Tsunagu Co., Ltd. 2-day “Ajimano Temple Opening” to connect smiles and culture in the region! ~ Experience something out of the ordinary that will lighten your heart in Ajimano, the town of temples ~

[Tsunagu Co., Ltd.] Connecting smiles and culture in the local community: 2-day “Ajimano Temple Opening” to be held! ~Experience something out of the ordinary that will lighten your spirit in Ajimano, the town of temples~ ​
Tsunagu Co., Ltd. Press release: October 21, 2025 To Members of the Press The two-day “Ajimano Temple Opening” event will connect the smiles and culture of the local community! ~Experience something out of the ordinary that will lighten your heart in Ajimano, the town of temples~ The “Ajimano Temple Opening” event will be held over two days, on Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th, 2025, in the Ajimano area of ​​Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture.
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The photo shows the first event, held last year. Saturday, November 16th and Sunday, November 17th, 2024 The “Ajimano Temple Opening” event will be held in the Ajimano area of ​​Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, for two days, on Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th, 2025. Coverage is highly encouraged, both in advance and on the day. ◆What kind of event? This event views the many temples in the area as a town resource, and aims to bring together people of all sects, from children to adults, to enjoy a casual and enjoyable experience. The event is run primarily by an executive committee made up of volunteer residents, with the cooperation of priests of various sects from both within and outside the area. The main venue will offer a variety of programs filled with entertainment and relaxation, including sermons and talks related to Buddhism and Japanese culture, performances of the traditional performing art of Echizen Manzai (a nationally designated Important Intangible Cultural Property) and rakugo, and a cafe corner where you can talk with Buddhist monks. There will also be a town walk where you can experience the history and charm of the region. There will also be a large number of food trucks and stalls, and the event is expected to be bustling with visitors. ◆What is the aim? Fukui Prefecture is one of the 10 This area is deeply rooted in faith, home to four of the Jodo Shinshu sect’s head temples. In the Ajimano district, rich faith and culture have flourished, centered around Goshoji Temple, the head temple of the Izumoji branch of Shinshu. However, temples, once the center of local communities, are now becoming places visited only by select groups of people, such as parishioners, or on special occasions. The “Temple Opening” project was launched to change this situation, reevaluate the value of temples for their spiritual peace and learning, and turn them into a source of strength for the community. This event aims to lower the barrier to entry for the many temples in the area, making them accessible to the general public and
non-parishioners, thereby creating new connections between the community and its people and revitalizing the town. The first trial event was held last year, and this year the event will be expanded in scale, with the aim of establishing itself over the next few years. Event details Venue Head temple of Shinshu Izumoji school Gosetsuji Temple and Surrounding Temples (Ajimano District, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture) Event Date and Time Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th, 2025, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Time Participation Fee Free [Only the Teramachi Walk costs extra] Full of entertaining and fun programs A fantastical space of bamboo lanterns and flower
arrangements – “Takehana Akari” “Takehana Akari,” an installation weaving fantastical light and flowers, will add color to the temple opening. The bamboo lanterns are crafted by local bamboo fence artisan “Takenosuke” Daisuke Kataoka. The bamboo he meticulously polishes creates soft light and shadow within the temple grounds, evoking a mysterious world. Furthermore, world-renowned flower artist “KAZU” Showa Naito skillfully combines vines, branches, and leaves to express the beauty of Japanese culture. “Takebana Akari,” a collaborative work created by these two masters, is a mystical space where bamboo and flowers resonate with each other, igniting a quiet sense of emotion in the hearts of all who visit.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-c7d66fc335228222f121799ddad44f86-3780×2700.jpg The “Takebana Akari” lights are on. The photo shows the first event, held last year. Saturday, November 16th and Sunday, November 17th, 2024 A wide variety of programs to lighten your spirit From sermons to music, art, and experiences, you can enjoy an extraordinary time at the temple, where healing and excitement intersect over two days. The charm of the “Ajimano Temple Opening” is that you can experience a new way to enjoy a temple, with sutras and jazz resonating together, and yokai talks and hip-hop live performances unfolding on the temple grounds. Monks from both within and outside the region, regardless of sect, will gather to hear sermons and enjoy valuable experiences that can only be heard here. Come and experience these two special days, where you can fully enjoy the temple. Several local temples will also be holding temple openings and offering limited-edition temple seals, offering a warm welcome to all visitors. In addition, the spacious grounds of Gosetsuji Temple are lined with popular food trucks, food stalls, and craft markets.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-323c8ed645777273c9308925e1664a06-1440×1800.jpg White Elephant Flower Path Decorate the flower path with
