Art Pavilion “Koutei” at the Zen and Garden Museum, Shinshoji Temple
Shinshoji Temple, located on Mount Tenshin near Fukuyama City in Hiroshima prefecture, celebrated the opening of its Zen and Garden Museum on September 11th, 2016. While strolling along the vast grounds of Shinshoji, with its various tea rooms, Zen monasteries and exhibits of Zen artwork and writings, visitors are at liberty to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The design of the centerpiece of this facility was created by Kohei Nawa | SANDWICH, who is active both nationally and around the world. The Art Pavilion design combines a strong sense of traditional Japanese architecture and artistic prowess. It utilizes the traditional wood chip roofing and its reflection of light to evoke a sense of fluidity, as of light being reflected off of waves. Even the buildings of the temple complex possess a boat-like quality. WOW was responsible for producing a video of 'Koutei' and attempted to open the new state of a video art.
“Koutei”
Inside the confines of the garden, the surface of the water spreads out, and the dim light reflected off the water shimmers. Those who stand still in appreciation face the vague light. The video project attempts to give visitors a sense of the ocean by using the harmony that exists between the material phenomenon of water and the ethereal, pure quality of light reflected off of the waves. In various conditions – fog, clouds, thunder, sunshine, moonlight, the universal feeling of the sea can come to life in front of temple visitors.
Other attractions and exhibits that can be found on the sprawling temple grounds include the Main Temple office, known as the “Pine Hall”, which was built according to the design of Terunobu Fujimori, the famed architect, historian and specialist in Joumon architecture. The Great Meditation Hall of Kenchoji in Kamakura, which was deconstructed and moved to Shinshoji and reconstructed can also be found on the grounds. Visitors can enjoy historically significant examples of both classical and modern architecture at Shinshoji. Furthermore, Shinshoji owns a collection of 1500 Zen writings and, at any given time, 20-30 of these are put on display for the public. The explanation and commentary for these writings were provided courtesy of Katsuhiro Yoshizawa, the consultant for the International Zen Research Center located at Hanazono University. Visitors to Shinshoji can also enjoy viewing hand-written sutras and experience the daily practices of Zen monks, including traditional meals (Shinshoji Udon noodles). At Shinshoji, we have prepared a space in which visitors can enjoy the grounds at their own pace and find time to meditate and derive satisfaction from the varied aspects of Zen.
“Shinshoji Zen and Garden Museum” Grand opening: September 11th, 2016 Address: 91 South Ueyama Daiji Numakuma-machi Fukuyama City Hiroshima Prefecture Time: 9:00-17:00 (Entrance closes at 16:30) Admission: Adults ￥1200 (￥1000) / Students (high school and above) ￥900 (￥700) / Jr. High ￥500 (￥300) Open: 365 days/year For questions contact: the Temple Main office Tel: 084-988-1111 ▶URL
