeiji

On June 2nd, we held a tour at Enmeiji Temple in Matsuda Town, a historic temple with over 500 years of history.

The tour included a visit to the main hall and a unique tea ceremony experience in a tea room made from old sake barrels, located within the temple grounds.

With the kind guidance of members from the Tea Ceremony Association, we learned the basic etiquette of the tea ceremony. We enjoyed matcha along with beautifully crafted Japanese sweets from a local Odawara confectionery shop.

Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the design and meaning behind the tea room itself. It was a calm, reflective, and truly valuable experience.

6月２日に、松田町にある500年以上の歴史を持つ延命寺さんにてツアーを行いました。ツアーでは、本堂見学と、延命寺さんにある酒樽でできたお茶室で茶道体験を行いました。
茶道体験では、茶道協会の方にご協力いただきお作法を教えていただきながら、小田原の和菓子屋さんの素敵な和菓子とともにお茶を楽しむことができました。お作法や茶室について、お話ししていただき、とても貴重でしずかな時間を過ごすことができました。

本堂見学では、住職さんの丁寧な案内とともに、お参りやお線香体験、特大木魚や和太鼓の体験を行いました。本堂に入ってすぐ、お花板に一枚一枚色を塗ってある美しい花天井に圧倒され、そのあとの説明もとても興味深いものでした。最後には、みんなで座禅を組み、こころを落ち着かせました。座禅の組み方を、住職さんから丁寧に教えていただける貴重な機会となりました。当日は小雨が降っていたこともあり、静かな雨の音を聞きながら座禅を組むことができ、忙しい毎日の中でほっとひといきつける瞬間となりました。
 

As part of the tour, we were warmly guided through the main hall of Enmeiji Temple by the head priest. We had the chance to offer incense, experience traditional temple rituals, and try out a giant mokugyo (wooden temple drum) and Japanese taiko drum.

Upon entering the main hall, we were immediately struck by the stunning floral ceiling — each panel hand-painted with care. The priest’s explanation of its meaning made the experience even more fascinating.

At the end of the visit, we practiced seated meditation (zazen) together. The head priest kindly taught us the proper posture and breathing techniques, offering us a rare and meaningful introduction to this meditative practice.

A light rain was falling that day, and the soft sound of raindrops made the zazen experience even more calming. It was a peaceful moment of pause in the midst of our busy lives.