Thich Nhat Hanh's Mindfulness Lessons: 3 Weeks and 8 Events
Mount Fuji Tokyo Aichi Fukushima
Foot of Mt. Fuji Tokyo Aichi Fukushima
Plum Village Monastic Order Mindfulness
Japan Tour 2025
Every step brings healing
Every breath is a gift to life
Peace is the practice of mindfulness.
This practice has the power to change oneself,
Furthermore, it has the power to affect the entire world.
Within ourselves and in our relationships with others,
We must practice fostering peace.
-Thich Nhat Hanh-
Thich Nhat Hanh's
Learn the teachings
It's time to be here now
About Thich Nhat Hanh
The world's best-known and respected Zen monk, poet, peace and human rights activist. He is also known as the "father of mindfulness." His influence in the West is said to be on a par with that of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and his more than 100 books have been translated into 30 languages, many of which have become bestsellers. He has been invited to give lectures and provide meditation instruction at leading companies such as the World Bank, the US Congress, Google, Harvard Medical School, and UCLA. The "Zen Monk Thich Nhat Hanh" series on NHK's "Kokoro no Jidai" has been rebroadcast many times and has received a great response in Japan.
[Chronology] Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a monk at the age of 16. He became the 42nd head priest of the Rinzai sect and the 8th head priest of the Vietnamese Zen sect of Liangkan. 1960s During the Vietnam War, he advocated "Buddhism in Action" and engaged in anti-war activities based on non-violence and compassion. He was recommended for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King. His anti-Vietnam War activities made it difficult for him to return to his homeland. 1982 Founded "Plum Village" in France as a community for Buddhists in exile. He began working to alleviate people's suffering. He was invited to teach mindfulness meditation around the world. In 2014, he collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage, but showed an incredible recovery, and in November 2018, he put an end to his nearly 40-year life in exile and returned to his hometown of Vietnam. After spending peaceful days at the temple in Hue where he had become a monk, he passed away on January 22, 2022. Today, Plum Village is the largest monastery in Europe, where disciples teach the master's mindfulness teachings.
Learn the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the father of mindfulness
Plum Village Monastic Group Mindfulness Japan Tour 2025
Each Breath Gives Life Each Step Brings Healing
一息一息が命をめぐみ 一歩一歩が癒しをもたらす
Modern society is said to be in an age where it is impossible to predict what the future holds. We are experiencing a world that humanity has never experienced before, with prolonged wars, natural disasters, and the incredible speed at which AI is developing. Many people feel that violence, division, undirected anxiety, anger, and sadness are becoming more and more prevalent.
One of Thich Nhat Hanh's important teachings is "Inter-being." Even if we don't seem to be connected to strangers at first glance, it is true that none of us can live alone. If each of us could realize the true relationship of inter-being, wouldn't we be able to care for the people in front of us, those around us, and the people and planet around us? However, if we are swept up in the rapid change of modern society, we can easily forget about this. Thich Nhat Hanh taught that the important thing to do in order to not lose sight of yourself is to stop.
Breathing and taking each step carefully will help you do this. This will bring you to awareness of the here and now, without being swept away by the past or the future. Being able to breathe is life itself. Being aware of walking slowly will deepen your awareness of stepping firmly on the ground with your body, which will provide healing. Returning to this simple, everyday act will allow you to stay in the here and now, and connect with vibrant life. This will cultivate deep insight and flexible strength into how to live in these uncertain times.
Thich Nhat Hanh was a pioneer in bringing mindfulness to the West in the early 1970s, showing us new ways to apply ancient wisdom to modern times. Even after his passing in 2022, his teachings continue to be carried on in Plum Village communities around the world.
The Plum Village Golden Week tour to Japan, which began in 2015, was suspended for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020, and will be reunited in 2023 for the eighth time. This year, a group of 12 monks from Plum Village monasteries around the world, including Hong Kong, Thailand, France, and the United States, will visit Japan and hold eight events across Japan to share the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh on mindfulness.
