In each village of rural Japan, you will usually find one temple, and the monks of those temples can be found living among the villagers. Shimpuku-ji Temple is one such temple. The chief priest, MITSUBAYASHI Akifumi, spends his days interacting with the local people.

In front of the temple are rice fields and waterways, and in the back are bamboo thickets and small hills. You may even find a beehive set up by the chief priest.

A quiet time spent in meditation while breathing in the fresh air and calming sounds will be different from what you would experience at a temple at popular tourist destinations.