Chinese and Japanese Representatives Donate to Japan's Obaku Sect in Commemoration of Master Ingen

Kyoto, Japan, February 24 On February 23, a delegation consisting of representatives from the Sino-Japanese Obaku Cultural Promotion Association and related individuals visited the Obaku Sect Headquarters, Manpuku-ji Temple, in Kyoto, Japan. They were warmly welcomed by Kondo Hakudo, the head of the Obaku Sect, and Araki Shocho, the Chief Secretary。

Chen Xi donating to Manpuku-ji Temple

Goto Kinryu donating to Manpuku-ji Temple

Japanese representatives donating to Manpuku-ji Temple

At Manpuku-ji Temple, Chinese entrepreneur Chen Xi, a Fujian native residing in Japan and the president of Haku Bussan Co., Ltd., as well as the Director-General of the Obaku Cultural Promotion Association, donated alongside Goto Kinryu, the chief representative of Doki Zhonghua Think Tank Japan, and other Japanese representatives. Their donations were designated for the 2022 commemoration of the 350th anniversary of Master Ingen’s passing. Lin Wenqing, President of the Fujian and Japan Obaku Cultural Promotion Association, and Wu Qilong, President of the Japanese Fujian Economic and Cultural Promotion Association, attended the donation ceremony with other Chinese and Japanese representatives。

Chen Xi stated that Master Ingen was a cultural envoy between China and Japan, making significant contributions to Sino-Japanese grassroots exchanges. He expressed hope that the 350th-anniversary commemoration of Master Ingen’s passing would serve as an opportunity to further promote cultural exchanges and foster friendly interactions between the two nations。

Chen Xi, a native of Fuqing, Fujian Province.He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan, President of the Fuzhou University Alumni Association in Japan, Founding Honorary President of the Chinese International Students Exchange Association in Japan, Honorary President of the Japan-China Fuqing Chamber of Commerce, and Honorary President of the Japan Fuzhou Ten Villages Association.As a leading figure among Chinese "Confucian entrepreneurs" in Japan, Chen Xi embodies the ethos of "a successful person benefits the world."He has made donations to his alma mater Fuzhou University, educational aid programs for impoverished children in Northern Fujian, his Japanese alma mater Chiba University, and the Buddhist temple "Tendai Sect Zempoyama Tentyouin" in Kashiwa City.In April 2017, Chen Xi received the prestigious Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays, and a certificate of commendation from the Emperor of Japan for his substantial private contributions to public welfare.He remains the only Chinese entrepreneur in Japan to have received this honor to date。

Participants at the event fondly recalled the collaborative effort between China and Japan’s Obaku cultural groups to illuminate Tokyo Tower in “China Red” on Chinese New Year’s Eve. On that day, attendees joyfully reminisced about the joint initiative between China and Japan’s Obaku cultural organizations to light up Tokyo Tower in “China Red” on New Year’s Eve.Participants also discussed plans for next year’s major Obaku Sect events, aiming to further promote Obaku culture as a vital symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship.Key attendees included Hiroyuki Nakazawa, Grand Master of the Obaku Maicha School of Japanese Tea Ceremony, Obaku Zen artist Korin Naito, and medical doctor Michi Tanaka 。

Chitose Yoshihiro, Senior Advisor of MAXELL Corporation Japan, who participated in the event, previously served as the technical director of Fudi Electric Company, the first Sino-Japanese joint venture established in Fuzhou.Visiting Manpukuji Temple for the first time, he was astonished to learn about the historical and cultural ties between China and Japan through Obaku culture.He expressed his willingness to use Obaku culture as a platform to further contribute to Sino-Japanese cultural and humanistic exchanges。

In the 17th century, the renowned Chinese monk Yinyuan, abbot of Manpukuji Temple on Mount Obaku in Fuqing, Fujian Province, traveled to Japan. During his time in Japan, Master Yinyuan earned the respect of the Japanese imperial family and the Tokugawa shogunate and established a new temple in the Uji region of Kyoto, becoming the founding patriarch of the Obaku Sect in Japan.Chinese culture and technology, spanning philosophy, architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, seal carving, medicine, and culinary arts. His contributions significantly influenced the economic and social development of Japan during the Edo period.Master Yinyuan was honored by the Japanese imperial family six times with the titles of "National Teacher" or "Grand Master."