Dairyuji Temple

03/06/2026

Keno and I are both deeply grateful for the incredible support we received for his father’s funeral held on May 14th.

It was a big undertaking, yet at each step along the way we felt such a generous spirit of support from the entire community. Many local priests found time despite their own busy schedules to help plan and organize each detail. There is absolutely no way we could have pulled it off without them! Other priests traveled to Oga to help perform the profoundly intricate and sacred ceremony. Dairyuji’s board members regularly held meetings to discuss seemingly mundane issues such as parking or seating that ensured the day went smoothly. Volunteers showed up to do a wide array of tasks that could have felt tiring or overwhelming, but they did them with a sense of joy.

People who couldn’t attend the funeral reached out personally or stopped by ahead of time to pay their respects, spanning a 6 week long homage to my father in law. The genuine warmth and reverence expressed by those in attendance created a sense of harmony and peace. Because of this energy, it felt like a true celebration of life.

We were also incredibly lucky to have relied solely on all local businesses for the many services we required. I had a one of a kind kimono made with the Dairyuji emblem hand embroidered by a nearby Kimino shop. We also used various restaurants for bentos and catering. Not to mention the stunning flowers were all provided by local florists! We also used Oga based companies to provide the ‘okaeshi’ which is the Japanese custom of offering a return gift. To honor my father in law’s love of wine, .naturelab curated a stunning selection of French red wines! To everyone’s delight we also sourced .to.agave craft sake, as well as Oga furikake (flavored seaweed and seafood seasoning for rice). This is just a short list, but each offered the absolute best quality of products.

Now that some time has passed, Keno and I keep remarking to one another how blessed we feel to have received this amazing support from so many people. It has helped ease the transition and allowed us to fully honor his father. 💕

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Keno Miura

01/06/2026

💖 Introducing our sparkly new avatar, Buddha at the Rave! They were lovingly created during our mandala activity by a very fun participant on our May Zen Mindfulness retreat!

It was a joy to host a new group of wonderful people offering new ways to connect and be present to our lives.

There was laughter, sacred tears, thoughtful conversations, deep relaxing, meditating, dreaming and, of course, eating delicious food (thank you !).

This retreat closely followed the funeral of the previous head priest of Dairyuji, affectionately referred to as Jiji by our family. The weekend provided a time of reflection and healing. I felt many little synchronicities and signs which often can only occur when we slow down and pay attention. This helped me reset my intentions, integrating the love and encouragement of my father in law.

Thank you to all the participants for making the retreat so special. We look forward to hosting our next retreat in October, 2026.

Keep living your life with compassion for yourself and others, radiating joy like Buddha at the rave!

Thank you! .tokyo .temple

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31/05/2026

JUNE ZAZEN SCHEDULE

Discover the serenity of zazen meditation at Dairyuji in Oga, Japan! Join us every Thursday morning from 6:30 - 7:00 am for a free and beginner friendly session, followed by sutra chanting.

WHEN:
Thursday mornings
• 6:15am: Doors open
• 6:30 - 7:00am: Zazen Meditation
• 7:00 - 7:10am: Sutra Chanting
• April ~ October (August off)

WHERE:
• Dairyuji Temple in Oga, Japan
• Ten minute walk from Oga train station
• Parking available
• Enter through main entrance with red stairs. • Zendo is in the Rakusuitei room overlooking the garden.

WHAT:
• Zazen meditation is essential to Zen.
• It’s a form of meditation that allows your mind and thoughts to flow freely without attachment.

LANGUAGE:
• Japanese and English

JUNE SCHEDULE:

June 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th

OTHER DETAILS:

This is FREE to anyone and everyone. Please share with friends and family. You are welcome to leave after meditation if you don’t want to stay for chanting. You can come every week or just once. Reservations are not needed. If you are traveling through Akita, please stop by!

Beginners are welcome! We have meditation cushions available for use. You can also use a chair if you prefer.

Keno (head priest) and Kai (novice priest) will alternate guiding the meditations.

