Tibetan Spiritual Festival in TokyoThursday, 14 May 2009, 9:15 a.m.

Representative Lhakpa Tshoko addressing the gathering during the  Tibetan festival in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo: Tibet
House Japan organized a five-day ‘Tibetan Spiritual Festival’ from 1 –
5 May at Japanese Buddhist temple,  Joenji in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Nine
monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in South India headed by Ven Kachen
Lobsang Sherab visited Japan for the festival. This was the first of
the series of cultural and religious tour organized by Tibet House
Japan. The festival at Tokyo was planned to coincide with the golden
week holiday in Japan.Mr. Lhakpa Tshoko, Representative of
Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the inaugural function
welcomed the Japanese visitors and spoke about the rich Buddhist
cultural heritage of Tibet, and informed the gathering that this rich
culture is on the verge of extinction in Tibet because of Chinese
policy. Mr. Hiraoka, President of Seifu Gakuen School, and Mr.
Ohashi, a noted brain scientist welcomed the audience and spoke on
their experiences with Tibetans religious culture from the Japanese
perspective.The monks drew Avaloktesvara’s sandmandala,
teaching on Buddhism and meditation was conducted on daily basis. Cham,
Tibetan religious dance was performed. Around three to five hundred
people visited the festival site on daily basis.

Tibetan monks performing spiritual dance

The
Japanese public greatly appreciated the festival, many said that the
festival enabled them to see Sandmandala with their own eyes and hear
Buddhist teaching directly from Tibetan lama. Many Tibetans in Tokyo
also participated and helped in making butter tea and serving it to the
visitors. More than thirty Japanese volunteers helped during the
festival in various capacities. Many Japanese volunteers and
visitors came in Tibetan dress, chupas. The atmosphere at Joen Temple
with colorful Tibetan prayer flags gave Tokyoite an enlightening
spiritual experience during this ‘Golden Week’ holiday.The
Tashi Lhunpo monks will tour Nagano, Hokkaido and Kyushu to perform
various cultural and religious activities. Mr. Lungtok, Cultural &
Information Officer of Tibet House will accompany them to coordinate
the festival.