Thankfully, we are now in an age where we can learn online regardless of time or place, but we decided to invite them because we wanted to share the feelings of Plum Village around the world about Japan and the experiential learning from its monks. Thich Nhat Hanh said that the Buddha of the 21st century is Sangha (companions, community). Japan is going through a tough economic time, but it is precisely because of these uncertain times that we would like to provide the best opportunity we can to deepen our connections and help us walk through these times together.
Whether you are experiencing mindfulness for the first time or are an experienced practitioner, please feel free to join us.
Organized by: Mountain of Harmony Sangha Plum Village Invitation Committee
Plum Village Monastic Group Mindfulness Japan Tour 2025
Events around Japan
Period: April 20th to May 11th, 2025
The main event will be a retreat at the foot of Mt. Fuji and four specialized programs. As a pre-tour, three events are planned in Aichi and Fukushima, making a total of eight events during the Japan tour.
Each event will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with the monks giving talks and practicing from their own fields and perspectives.
8 Programs
Pre-tour
The pre-tour before the main event will feature three events in Toyota City, Nagoya City, and Fukushima in Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Tour Main Program
The main program of the tour to Japan is a 5-day, 4-night Fuji foothills mindfulness retreat, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of Mt. Fuji. Please take advantage of this rare opportunity.
Around these dates, we will be running four specialized programs: a retreat for Vietnamese speakers, a program for medical and psychological professionals, Wake Up! for young people, and a program for educators.
Monks visiting Japan
Introducing the monastics (priests) who will guide the sermons and practice on the Plum Village Monastic Group Mindfulness Tour 2025 in Japan. There are 11 monks, including a Dharma Teacher (*), coming to Japan this time. All the monks will navigate the retreat at the foot of Mt. Fuji, but several monks will be in charge of each event.
(*) A Dharma Teacher is someone within the Plum Village Sangha who has trained for many years, inherited the torch of the Dharma, and is qualified to teach (regardless of whether they are a monk or a layperson).
What is Mindfulness?
"Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake in the present moment. It is a moment-to-moment practice of being in touch with life. It involves doing the same things we do in our daily lives: walking, sitting, working, eating, talking... except that we do them with full awareness." (Thich Nhat Hanh)
The practice of mindfulness taught by Thich Nhat Hanh invites us to pause, smile, and slowly return to our breath, bringing us into awareness of the present moment. Mindfulness is the energy of awareness that creates harmony and love within each of us.
What is Plum Village?
Plum Village is Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Beloved Community, fulfilling his dream to create a healthy and nourishing environment where people can learn how to live in harmony with one another and the earth.
Plum Village, located on the outskirts of Bordeaux in southwestern France, is one of the largest Buddhist communities in Europe, the first of its kind in the Western world, founded by Thich Nhat Hanh.
There are eleven monasteries and meditation centers around the world that practice in the Plum Village tradition.
Those who want to learn how to live a mindful life can stay there for short or long periods and participate in retreats.
About Donations
We will be accepting donations in addition to the participation fee for each event on this tour.
The Plum Village Mindfulness Japan Tour is not a profit-making event. It is run entirely by volunteers.
However, the operation of Plum Village Japan tours is currently facing financial difficulties. Due to the effects of inflation, including a significant increase in retreat venue fees, the expenses required for operation have exceeded expectations. At the same time, taking into consideration that many people are in financially difficult situations, we would like to hold retreats and Japan tour events without raising participation fees as much as possible. However, we hope you will understand that we are in a situation where we have no choice but to raise prices.
Given these circumstances, we would like to ask for donations from those who understand and support the continuation of Plum Village and its invitation activities.
When applying for each event through Peatix, please also select your desired "donation" amount and proceed with the process.
If you do not use Peatix, you can also donate by credit card using the link in the "Donate" button.
Alternatively, you can transfer the money directly to the account below.
To donate by credit card, click this button.
[Bank transfer details]
Japan Post Bank code: 10930
Number: 38145191
Account name: Plum Village Showhei Inkai
When transferring from a bank other than Japan Post Bank, the bank name is 098 (read as ZEROKYUHachi)
Store number: 098
Deposit type: Regular deposit
Account number: 3814519
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.