The Soul of Japan | Yakushima

People from all over the world agree that japan is special. The japanese spiritual world where you face each and everything with your heart is stimulating and profound. This program invites you who wish to enrich your spirituality to a special trip to japan. Have you ever wondered how many trees there are around you? Traditional japanese life is rich in Houses are built of wood and wood shapes many objects in daily life. This cupboard that holds this world is also made of wood. Why are the lives of japanese people so richly decorated with wood? Yakushima island, home to ancient forests, is located in the southwest of japan, three hours by plane from tokyo. Yakushima has a population of 10 000 people. The main sources of income of the island are tourism and the timber industry. An important keyword for us for discovering yakushima is forest. The mountains are a place of blessings but also a century feared by the people. In the forest people are not the main actors. The forest of yakushima last with trees that are tens of thousands of years old. Remains dark even during the daytime and one can sense the presence of something beyond humans. Human beings are no match for nature. That is why the people of yakushima think that they are kept alive by the forest. People pray to the gods offering gratitude for the blessings from the mountains and the forests. The craftsmen of yakushima simply face nature with unwavering devotion as if conversing and praying. These are chopsticks made of yakushima wood. The design takes advantage of the beauty of the curves of the wood. The people who live in yakushima island, their food, clothing, shelter and life are woven while talking with the forest. Finally arrive at home here in yakushima. I found simplicity, quietness and freedom. Yakushima is unknown treasure. An ancient evergreen unexplored mountain embraced by magnificent ocean, purest water, richest medical plant and the spiritual homeland of japan. It is yakushima who has chosen me. The untouched forest, the river, the ocean, the wind, the rising sun, the star and the moon. I feel my spirit is back home after a long time. Welcome to nabakana kyorei. This is the empty bell, a space for awakening, self-transformation and reconnecting with nature. You can find the space always everywhere and also below the structure. This is very important to create airflow, to isolate and also to let the five elements to find their own balance including the wind. This is a kyorei but it's not just a kitchen. It's actually a place where I honor the fire, I honor the water, I honor the earth, I honor the wind and the space. For me it's a temple, it's a jinja, it's a shrine where I live with nature and I share everything. This is the toilet. Well it is also again an empty room. In reality there is no contact with any waste with this building. All the waste are carried outside in the compost leaving the place clean. Also the way we create compost is very unique. It's a five element compost. Here is where we make compost. There is no smell, no odor, no flies. It's incredible hygienic and people even believe this is a compost. The Kurushio current, one of the world's largest ocean currents, flows near Yakushima. The Kurushio generates an unimaginable amount of water vapor continuously forming clouds. The clouds collide with the mountain range of Yakushima rising from the sea and bring heavy rainfall year round. The drops one after another become a small stream emerging to create one large pool. Since the time before humans could speak this water cycle has been repeating of Yakushima island for tens of thousands of years. Where did we come from? What kind of people were we originally? When visiting Yakushima one cannot help but think about such things. It is here where I built Navakana Kyorei, that space which the world has left behind. I share this space with earth, fire, water and wind. We prepare delicious food with Kamado. For me it is not just a kitchen, it is a Jinja, an altar for the gods, a tool for offering to them. Every action is meant to purify me in and out continuously with their blessing. We grow life with gratitude. We create magical moments filled with bliss. After a long journey from the west to the east I finally arrive at home here in Yakushima. In my teens I struggled deeply with existential inquiries. Who am I? What is life? What is the purpose of existing? This took me to leave my home country in search of answers. I traveled through the Middle East and Asia studying esoteric philosophy and practice. Indeed I realized that these answers were concealed within me. The truths are in ourselves and nowhere else. It is only through natural and natural way of living that can be revealed. People from all over the world coming to visit me in Yakushima. I share with them the opportunity to rediscover the true nature, transform in what they want. There is no separation between oneself and yet one has to realize it. A trip to Japan is a profound experience. It is a journey away from material wealth and the information society. A time to gently engage with each thing, heart and soul. A time to connect with the beautiful spirituality that has been refined over time. When you immerse yourself in this scenery your senses become sharper and you rediscover the simple desires that have been dormant within you. Faithful encounters with people and works of art as well as the discovery of a new version of yourself. A special time that will change your life awaits you in Japan.