Kongobuji Temple will hold the hands-on event "Ropparamitsu" (六波羅蜜) on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, 2026, on Koyasan, a sacred site that has endured for 1,200 years since its founding. The event lets visitors experience the history and culture of Koyasan firsthand. It used to be held on Culture Day, and it returns this year after being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of passing on Buddhist culture.
In Buddhism, the six items that monks, who work for society and for people, should follow in their practice are called "Ropparamitsu." The event offers a variety of activities that let visitors experience these items.
The lineup includes "Nijiiro Shakyo" (にじいろ写経), described as the easiest way to try sutra copying, and "Mikkyo no Neiro" (密教の音色), where visitors can try ritual instruments that produce sound, with demonstrations by monks. There is also "Talk with a Monk" (お坊さんとトーク), which answers a familiar question: "What kind of life do monks lead?" New this year is "Mirai Mandala" (未来曼荼羅), where visitors write their future goals and the goals they wish to fulfill for society on a sange (散華) and attach it to a mandala.
Mikkyo no Neiro (密教の音色)
Talk with a Monk (お坊さんとトーク)
Nijiiro Shakyo (にじいろ写経)
Visitors can take home the essence of the monks' daily training, which could be described as "six hints for living beautifully."
Event Details
- Dates and hours:
- Saturday, October 31, 2026: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (last admission to the activities at 4:00 PM)
- Sunday, November 1, 2026: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (last admission to the activities at 4:00 PM)
- Location: Kongobuji Temple, 132 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
- Activities (at the Kongobuji Betsuden, 金剛峯寺別殿):
- Nijiiro Shakyo (にじいろ写経)
- Mikkyo no Neiro (密教の音色)
- Talk with a Monk (お坊さんとトーク)
- Mirai Mandala (未来曼荼羅)
- Screening of the video "the seasons of Koyasan"
- Various exhibits and more
For more details, see the Ropparamitsu special website.
Donations received at this event will be used for the sect's social welfare projects and as relief funds for the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the Kumamoto Earthquake.
