TEMPLESTAY ZENSŌ has been featured in the project “sankaku,” which celebrates people and crafts, weaving stories born from their interactions. The article introduces “sankaku” as a project that delves deeply into a single theme in each issue, uncovering new perspectives and narratives hidden in the contexts where culture, design, and community intersect. It presents content from both domestic and international viewpoints, starting from Japan and expanding globally to deliver diverse stories. Since its inaugural issue (Volume 01: Tokyo), “sankaku” has been disseminating content from both Japanese and international perspectives. This unique approach has garnered attention both domestically and internationally, and in late 2024, the hardcover edition of ‘Vol.2 “Ramen”’ received the Golden Pin Design Award, an accolade that selects outstanding designs worldwide, operated by the Taiwan Design Research Institute.
The latest issue, ‘Volume 03: Gods,’ reexamines Japan’s religious culture, which has been nurtured through various traditions and events since ancient times, from the perspective of “people living in the present.” In collaboration with academic researchers, writers, translators, and illustrators, it explores how people have engaged with religion and its traditions from mythology and traditional rituals to the present day, through work and craftsmanship, from “sankaku’s” unique viewpoint.
The stories are as diverse as the expansion of intellectual curiosity, providing an excellent opportunity to reconsider religion as culture. They range from the current state of religion in Japan, interpretations of mythological images embedded in popular anime, an in-depth look at Iwami Kagura, said to be the origin of Kagura, to the new forms of temples reborn to fit modern society.
Note: The publication is available in English only.
Table of Contents:
- Immerse in a grand and captivating dialogue about the past and present of Japanese religion
- Expert analysis of mythological motifs hidden in popular anime
- Explore the culture of the auspicious item “Kumade”
- Visit the workshop of Miyabori craftsman Hiroki Koyama
- Experience a new encounter with Buddhism by staying at “Temple Airbnb” ZENSO
- Discover how Shojin cuisine has evolved and what it conveys today
- Delve into the world of Iwami Kagura, a tradition inherited in the land of Shimane, where mythology lives on
- Meet the performers of Iwami Kagura and community leaders active in the Yunotsu Onsen community
- Learn about designer Shinya Kobayashi’s new design perspective and practices of coexisting with nature after purchasing a mountain
CONTRIBUTORS
Claire Williamson, Hikari Hida, Hikaru Kusaka, Justine Wong, Kirsty Bouwers, Kumiko Noda, Mia Tillonen, Moé Suzuki, Noemi Minami, SHIO, Stevie Suan, Yeelian Tan
CORE TEAM
- Toshiyuki Sugai – Managing Director (available for interview)
- David Wang – Editor-in-Chief (available for interview)
- Florentyna Leow – Editorial Director (available for interview)
- Polly Auyeung – Design Director
- Stanley Sun – Editor-at-Large
- Eileen Kao – Project Manager