chrysanthemums. All photos are from last year’s event.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-571f0e9c67016cebacdd72ca1c113c3b-3900×3900.jpg Flower Arrangement “KAZU” Showa Naito’s work
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-9773dfdc5fa88856029320f69edbc1e6-1580×1180.jpg Bamboo light “Takenosuke” by Daisuke Kataoka [Program Introduction] ◆ Held on both the 8th and 9th 11:00 “Gentle Sermon” (From 2:00 PM on the 9th) 1:00 PM “Monk Cafe” – Feel free to ask a monk for advice! 4:00 PM “Temple Jazz” 5:00 PM “Bamboo Flower Lights” All day: “A Dissection of the Head Temple” Point Cloud Art Exhibition ◆ Saturday, the 8th only 2:00 PM: “Juzu-kuri (Rosary-making) Experience” (with sutra chanting, musical instruments, and commentary) 15:00 “Hip Hop Temple Monk 1LOW Live” 17:00 “Yokai Masters Talk About Strange Tales from Echizen and Wakasa” Yokai Artist Matt Meyer x Fukui Yokai Master Eitoshi Nagano 7:00 PM “Aoitei Shingetsu Rakugo Performance” ◆ Sunday, 9th only 2:00 PM “Ajimano Teramachi Walk” 15:00 “Echizen Manzai (Nationally Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property, One of Japan’s Three Great Classical Manzai)” 17:00 “Buddhist Manga Talk” 19:00 “Infinite Wood Fish Trip”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-c4a1fac41af569b6c4d4144330445118-1903×2700.jpg “Ajimano Temple Opening 2025 Flyer Front Page”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/171763/4/171763-4-4ee62dbe2fde57f7463d240b5ff01dfd-1903×2700.jpg “Ajimano Temple Opening 2025 – Back of the Flyer” Background and Thoughts behind the Project – Turning the healing power of temples into the power of the town — Fukui Prefecture is a region in Japan where Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is particularly deeply rooted, with four of the nation’s ten head temples located here. One of these, the Izumoji branch of Shinshu Buddhism, is headquartered in Fukui Prefecture. The Ajimano district is home to many temples, including Goshoji Temple, the head temple of the Izumoji branch. A rich faith and culture have flourished here since ancient times. Temples used to be a place of spiritual support where local people gathered and smiles abounded. However, now they are becoming places visited only on “special occasions” such as funerals and memorial services. On the other hand, in recent years, the potential of temples and Buddhism has been attracting renewed attention in modern society. Visiting temples to see Buddhist statues and receive temple stamps has become popular, and busy people have become familiar with Zen and mindfulness as a way to calm their minds. Furthermore, opportunities to incorporate Buddhist ideas into daily life are increasing, with many books introducing Buddhist teachings in an easy-to-understand manner becoming popular. Against this backdrop, the social role and value of temples are being reevaluated as places where people can drop in, learn, and find peace. In this context, we wanted to lower the “high barrier” that ordinary people perceive when it comes to temples. We wanted to propose a more approachable temple that would naturally draw modern people to visit while still respecting tradition. We launched this project with the hope that temples would once again be open to the community and become places that create new connections. We hoped to open the temple, connect the community and its people, and use it as an opportunity to develop the town together. “Temple Opening” is a project that connects people and the community around temples, creating a new urban landscape where smiles and culture intersect. We are currently attempting crowdfunding to ensure that this initiative does not end as a one-time event, but rather as a living part of local culture. Until October 31st▶ https://readyfor.jp/projects/161555 Organizer: Temple Opening Executive Committee Planning and Management: Tsunagu Co., Ltd. Sponsored by: Gosetsuji Temple, Head Temple of the Jodo Shinshu Izumoji School, and the History and Tourism Department of the Ajimano Community Promotion Association Sponsored by: Ajimano Buddhist Association, Kan Kutsurogi, Daisan Editorial Office Co., Ltd. Supported by: FY2025 Art Project Support Grant Contact Information Tsunagu Co., Ltd. “Temple Opening Executive Committee” Head Office: 12-3 Gobunichicho, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture Representative Director: Ayumi Ikeda TEL: 090-4918-5213 E-mail:
ikeda@tsunagu-fukui.com For more information about this release Press release attachments