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Being one of the most visited museums in the world, the Tokyo National Museum may not feel particularly meditative on your average day. But the Ueno institution has a Zen side to it, too – one it’s set to showcase with aplomb from October 14.
Coinciding with the museum’s upcoming ‘Daitoku-ji: Japan’s Unrivalled Zen Monastery – 700th Anniversary Special Exhibition', the gardens behind the main building will host a special after-hours autumn leaves illumination event designed to soothe the senses and let visitors admire the natural beauty of the otherwise closed grounds.
At Zen Night Tokyo, you’ll get to walk meditatively along the shores of Suigetsu Pond as the trees above sparkle in seasonal colours. Once a part of the former Kan’eiji Temple that encompassed much of Ueno Park, the calm pond will, on a clear evening, mirror the autumn moon and foliage for a breathtaking view. You’ll also find the waters enveloped by a sea of artificial clouds and music produced to soothe the mind and complement the view.
Organised by neuro-tech startup VIE, Zen Night Tokyo also features original soundscapes intended to calm the mind. These can be enjoyed at the aforementioned pond, at the open-air Momiji Chaya teahouse serving warm matcha and matcha lattes, and at the karesansui Zen rock garden in front of the Kujokan teahouse. The Zen garden will also host an audiovisual spectacle where a mystical Milky Way is projected onto the grooved surface.
Walk deeper into the garden along a path of spider lilies, often associated with the arrival of autumn and honouring ancestral spirits. The path, aptly called Hyakki Yado (Night Path of One Hundred Demons), will be lined with some 3,000 hauntingly beautiful spider lilies set aglow.
Meanwhile, at the Kujokan teahouse, you can take part in ‘Brainwave Zen’ meditation, which involves measuring brainwaves with an earphone-type monitoring device. The signals will be visualised in real time through sound and imagery, creating an immersive meditation space. This ticketed programme requires a separate date- and time-designated reservation made online.
If you’re looking for a more traditional experience of zazen meditation and Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, a special programme led by Daitokuji monks will be held at the Kujokan on November 13. Tickets for this event (¥32,300) are currently on sale, but are running out fast.
General tickets for Zen Night Tokyo are also available now, with advance discounts offered until October 13. Tickets include admission to the museum’s Daitoku-ji exhibition.
Grab your tickets now via the official website.
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