Nurturing Wellbeing, the Ishikawa Way

In Ishikawa, the only thing new about wellbeing is the word itself — the practices have been part of the local culture for centuries.

Long before mindfulness was something people sought through apps and lifehacks, people here enriched their lives through aesthetic and philosophical practices with intrinsic self-improement at their core. Ishikawa was once ruled by the Maeda family, who were second in wealth only to the Tokugawa Shogunate government who ruled the country, but they used their money not for military might or political influence, but to turn Ishikawa into a hub of arts, crafts, and culture. With time, too, samurai pastimes like the tea ceremony spread to even the common classes.

Even after the day of the samurai came to a close, these cultural endeavors remained firmly entrenched in the local culture. Practices of introspective self-improvement like tea ceremony, ikebana flower arrangement, and brush calligraphy remain popular to this day, offering an escape from the busy noise of everyday life into a near-sacred moment of peacful calm, disciplined ritual, and the satisfaction of trying to do something — no matter how small — as perfectly as possible.

Perhaps it is no coincidence, too, that Ishikawa has produced philosophers and religious scholars like Kitaro Nishida, whose writings dared to discuss Asian and Western philosophical principles in an integrated manner, as well as his friend Daisetz Suzuki, who was a key figure in introducing the Western world to Zen Buddhist philosophy in the 20th century. Today, there are museums in Ishikawa dedicated to both of these figures, where visitors can learn about their teachings, or simply engage in a moment quiet contemplation.

Learn about zazen seated meditation at a temple, surrounded by centuries-old trees and colorful seasonal flowers. Experience the deliberate choreography of the tea ceremony, in an authentic training space open to outsiders by invitation only. Or discover an all-but-forgotten practice nicknamed the “incense ceremony,” in which practitioners aim to hone their sensibilities and discern the subtleties of fragrances.