ART SATORI
JPEN
ART, LIFE AND THE INVISIBLE.FEEL&SENSE — JAPAN
To the source of life.

Connect with the invisible.

To sense the invisible.
To awaken the eternal.

Explore Artworks Host an Exhibition
SCROLL TO FEELThe prayers of Kūkai × The art of life
JAPANESE ART / EXHIBITIONS / CULTURAL PROGRAMS

Bonji, mandalas, life photography, sound and light.
Experiential art by Masahiko Hashimoto & Sayaka Hashimoto of Feel&Sense.

For museums, cultural venues and event organizers
01 / WHY NOWBeing human in the age of AI
Contemplate your own existence.＋
ART FOR THE AGE OF AI

In the age of AI, hold on to your sense of worth.

As AI takes on an ever greater role in knowledge and expression,
what will help us feel certain
of our own existence?

“Who am I?
What gives my life value
and meaning?”

In a world filled with information and comparison,
our sense of self-worth can falter.
We may lose sight of our own value.
These are the uncertainties we seek to meet.

As we explore these questions,
we believe in a foundation of self-acceptance:
embracing ourselves as we are
and recognizing our inherent worth.

To feel our own life through the body,
and deepen our connection with ourselves—
a source of strength for the years ahead.

Discover the wisdom of Kūkai ↓
THE HEART OF ART TO SATORIFrom Kūkai’s wisdom to the present
THE WISDOM OF KŪKAI

The wisdom of Kūkai, a master of thought.

To connect with the universe.
What does it mean?

To see ourselves and the universe
as one continuous web of life.

Could this way of seeing help us
embrace our own existence more deeply?

ART TO SATORI brings Kūkai’s wisdom into conversation with modern science
through bonji calligraphy, mandalas, and life photography.

01 / BONJI

Bonji

Some of the bonji in our artworks are based on calligraphy traditionally attributed to Kūkai himself.
We bring these brush forms into a new expression of life.

02 / MANDALA

Mandala

A map shaped by compassion.
A vision of a world in which all life
is connected and resonates together.

03 / LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Life Photography

The beginnings of life, captured by science.
An encounter with the primordial memory
that flows through each of us.

Ancient wisdom. Modern science.
Their meeting becomes
a source of strength
for the life ahead.

Prayer held in bonji. The universe expressed in a mandala. The beginnings of life captured by science. By looking, listening, and being present in a space, we come to feel our own life more deeply.

You were born into this world, and you are here now. Through sound, light, and space, we invite you to feel the irreplaceable nature of that existence. ART TO SATORI offers experiences intended to reconnect us with the source of life, nurture self-acceptance, and open a space to reflect on our own value and meaning.

We hope that a deeper acceptance of ourselves can nurture our relationships with others and the world, becoming a source of strength for the future.

For well-being in the years ahead, we continue to develop and share this experience through art.

Explore bonji, mandalas, and life ↗
JAPANESE SPIRITUALITY THROUGH ART

Japanese spirituality,
encountered through art.

Drawn to Japanese spiritual art, meditation or a more mindful way of living? ART TO SATORI brings these interests into an encounter with bonji, mandalas, sound and images of life. Our works draw on the Shingon tradition of Kūkai, with exhibitions at Kongōbu-ji in Koyasan (Mount Koya).

Explore the ideas behind the works, or consider how an exhibition and program could speak to your audience.

Explore spirituality, art and wellbeing ↗For curators and exhibition partners ↗
INOCHI EXHIBITION / KOYASAN 2023

When we connect with life,
tears begin to flow.

Feeling one’s own life. Touching a deep connection within.
For some visitors, this experience brought tears.

Presented as a special program for the 1,250th anniversary of Kōbō Daishi Kūkai’s birth:
a screening of LIFE® Inochi and the Inochi Exhibition.
Discover the experience at Koyasan through this film of the event.

