As a participant in KCF—Kyoto World Culture Forum 2026, Feel&Sense presented Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm in the Okushoin at Ninna-ji, a World Heritage temple and head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism.
Ninna-ji was founded in 888 by Emperor Uda, fulfilling the wish of Emperor Kōkō. After abdicating and entering Buddhist orders, Emperor Uda became its first abbot and devoted himself to prayer here. Members of the imperial family subsequently served as abbots, and during the Heian and Kamakura periods it held the highest standing among imperial monzeki temples.
Records state that Shinzen, a disciple of Kūkai, officiated at the consecration of the temple’s founding main hall. We were honored to present our artwork and sound in the Okushoin at Ninna-ji, a World Heritage temple carrying forward Kūkai’s teachings and the prayers of the imperial family.
The Okushoin is normally closed to the public. In its quiet space, we placed the work beside a painting of Kūkai. Within a setting that has carried generations of prayer, we shared a moment of contemplating the beginning of life with those who visited.
Where ancient wisdom
meets modern science.
Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm expresses the bonji syllables “A” and “On,” in calligraphy traditionally attributed to Kūkai, through pure-gold ornamentation—a prayer of light brought into the present.
In this work, “A” represents the great cosmos, while “On” represents the resonance connecting us with it. At the center is an image of the beginning of life captured by Swedish scientific photographer Lennart Nilsson.
We hope that ancient wisdom and the perspective of modern science, brought together through art and resonance, can speak to our wellbeing today.
Explore the vision behind the artwork ↗Remembering an existing connection
through embodied experience.
Through this work, we hope to offer an experience of remembering, from within, a sense of already being one with the greater cosmos.
An encounter with the beginning of one’s own life can awaken a deep sense of connection. In an age when AI increasingly undertakes intellectual work, we believe that experiencing sound, light and space through the body matters more than ever.
Beyond this may lie satori—a profound awakening. ART to SATORI hopes to open that door through art and resonance.
Why does connecting with the beginning
of our own life matter now?
Resonance and dialogue
in the Okushoin.
Visitors working across culture, academia, industry and many other fields encountered the work. As we spoke about its intentions and played sound in the Okushoin, we too gained a renewed sense of meaning in the journey that had brought us here.
The new possibilities revealed by this encounter will inform our future creations and the experiences we bring to others.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the organizers of Kyoto World Culture Forum, everyone at Ninna-ji and all who visited for this precious opportunity.
- Occasion
- KCF / Kyoto World Culture Forum 2026
Kyoto World Culture Forum 2026 - Venue
- Okushoin, Ninna-ji (normally closed to the public), World Heritage Site and head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism
- Artwork
- Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm / ART to SATORI
- Artists & participation
- Feel&Sense
Masahiko Hashimoto & Sayaka Hashimoto - Life photography
- Lennart Nilsson
- Record
- Exhibition in October 2026
Based on photographs and an activity report provided by Feel&Sense
History of Ninna-ji: Ninna-ji official website / About Ninna-ji ／ Encyclopedia Nipponica / Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei: Ninna-ji