We hope to see you here!

Meditation is an amazing practice that helps create a deeper sense of peace and harmony within yourself. There is, however, no pressure to be good at meditating. There is no goal beyond simply sitting.

See you soon!

04/05/2026

MAY ZAZEN SCHEDULE

Discover the serenity of zazen meditation at Dairyuji in Oga, Japan! Join us every Thursday morning from 6:30 - 7:00 am for a free and beginner friendly session, followed by sutra chanting.

MAY SCHEDULE:
May 7th
May 14th
May 21st
May 28th

WHEN:
Thursday mornings
• 6:15am: Doors open
• 6:30 - 7:00am: Zazen Meditation
• 7:00 - 7:10am: Sutra Chanting
• April ~ October (August off)

WHERE:
• Dairyuji Temple in Oga, Japan
• 8 minute walk from Oga train station / Ogare
• Parking available
• Enter through main entrance with red stairs. • Zendo is in the Rakusuitei room overlooking the garden.

WHAT:
• Zazen meditation is essential to Zen.
• It’s a form of meditation that allows your mind and thoughts to flow freely without attachment.

LANGUAGE:
• Japanese and English

OTHER DETAILS:

This is FREE to anyone and everyone. Please share with friends and family. You are welcome to leave after meditation if you don’t want to stay for chanting. You can come every week or just once. Reservations are not needed. If you are traveling through Akita, please stop by!

Beginners are welcome! We have meditation cushions available for use. You can also use a chair if you prefer.

We hope to see you here!

Meditation is an amazing practice that helps create a deeper sense of peace and harmony within yourself. There is, however, no pressure to be good at meditating. There is no goal beyond simply sitting.

21/04/2026

We still have a double and single room available for our Zen Mindfulness Retreat, this May 22nd - 24th, 2026.

The Kimono room is a traditional tatami room with two futons overlooking the bell tower, water garden and side gardens. It feels like a fairy tale sleeping here!

The Zen room is a calming and private single room with a bed. Close to the library and gathering room, there are large windows looking out over our private backyard, flooding the room with warm sunlight and greenery.

Learn more and register at the link below.
https://www.dairyuji-oga.com/mindfulness/retreat/dairyuji/akita/japan

21/04/2026

This is Dairyuji’s zazendo (meditation hall. Traditionally zazen meditation is practiced facing a wall, but at Dairyuji we face the gardens. I love how the sound of nature and changing seasons helps ground me to the present moment. 🍃

Zazen meditation is available every Thursday morning from 6:30am -7:00am. This is free and open to the public. No experience necessary. We also have chairs for anyone who prefers one over a cushion. Meditation is guided in Japanese and English. Next meditation is Thursday, April 23rd. 🍃

13/04/2026

What are mindfulness and zazen?

Mindfulness and Zazen overlap in some ways and are distinct in others. Mindfulness is a state of mind. Zazen is a form of meditation at the very essence of Zen Buddhism.

MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness reveals our true nature through awareness and acceptance and is available to anyone at any time.

Mindfulness is being present in this moment in a nonjudgmental way. We bring awareness to this moment with compassion. That means we accept what is here for us and resist the urge to label it good or bad.

We are often stuck in the past or the future. We obsess and mull over over perceived missed opportunities, poor word choices or perhaps even keep reliving happy moments. Alternatively, we anxiously plan tomorrows schedule, stress about things that could potentially go wrong or anxiously await the day when life is going to all perfectly fall into place. Yet we miss the very moment that we are alive.

So, this is why meditate - in order to cultivate mindfulness, to connect to the now in our body with acceptance. There is no need to force or achieve anything in meditation. We simply sit and allow ourselves to be in the present moment. Creating this space through meditation we can then later more easily return to a mindful state with deeper awareness and compassion. Often mindfulness meditations are guided and use breathe as an anchor to the present moment.

