One of my biggest goals was to spend at least one semester studying abroad, and I got the chance to do so last spring in Osaka, Japan, at Kansai Gaidai University. As I have heard so many others say, studying abroad changed my life. 

Being in Japan as a Japanese-American, I felt a deep connection to parts of my identity I hadn’t explored before. It was freeing to embrace my cultural heritage. 

Some things that really stood out to me while abroad were the temples, shrines and my religiosity. 

Japan’s two predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism, both of which have sacred sites for prayer and worship — shrines for Shinto and temples for Buddhism. 

Many of the shrines and temples in Japan are popular tourist destinations, noted for their historical architecture, rich cultural symbols and associated mythos and folklore.

I originally came to Japan knowing I wanted to visit some shrines and temples, but I didn’t realize how moved I would be by these sacred places. 

The first temple I visited in Japan was a small local temple near my aunt’s house called Matsuo-Ji. Before beginning my studies, my family and I travelled around Japan. We went to Matsuo-Ji to celebrate and welcome the New Year. 

There is a New Year’s tradition in Japan where, on the night of Dec. 31, people go to a temple and ring a sacred bell. The ringing of the bell is said to bring about spiritual renewal and cleanse any bad luck from the previous year. 

That experience — that sacred ring — moved something in me. This movement led me to discover so many divine gems that I still hold so close to me today. 

After saying bittersweet goodbyes to my family, I went to Kansai Gaidai University to begin my studies. I saw there was an event on campus where students could go and make a goshuin.

Goshuin are accordion-style books that can be brought to any temple or shrine, and you can receive a stamp that is unique to that site of worship. These stamps range in style and design, with some larger temples/shrines having ornamental goshuin stamps. 

Goshuin book in hand and an ignited sense of religiosity in my soul, I was eager to venture out and explore all of the temples and shrines that Japan had to offer. 

Hase Kannon Temple, located in Kamakura, was a moving experience. Just an hour south of Tokyo, Kamakura is a beautiful coastal city. I visited the temple while staying with my cousin in Yokohama. 

The temple is home to a large statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. I walked up to the statue and paid my respects by bowing. I found myself struck by the statue, and shed several tears. 

Similar to Fushimi Inari — although not on quite the same scale — Hase Kannon had a path that led to a small outlook with a stunning view overlooking the bay. 

Tokkōin Temple offered me the most surreal and spiritual experience of my life.

Tokkōin Temple is located in Kobe. The temple — similar to many other religious sites — is located near the top of a mountain. It is also located near one of the many waterfalls in Kobe, Nunobiki Falls. 

On the day my friends and I visited, not another soul was to be seen at the temple. A stirring silence wafted throughout the sacred architecture. 

After admiring all of the buildings at the temple, we walked to Nunobiki Falls. At an overlook of the falls, there was a mini temple with what seemed to be a mermaid statue in it. My friends and I paused to look at it. 

After a few moments, an old man came up behind us — seemingly out of nowhere — and began telling us the story of the mermaid in the shrine.

She had once been a human but came to the waterfall wishing she could escape to the ocean, until one day, the gods granted her wish. 

My friends and I all smiled at each other, quietly thinking to ourselves that this must be a sign from some higher power. The memory still gives me chills.  

Visiting these religious sites and filling up my treasured goshuin all became second-nature for me while in Japan. I formed a sacred routine there that I look back on fondly.

Hirata can be reached at [email protected].