The Tokyo area has plenty of super sento and spas for decompressing, but if you're looking to take your relaxation one step further, here's an event to help you unwind. Starting at the end of October, Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura is hosting a unique sound art event meant to soothe the senses.
'Zen Night Walk: Kamakura' is an evening affair featuring light shows and neuro music (think binaural beats) playing through the corridors of the temple grounds, all meant to transform the entire place into a single artistic space while evoking a sense of deep relaxation. This year's night walk follows a highly successful 2024 iteration at Kenninji Temple in Kyoto, which welcomed over 30,000 people during its run.
Near the hojo (the abbot's living quarters) you'll find the installation 'Sea of Clouds: Dance of the Wind Dragon', in which a fog machine emulates mist enshrouding the garden, with accompanying lights and sound.
Next to the hojo lies Ryuoden Hall, which houses the audio-visual experience 'Neuro Music Zazen' (za meaning 'to sit' and zen meaning meditation). Here you can try on an electroencephalogram, a fancy contraption that measures brainwaves, to see yours projected on a screen in real-time as you take in the relaxing music.
Another highlight of the evening is the installation 'Akira Wakita: Dragon Rain’, created as an artistic response to the temple's ceiling painting 'Dragon in Clouds' by the late Nihonga painter Junsaku Koizumi. The synergy between the two pieces symbolises the flow of wind and energy, as well as the dragons' showering the monks below with the rain of Buddhist teachings.
'Zen Night Walk: Kamakura' takes place from October 28 to December 7, and runs nightly 5pm-8pm (last entry 7.30pm). Tickets start from ¥2,900 for early bird adult tickets – find more information on the event and purchase tickets here.
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