Experience course for foreign tourists visiting Japan

Experience Japanese Culture in Chofu

You can experience valuable Japanese culture and events while enjoying the sights of Chofu to the fullest.

Experience Japanese history and culture in Chofu, which has been ceaselessly passed down since ancient times and is deeply rooted in everyday life.

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Monks hold goma fire rituals every day in Jindaiji Temple’s Ganzandaishi Hall.

Experience right before your eyes the miraculous prayers that adorn the blessings of

Experience Details

Address：
5-15-1 Motomachi, Jindaiji, Chofu-shi, Tokyo

Prayer Times:
Weekdays – 11:00, 14:00
Weekends and Holidays – 11:00, 13:00, 14:00

Required Time:
About 30 minutes, including both prayer and sermon

Important Points:

Depending on events, etc., changes may occur.

You can freely enter and exit Ganzandaishi Hall, but wearing shoes and photography inside the hall are strictly forbidden.

Prayers are not held between December 29 and December 31.

Special schedules are observed during the New Years period (January 1 through February 2), the Setsubun holiday (February 3), and the Ganzandaishi Festival (March 3-4).

For detailed prayer schedules and more, please check the Jindaiji Temple website.

Please contact the Jindaiji Temple office with any inquiries.

Experience Contents

If you wish to pray, first take an application form in Ganzandaishi Hall, write your name and details of what you are praying for, along with the necessary points, and then pay the prayer fee.

The prayer fees are from 3000 yen, and depending on the price, the size of the goma fuda (prayer stick) is different.

When you finish checking in, please enter Ganzandaishi Hall 10 minutes before the prayer is set to begin. Please note that shoes and photography are strictly forbidden within the hall.

(The photos published on this website were taken with special permission from Jindaiji Temple.)

When the goma fire ritual begins, the goma fuda will burst into brilliant flames within the furnace, the full-sounding voices of the monks reading the sutra and the sounds of the powerful beating of taiko drums will reverberate. You will be engulfed by the feeling of being in another world that the prayer creates.

The goma fuda will then be burned in the sacred goma fire.

After the prayer, the monks will give a sermon. Together, the events of the goma fire ritual will last between 25 and 30 minutes.

In the end, you will receive a goma fuda (prayer stick) with your name and the details of the prayer that you filled out on the application paper written on it.

This is a valuable goma fire ritual experience crafted for over 1000 years in Jindaiji Temple from the Tendai Buddhist sect’s secret teachings. This experience can’t be had anywhere else.

Why don’t you try praying for yourself or a loved one when stopping by Jindaiji Temple on your visit to Chofu?

Experience making Chofu daruma, which is wrapped in cloth (the Japanese character for “cloth” is also used in the spelling of Chofu). This is a plan wherein you can make a one-of-a-kind Chofu daruma.

During the experience, you can enjoy a daruma game and tea time, and you can take the Chofu daruma that you made home with you.

Experience Details

Experience Details / Daruchan no ouchi

Address：
5-5-1 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo

Access

■From Keio Line, Chofu Station North Exit
1.Odakyu Bus “Taka 56 for Mitaka Station,” get off at Jindaiji-Iriguchi
2.Odakyu Bus “Kichi 06 for Kichijoji Station,” get off at Jindaiji-Iriguchi

■From JR and Keio Inokashira Line, Kichijoji Station South Exit
1.Odakyu Bus “Kichi 06 for Chofu Station,” get off at Jindaiji-Iriguchi, walk 2 minutes
2.#2 Bus Stop, Odakyu Bus “Taka 56 for Chofu Station,” get off at Jindaiji-Iriguchi, walk 2 minutes

■From Keio Line, Tsutsujigaoka Station
1.Keio Bus “Oka 21 for Botanical Garden, Jindaiji,” get off at Otouzaka
2.Walk from the station

Price: 4400 yen
Target Age: over 5 years (those who can use glue and scissors)

Required Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Making Chofu daruma (about 90 minutes)
Daruma game and tea time, etc. (about 15 minutes)
Depending on the situation of the day, changes may occur.

Reservation Capacity: 1-3 people
Experience Check-In Time: 11:00-14:00

Things to Bring:
If you have cloth you would like to put on the daruma, you can bring it with you.

Important Points:
There is no restroom on the grounds, but you can use the public restroom at Jindaiji-mae (beside the Jindaiji Tourist Information Center), which is about a 7 minute walk.

Experience Contents

After listening to an explanation of how to make the Chofu daruma, you will write your wish or goal on the plain daruma.

Reference the overflowing shelves of sample Chofu daruma in the store to ask yourself questions like “will I go with warm colors, or cool?” and “Should I arrange them in big pieces so they stand out? Or should I go small?” Create a complete image in your mind, then search for cloth scraps that you like from those prepared in a big basket.

Once you’ve decided which cloth scraps to use, try applying the patterns and colors to the daruma, then cut out the pieces you want to use.

When you’re finished the preparations, you will paste the cloth onto the daruma. Apply the glue directly to the daruma, and then attach the cloth. Then, coat the cloth with more glue on top. It’s important to put glue on your index finger and apply a lot of it. Think carefully about the balance, direction, and combinations of the cloth pieces as you apply them.

When you’ve finished attaching the cloth, apply the pieces of cloth used for the face, and your daruma finally has a facial expression. You can draw the face on as you like,
and you can reference other Chofu daruma as you draw.

Once you finish drawing the face, your one-of-a-kind Chofu daruma is complete!

Chofu is actually a town where people who love pro wrestling gather.

This is an awesome experience where you can watch an intense match in Chofu, then enjoy the excitement of being amongst other fans at a sports bar after the match. Why don’t we let off some steam together?

Price: 4000 yen (day-of: 4500 yen)
Target Age: unrestricted

Require Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Reservation Capacity: 1-20 people

Important Points:
Children under 12 can watch the match for free.
Alcohol is limited to customers over 20 years of age.

Ringside seats may be dangerous. Guidoor is unable to take responsibility for any injuries that may occur.

Experience Contents

You can experience watching a pro wrestling match in Chofu. “Pro Wrestling Secret Base” is a beloved pro wrestling organization in Chofu.

Since it is held in a relatively small venue, you can watch a match with ambiance from the ringside.

It’s not just a real professional wrestling match; you also hear loud laughing and encouragement from a fun mic performer, so lots of couples and families enjoy it as well. Why not try bringing someone along with you to see the match?

Event Schedule

A detailed event schedule in Chofu is available on Pro Wrestling Secret Base’s website. They hold events not only in Chofu, but in various other places, as well.

INFO

Organization Contact Information
Pro Wrestling Secret Base

Phone：050-3696-8548
Website： https://pw-secretbase.tokyo/

Sports Bar Secret Oasis

Have fun talking about pro wrestling at a bar after the match!

Sports Bar Secret Oasis is a bar managed by Pro Wrestling Secret Oasis where you can meet pro wrestlers.

From the standard Heineken and Corona to craft beers from around the world, they have it all. In addition, they have premium tequila acquired through proprietary routes, and an abundance of drinks that garnish conversation of pro wrestling.

While the beer and alcohol are recommended, they also specially make “Tacos of the Day” garnished with large amounts of fresh salsa (600 yen).

Even if you aren’t a fan of pro wrestling, please do stop by.

Details

Adress：2-28-7-2F, Fuda, Chofu (Asian Taipei 2F)

Exit the old Koshu Kaido from Chofu Station east exit. About 4 minutes on foot to Fuda area.

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Phone：042-455-8420

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Opening Hours：
17:00～24:00

Closed：Irregularly

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Photo

INFO