Tokyo: Tibet House Japan organised a two-day Tibet Festival at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple in Tokyo on 4 and 5 May. The purpose of the festival was to celebrate and introduce the rich historical and spiritual culture of Tibet to the Japanese community and visitors. Save Tibet Network supported the festival.
Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Japan and East Asia, in his opening remarks, welcomed the participants and highlighted the historical relationship between Tibet and Japan since the meeting of His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama and Rev. Otani Sonya of Nishi Hongwanji in 1908 and the subsequent student exchange programs involving Tsawa Tritul, Aoki Bukyo, Tada Tokan and so on. He also referred to Taktser Rinpoche, elder brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, on how the Abbot of Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, Rev. Kitabatake Kyoshin, helped him in the early 1950s during his sojourn in Japan.
Rev. Kimura Tomohiro of Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple greeted the audience and talked about the old historical relationship between Tibet and the Hongwanji Temple and expressed happiness that through this festival the old sacred relationship is celebrated.
Arjia Rinpoche of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and Zeekgyab Rinpoche of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery talked about the Panchen Lama issue and the situation of religious freedom in Tibet. Arjia Rinpoche further spoke on why Tibetan Buddhism is popular and Zeekbyab Rinpoche preached on bLo-ldog rnam-zhi, the four mind-changing reminders. Miura Junko translated for both the Rinpoches.
Prof Imoto Yuki of Keio University introduced SEE (Social, Emotional, and Ethical) learning to the audience. Many showed great interest in the subject. Prof Hoshi Izumi of Tokyo University talked about the rich Tibetan culture of storytelling. She translated Ro-sdrung, the tale of the golden corpse, and introduced how the story starts and how it demonstrates Tibetan spiritual culture.
Dr. Ogawa, a graduate of Dharamsala Mentsekhang, talked about his experience of studying Tibetan medicine and how Buddhist spiritualism is very much embedded in the practice of Tibetan medicine.
The festival was colorfully decorated with Tibetan Lungta prayer flags and booths selling Tibetan goods, gifts items, and information desk by Potala College, Kawachen, Tashi Delek, Karma Photo exhibition, KIKU Sponsorship program, and SEE Learning. Tashi Delek restaurant maintained a food stall to provide the visitors taste of Tibetan dishes of momo, thukpa, and butter tea.
At the end of each day, the audiences were entertained by the Grammy Award-nominated Tenzin Choegyal, Terahara Taro, Tenzin Kunsang, and Tenzin Gyenyan with Tibetan songs and dances. The audiences were taught the Tibetan dancing steps and participated in the Tibetan circle dance, Gorshe.
The festival concluded without any untoward incident. Zeekgyab Rinpoche’s talk on the Panchen Lama issue was covered in one of the leading dailies, Mainichi Shimbun. Some people have come from faraway places to attend the festival. Visitors expressed joy and rejuvenation to experience the rich Tibetan spiritual culture.
In his concluding remark, Representative Arya thanked Tsukiji Hongwangji Temple for the venue. He thanked the Rinpoches and the speakers for their valuable talks and the volunteers who helped in organizing the events. He appreciated the volunteers’ helping hands as analogous to the manifestation of the one thousand arms of Chenrezig, the Avaloketeshvara.
Report submitted by the Office of Tibet, Japan