A devotee of women, Tecugen, decided to publish sutras in Japan that were only available in Chinese at the time. The books had to be printed using wooden blocks, in an edition of seven thousand copies, which was a tremendous undertaking. Tecugen set out on a journey to collect donations for this purpose. A few … Read more
Sei Shonagon (996/997 – 1017), a court lady from the Heian period, came from a noble family with a long tradition of literary creation. She entered the court in Kyoto at the age of twenty-four, in the service of fifteen-year-old Empress Sadako. Emperor Ichijo at that time had two wives: the first Empress Sadako and … Read more
The Ryoan-ji Temple, loosely translated as “Temple of the Peaceful Dragon,” is today one of the protected monuments of Kyoto, the former capital and cultural center of Japan, and according to UNESCO, a part of the world cultural heritage. It belongs to the Rinzai school of Buddhism. Ryoan-ji is one of 1600 Buddhist temples in … Read more