ZAZEN
Zazen is sitted meditation in Zen. Buddha obtained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. Therefore, we teach the three elements of this form - posture, breathe and a clear mind, thus laying the foundation for a meditation practice. Zazen is quite structured with meditators sitting cross legged in silence on a zafu (black round cushion), eyes slightly open with a downward gaze facing a wall. There is no object of concentration in zazen like there can be in mindfulness meditations (breathe, body sensations). In zazen the approach is called shikantaza, letting all thoughts come and go like clouds passing in the sky in conscious awareness.

Learn both at our retreat.

https://dairyujiretreat-may2026.peatix.com

13/04/2026

Are you looking for a space where you can talk honestly about loss and grief? Without judgement, minimizing, fixing or evangelizing?

Together with Sarah Furuya Coaching I run Lighthouse Circle Grief Support Community.

Grief can be isolating, so our mission is hold space for people to grieve openly and honestly within a supportive community. There is no minimizing, judging, fixing or evangelizing. Yes, we are an advice free space! We are secular, and yet still honor the sacred (however that means for each person). We allow joy and sorrow to coexist. We are both messy and wonderful at the same time. And while your grief is yours, you are not alone.

We embrace all of these paradoxes because it is the reality of life!

We are beginning our 7th round this April!

This is my most meaningful work and I am so proud to see it continue and grow.

There are monthly groups calls at two different times to join that are compatible with US EST, NZ, AUS and Japan time zones.

Follow the link below to get all the nitty gritty important details. The first calls are April 21st and 23rd. I know it can feel awkward or intimidating to join a group, especially online, but Sarah and I will take good care of you. It is truly the best community. I think we are all learning that we need community. Join us!

Please know that any loss you are experiencing is valid, whether it is new or old, personal or collective, a life transition or death. Everything is welcome.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Please share with anyone you think might benefit.

USE THIS LINK:
https://www.sarahfuruya.com/grief-support-lighthouse-circle-2026

Sarah Everitt Furuya
Laura Marushima

Grief is hard, really hard. Your grief is also sacred and deserves to be honored and tended to with compassion in your own way and in your own time. Grief can be isolating, so our mission is hold space for people to grieve openly and honestly within a supportive community. Together with Gretchen Miu

09/04/2026

Our beloved rock star of a zen priest Miura Akio died on March 27th. He was 86 years old. As the 37th head priest of Dairyuji he wholeheartedly dedicated his life to creating a temple that promotes peace and serenity. His memory will continue to guide us as we carry on that mission.

Opinionated and direct, he was many things to many people! Keno and him had a special relationship built on a mutual interest in cars, skiing and travel.

To me, he was a warm, intelligent and welcoming father in law who always had my back. We shared many wonderful moments talking and laughing, usually over a glass of red wine. As his health declined we often just sat quietly together, holding hands or gazing out the window, simply enjoying one another’s presence. He lived his life so fully that it encourages me to do the same. I loved him very much and feel grateful that my children got such a cool grandfather.

We held his cremation on April 1st and his funeral will be on May 14th, which is a particularly auspicious day.

In Buddhism, the 49th day marks the time that it is believed that the deceased person crosses over to the pure land. May 14th is exactly 49 days after his death which also happens to be the day that his own father died, whom he and Keno both deeply revered as a priest. In fact, our son Kai (who is now a priest) was born on May 13th in America. Keno’s dad repeatedly joked that he must be his father reincarnated because it was May 14th in Japan. It meant a lot to him.

Keno and I both believe that it is the perfect day to honor his departure from this world and arrival to the next one. 🙏💕

20/01/2026

There was a distinct energy of joy and renewal at the Ryujinsai Dragon god festival this year! One person who joined told Keno it felt like an immersive art ritual - a perfect description!! Over 20 local priests helped us host this event for the community. Our population may be shrinking, but not our spirit!

Rituals create a space to honor traditions, welcome transitions and embrace the present moment that bridges the two with a deeper awareness.

Note, the father and son duo of Keno and Kai. 🔥🔥🔥 Keno Miura