Background Story of Meditation Hut

Mizue Tamaki's wish to build a meditation hut was born more than 10 years ago. After the Japan's 2011 tsunami caused by the earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku swept off Rokkakudō, a famous hexagonal wooden retreat overlooking the sea in Ibaraki built in 1905 by Okakura Tensin (a scholar and critic of art), she came to want to build a hexagonal hut for its memory. But as it was found too costy, she gave up the idea. Deciding to build a square-shaped hut, she started collecting donations on her birthday in June 2012.

Ronald Boin designed, researched, and built solely on his own, first up to making the frame an roof, then leaving it for about one yeat. In January 2016 he restarted to complete it. Until the end of April 2016, he worked alone almost every day as an achitect, builder carpenter, electrician, etc, etc.

Then in order to attend the 30th anniversary's three week programmes, the three musketeers (Pedro from Portugal, Mark and Craig from Australia) arrived and assisted at every lunch break between daily lessons.

Mizue's dream of a hexagonal hut did not come true, but as its symbol, a hexagonal green ceiling lamp shade is hanging at the central point. This is Mizue's art work. There is a tokonoma (a buit-in recessed space), where Mizue's pottery basin is put to light a candle and a kakejiku (a hanging scroll) calligraphed by a famous monk is hung. On the wall adjacent to the tokonoma hangs a beautiful piece of wood curved and sculpted with Japanese writing '清風' (to be pronounced as 'sei-fu', meaning 'pure wind'). This was given to Mizue by Moto-san, a taiko=drum performer and great artist on her visit to his farm dojo after an Australian Okido camp.

Three tatami mats are laid surrounded by wooden parts and five wine-coloured meditation cushions are on the mats. From a large window where hang green curtains made from donated cloth by Anna and Marion, we can overlook a garden with a small pond and Mt.Fuji-like mound. Some others also helped bit by bit during the three week seminars.

This mediation hut was born not only through Mizue’s never-given-up intention and Ronald’s dedicated work, but also owing to heart-felt donations of money, materials and labour from many people.