A Private Buddhist Temple...

That evening I met up with Masaya, whose family we met when we moved to Holland. After living in The Hague for 13 years, his family moved to Tokyo in 2007, but then Susan and the girls moved to California a few years later for better school options. Masaya still works in Tokyo and looks after his mother, who lives behind the family temple.

After having some tea in the temple, which dates back to 1699 and is named Shoren-Ja, Masaya showed me the tunnel behind his mother’s house.

Inside were two shrines, which extended family still visit on holidays. Above is Benten-Sama, a female deity that protects artists and those who work in the arts.