[Event Report] Shinto and Buddhism harmonize to enshrine the spirits of 30 souls. Zenpokoenfun Co., Ltd. holds its spring ritual, the "Mitama Festival," at the Osaka Kofun Tomb. The "Tamagushi Houten" by a chief priest in front of a torii gate, and the "Shimei Sojo" ceremony by a Shinto priest. A prayer of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism.

March 31, 2026

Zenpokoenfun Co., Ltd. held its spring ritual, the "Mitama Festival," at the Osaka Kofun Tomb on March 21, 2026, consoling the spirits of 30 souls through a ceremony blending Shinto and Buddhist practices. The event featured a Buddhist monk offering a sacred sprig in front of a Shinto torii gate and the reading of names by a Shinto priest, highlighting an unprecedented "Shinto-Buddhist syncretism." The company aims to provide modern people with perpetual memorial services through historically designed "Takeda-style Kofun Tombs," solving the modern issue of uninherited graves.

eventNQ 100/100出典：PR Times

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📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 21:00
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Zenpokoenfun Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Tsuneyasu Takeda, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), which revives Japan's unique "Kofun (ancient tomb) culture" in the modern era, solemnly held its spring ritual, the "Mitama Festival" (Festival of Spirits), at the "Osaka Kofun Tomb" in Daito City, Osaka Prefecture, on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

This ritual is held twice a year to coincide with the spring and autumnal equinoxes. This time, the names of a total of 30 souls, including those whose ashes were newly interred, were read aloud by a Shinto priest. Amidst the prayers of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, their spirits were consoled together with the attending families.

A Prayer of "Shinto-Buddhist Syncretism" that Transcends Form

The most symbolic moment of this Mitama Festival was when a Buddhist monk reverently offered a tamagushi (sacred sprig) in front of a torii gate, a sacred precinct of Shinto. This scene, realized precisely because it is a place symbolizing the ancient Japanese shape of a "zenpo-koen-fun" (keyhole-shaped burial mound), transcended sectarian boundaries and was deeply etched into the hearts of the attendees as a place for pure "prayer" to remember their loved ones.

The "Shimei Sojo" Ceremony: Engraving the Proof of Each Individual's Life

Following the sutra chanting by the monk, in the middle of the ritual, within the tranquil precincts, the names of the 30 souls who are currently interred and whose memorial years fell on this occasion were carefully "Shimei Sojo" (read aloud) one by one by a Shinto priest.

As a refreshing spring breeze blew, some attendees were seen quietly bringing their hands together in prayer with tears in their eyes as the names of their own family members echoed throughout the sacred grounds.

* Shikinen-sai (Memorial rituals held 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years after death, and every 100 years thereafter)

The Standard of "New Memorial Services" Connecting to 100 Years in the Future

The "zenpo-koen-fun" embodies the view of life and death that Japanese people have cherished since ancient times: "nature, Shinto and Buddhist deities, and people living together."

Representative Tsuneyasu Takeda says, "A grave should not be a place that seals the past, but a place where future families can gather with pride." Moving forward, through the biannual Mitama Festival and Kofun alumni gatherings, we will spread a "new culture of memorial services" that will serve as the core for shrine revitalization and local communities nationwide.

Osaka Memorial Park Kofun Tomb

https://madoguchi.kofun.co.jp/products/detail/9

■ Revitalizing Kofun into "Modern Places of Prayer"

Kofun are heritages symbolizing Japanese culture, where kings and powerful clans once rested.

The "Takeda-style Kofun Tomb" has reconstructed these kofun for modern people who worry that "there is no one to inherit the grave" due to the declining birthrate and aging population. An entirely new style of prayer that fuses history, design, and perpetual memorial services is currently drawing significant attention.

■ The Stage is the "First in Kansai," a One-of-a-Kind Cemetery

A breathtaking panoramic view of the Osaka Plain from high ground on the hillside of Mount Ikoma, a track record of being selected as "No. 1 in the Kansai Grave Grand Prix," and a special space designed and supervised by the world-renowned architect Tadao Ando Architect & Associates.

It is an unprecedented sanctuary nationwide, where view, track record, and design converge.

Osaka Memorial Park Kofun Tomb - On-Site Briefing Session

▼ Applications currently accepted for briefing sessions by Representative Tsuneyasu Takeda! ▼

https://osaka-memorialpark.co.jp/information/3055/

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