Greetings from Junko Higuchi, Proprietress of Kakurinbo

Welcome to Gyogakuin Kakurinbo. It has been more than 30 years since I married Gyogakuin Kakurinbo’s head priest and moved to Kakurinbo, a 550-year-old temple located in Minobusan. I grew up in Tokyo and knew nothing about Yamanashi and temple life. After moving here, I managed the temple lodging, took care of live-in student monks and raised three children. I was incredibly busy every day, although much of my time was spent making food for the religious groups that would come to stay. However, some 10 years ago I realized that Minobusan’s heyday was over. The area was becoming a ghost town. That is when I started to introduce new initiatives at Kakurinbo, such as Temple Lunch and Sakura Terrace, in the hope that people would return. This is how the current Kakurinbo era began.

With the prosperity of Kuonji, the head temple of Nichiren Buddhism, all kinds of traditional art, culture (including food culture) and history flourished in this area, and the entire village was once a treasure trove of Japanese culture. Although Minobusan’s fortunes have waned over the years, it is still a place where Japanese art, culture and history thrive. So much so that guests often refer to our village as a “hidden gem.” I brought my children up here, and I am grateful to Minobusan for that. I sincerely hope that this place will continue to attract visitors for a long time to come, and that it will continue to provide enjoyment and discovery. I believe that modern tourism can be a catalyst for the preservation of the many precious resources (art, handicrafts, stories, architecture, food, etc.) that remain in this region.

With this in mind, I have done my best to promote the charm of Minobusan. Thankfully, nowadays even overseas visitors stay at our temple. Just as important as making Kakurinbo a welcome and comfortable place to stay is giving children born here the opportunity to continue to live here and to proudly use their skills. I believe that a virtuous circle will be created when these young people are also able to host guests from around the world. In 2021, at the height of COVID, we opened Guest Villa Ebisuya, a lovingly restored residence that once belonged to the area’s only sake brewer, and Cafe Zencho, which focuses on locally sourced ingredients. Since then, our homemade natto (fermented soybeans) made from GI-certified Akebono soybeans, a Minobu specialty, and our hoto pasta, have been listed as “100-year food” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. We have also worked hard to develop food and drink items that are themselves interesting, such as those that utilize fruit with natural defects that would otherwise be thrown away. I feel that the hard work I have done in the past is now paying off.

Furthermore, we have begun to strengthen cooperation with local businesses. We organize up to 10 promotional tours a year in order to showcase local attractions, stimulate the community and foster an atmosphere of friendship. This desire to “unite the community in hosting guests” has led to us being certified by Albergo Diffuso. Thanks to these activities, in 2023 the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications presented me with the Hometown Creation Award. This has given me the courage and the strength to continue with these activities. My dream is that Minobusan will feature in guidebooks worldwide, and together with the local community I can promote Minobusan on a global scale. My aim is to create a community-wide “zebra organization” that is both profitable and works to improve society.

Junko Higuchi, Proprietress of Kakurinbo

(President of Kakurinshoja Co. Ltd.)