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About us Aim of our planning What is KIGO? Philosophy
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Contact:ebs@tatsu.ne.jp
About us 
“WA Project TAISHI” is a volunteer-based non-profitable organization to achieve peace throughout the world by introducing Japanese traditional culture both at home and abroad.

 
   
Aims, Objectives & Plan  
The September 11 attacks in New York shocked the world. It is said that the world has changed completely since then, unfortunately in consequence wave of terrorism spread all over the world.
Therefore, the intention of this project is to deliver a message of love and peace on the same day in various places against the terrorist attacks caused by hatred and anger.

The intense power of hatred and anger has a great negative impact on society.
Love, on the other hand, spreads slowly but surely envelops hatred and anger.
We knew hatred and anger changed the world that day but we know it is possible to change the world by the power of love.
That is the reason why I have held peace voluntary calligraphy events on the same day at many temples and shrines in Japan and abroad since 2017.

A famous writer, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, said "The pen is mightier than the sword." Speech has more power to change the world peacefully than armed forces do.
With this great word, we have been engaged in peace activities with calligraphers and artists involved in Japanese traditional culture.

Tatsuhiko MIYAMOTO
WA Project TAISHI


 
What is KIGO?  
Sekijyo-KIGO, commonly known as “Calligraphy Performance” performed by a Calligrapher in front of an audience, is a traditional Japanese Spiritual Culture. When the calligrapher writes a word, phrase or wish chosen from their heart on a large paper, the audience’s attention gathers towards the Calligrapher’s appearance and the tip of their brush. Just like a conductor in an orchestra putting together a symphony, a Calligrapher makes everyone’s feeling come together, which strengthens the feeling of prayers. This opportunity will make everyone think aboutworld peace, harmony of the world, and the tolerance of spirit. A Calligrapher wearing Kimono will write a message of world peace and Wa Spirit.

 
Philosophy
Today, Japan is known as a country with one of the world’s richest, or well documented histories of respect for Nature. However, like most countries we have been rift with strife, civil wars and political disharmony repeatedly in the past. WE have also endured our share of natural disasters which has caused our people suffering as well as those military and political wars. This year for instance, there were large earthquakes and typhoons, and the damage of these disasters has been enormous. Also, there was a world famous tsunami in Japan 8 years ago.

Japanese people have learned many things from such law(s) of nature. These experiences lead us the idea of ‘WA Spirit’. This is based on the first article of ‘Seventeen-Article Constitution’ that Prince Shotoku framed about 1,400 years ago, for the government officers of those days.
We explain this ‘WA Spirit’ with 4 English words, to make sure that not only Japanese, but foreigners can understand it: which is ‘spirit of circulation, harmony, tolerance and forgiveness.
We have learned these ideas through nature, and this ‘WA Spirit’ has been rooted deeply in Japanese people’s minds. That’s why we could recover even from wars, natural disasters and their severe damages without getting down, and lead us to the present prosperity.

In the natural world, everything is circulated. For example, the moon goes around the earth, and the earth goes around the sun. On the other hand, in microscopic world, the electron revolves around the atomic nucleus.
Or, water evaporates and becomes cloud. And the cloud turns into rain, and the rain becomes rivers and seas. Then again, the water evaporates and becomes cloud.
 Carnivorous animals eat herbivorous animals, and herbivorous animals eat plants. The food chain also circulates in this way. As everything circulates in this manner, this nature and the universe are harmonized and maintained.

Actually, ‘Feeling’ also circulates in accordance with this law of nature. When we express hatred and anger, these feelings also circulate, and comes back to us. So, forgiveness is not for other people. Because the hatred and the anger towards others will definitely return to us, as they say, “goes around comes around”. The circulation of the whole makes the natural world last sustainably. This means that if we leave hatred and anger, as it is without any measures, the vicious circle of these feelings would last unlimitedly.

What is needed to stop the vicious circle is not hatred but YURUSHI. The Japanese word of YURUSHI implies ‘tolerance and forgiveness’. Our mind is released from the vicious circle by YURUSHI. Therefore, if we express love, the love also returns to us eventually.
Once again. Forgiveness is not for other people. It is for your own happiness.
What is important is not to want quick results shortsightedly. Sometimes it happens straightway, and sometimes it is realized in the grand flow of time. Either way, if this is the truth, our feelings will definitely follow this wise providence of the universe.

Despite of the two atomic bombing attacks and the total defeat in war to ruin a country, what made Japan to be one of the economic powers that invented the world’s fastest bullet train, and hosted the first Olympics in Asia, in only about 20 years? There would be various reasons for that. However, I’m sure that the idea of YURUSHI as a key, enabled Japan to recover from the damage miraculously rare in world history.

Purifying anger, hatred and various stresses in mind, and being reborn, are defined as ‘MISOGI’ in Japan. However, this is not a particular way of thinking found only in Japan.
Indian people bathe in the Ganges River. Or, water is used as various religions’ sacred utensil as it purifies and washes away everything. And I consider that its essence is YURUSHI as well.
The purpose of religions all over the world is people’s happiness. And happiness is created by mutual YURUSHI. Then, YURUSHI causes a circulation and constant good reset, and brings greater prosperity and peace of mind to the person.

Now, Japan has a long and rich history and flourished, in spite of repeated national crisis caused by wars and natural disasters. This fact proves the power of MISOGI and I would like to deliver that quality of resilience and forbearance that restricts the move toward revenge and victimization to the people all over the world.

  
In Japan  
Yasukuni Jinja with 5 Ambassadors on September 21th, 2021
Arab Republic of Egypt, Lebanese Republic, Republic of Guinea, Republic of San Marino, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ukraine

Hiroshima Nagasaki



Fusion of Japanese Shinto shrine and Christianity
Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, on December 25th Christmas, 2017, KIGO was held by 8 Japanese calligraphers. They wrote the character “愛 ” which means “LOVE” in Japanese in different fonts. We prayed for the world to be full of love, at a venerable shrine established 1,300 years ago in ancient Nara.


 
   
  In Paris  
Grande Mosque de Paris on August 15th, 2018
 

 
MAISON DU JAPON Cite InternationaleUniversitaire de Paris on August 14th, 2018

 
Our events were licensed as an official event of Japonismes 2018.
 

World Peace Prayer in Paris on August 24-27, 2019
Grand Synagogue de Paris, Église Saint-Sulpice, Église Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, Grande Mosquée de Paris
 
 
 
In Bosnia and Herzegovina  
Stari Most on November 9th, 2018

   
 
 
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