In summary:
Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Film “Yojimbo” and the Spirit of Bushido, I Moved to Japan
When I was eight years old, I watched Akira Kurosawa’s period film Yojimbo for the first time. I was deeply impressed by Toshiro Mifune’s portrayal of a wandering samurai, which sparked my interest in the spirit of Japanese samurai and Japan’s culture, history, and values. My beloved grandfather, a very strict and quiet man, had taught me discipline from a young age. I might have seen a resemblance between my grandfather and the samurai protagonist.
At 29, I attended a festival in Krakow, Poland, that introduced Japanese culture. There, I encountered martial arts like Kendo, Iaido, and Jodo. Shingen Takeda and Kenshin Uesugi had been my heroes since childhood, and I was instantly captivated. The dojo was close to my home, so I first began learning Iaido and Jodo. Soon after starting martial arts, I felt an epiphany that this was my life’s path and decided to pursue it until my death.
During a training session in the UK, a teacher from Japan invited me to come to Japan to study martial arts seriously. In November 2011, I visited Japan for the first time. After several short trips, I stayed at the teacher’s home in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, to focus on my training.
In November 2012, after a month-long stay, I earned my second dan in Iaido from the Hyogo Prefecture Federation. During the celebration, my teacher suggested I should live in Japan to train properly, and I immediately decided to move. From May 2013, I began living in Japan, working as an English instructor while enjoying my passion for martial arts, visiting temples, and exploring tea ceremonies and kimono culture.
Learning About My Beloved Grandfather’s Terminal Cancer and Experiencing My Own Health Decline, I Sought Solace in Pilgrimages but Found No Relief
In late 2014, I learned that my grandfather in Poland was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was strict but had taught me so much and was the only family member who supported my move to Japan. I was torn between returning to Poland to care for him or staying in Japan. This dilemma worsened my mental state, and I began having nightmares.
I then embarked on the “33 Kannon Pilgrimage of Western Japan” to pray for my grandfather’s illness and my mental well-being, but nothing improved. Eventually, I could no longer attend martial arts practice and barely managed to continue working.
In September 2015, my grandfather passed away. Overwhelmed by sadness and despair, my mental state deteriorated further, and the nightmares became more frequent. I then started the “88 Temple Pilgrimage of Shikoku.”
Miraculous Events Began to Unfold after Meeting an HBS Priest and Chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo for the First Time
Soon after, I contacted Ryosetsu Ikemoto, who was serving at Kosen-ji Temple in Nishinomiya at the time (now at Seifu-ji Temple), and began consulting him. Living in the same city, I met him and learned about Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, and the Odaimoku. Despite his advice, I found it difficult to follow initially.
Ryosetsu then handed me his portable Gohonzon and prayer beads, advising me, “If you find it hard to bear your nightmares, just chant the Odaimoku.” I began chanting morning and evening at home, and miraculously, the nightmares stopped. My mental state also improved dramatically, leaving me in awe of the Odaimoku’s power.
Around the same time, I began having nightly dreams of an elderly Japanese monk who said, “Don’t give up on life. The faith in the Odaimoku is your destination. Spread the Odaimoku to save many people. Your real life starts now.”
After my grandfather’s death, I felt lost in life, but thanks to the Odaimoku, I found a new purpose and direction. Moving forward, I aim to repay this kindness by helping spread the Odaimoku teachings to the world.