Watch on YouTube ↗Explore the exhibition archive ↗
02 / SELECTED WORKSThe prayers of Kūkai and the mandala of life

Forms of prayer.

To the beginning of existence.
A mandala of life, where bonji and life photography resonate.

Miroku Bosatsu and the Star of Life, combining life photography with sculptural bonjiExplore the artwork ↗
01 — INOCHI

Miroku Bosatsu and the Star of Life

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The light of life, gently transforming the future.

Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm: life photography and the bonji A and On against a golden groundExplore the artwork ↗
02 — RESONANCE

Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm

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We have revived bonji attributed to Kūkai for the present day as prayers of light in gold leaf.
An artwork expressing the interconnectedness, shared vibration, and resonance of life and all things in the universe.

Collect an artwork or publication ↗Explore the mandala artworks and their messages ↗

Artworks: Feel&Sense (Masahiko Hashimoto & Sayaka Hashimoto)
Life photography: Lennart Nilsson

INOCHI MANDALA / ARTWORK FILM

The prayers of Kūkai.
The mandala of life.

A series in which bonji, life photography, Buddhist figures, and words resonate together.
Enter the world of “To the Beginning of Existence” through film.

Watch on YouTube ↗
ART TO SATORI / EXPO 2025

A space for prayer at the Expo.

At the Wakayama Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Discover a space where artworks and moving images resonate.

Presented by the ART TO SATORI Executive Committee, established by Koyasan, Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Feel&Sense.

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan / Wakayama Pavilion
ART TO SATORI exhibition film

Visitors contemplating the artworks at the Inochi Exhibition in the Okuden, Kongōbu-ji, Koyasan
ART × SPACE × YOU

The artwork. The place. You.
What comes to life between them.

Light shifts. Air moves. Sound resonates.
Together with the atmosphere of a place,
an artwork becomes an unrepeatable experience.

Inochi Exhibition / Okuden, the Guest Rooms of Kongōbu-ji, Koyasan
PROGRAMS / HOST AN EXPERIENCEHost an experience
ART, DIALOGUE & RESONANCE

Bring this experience
to your community.

Talks and dialogue. Art exhibitions. Sound, meditation, and film.
We shape an experience around your purpose and place.

For temples, shrines, cultural venues, schools, universities, businesses, and communities.
Let us create a time to connect with life together.

Explore exhibitions and hosting ↗
03 / OUR STORYKoyasan Story
KOYASAN — WHERE IT BEGAN

At sacred Koyasan,
a closed door opened.

The Okuden Guest Rooms of Kongōbu-ji, in World Heritage Koyasan, are normally closed to the public.
For the 1,250th anniversary of Kōbō Daishi Kūkai’s birth,
their doors opened to welcome the Inochi Exhibition.
Here began a story in which prayer and the art of life resonate together.

Wooden doors beneath the Okuden plaque at Kongōbu-ji, seen from a covered passage with snow along the railings
The doors to the Okuden / Kongōbu-ji, Koyasan
THE BEGINNING

The first exhibition in the Okuden.
A new way to experience life.

Hosted by Kongōbu-ji and co-organized by Feel&Sense, the special LIFE Inochi screening and Inochi Exhibition took place in the Okuden, which opened specially during the anniversary celebrations.

Surrounded by the Banryūtei rock garden, film, music, and life photography resonated through the space. It was our first exploration of bringing Kūkai’s prayer and contemporary art together to offer a bodily experience of the source of life.

Read the 2023 event archive ↗
Dedication ceremony at Koyasan with the commemorative artwork projected
June 2023 / Dedication of the commemorative artwork
DEDICATION & COLLECTION

Entrusting a wish for life
to Koyasan.

HOW WONDERFUL LIFE IS, created to mark the 1,250th anniversary of Kōbō Daishi Kūkai’s birth, was dedicated to Kongōbu-ji. The ceremony followed a special LIFE Inochi screening attended by approximately 700 people.

The work is held in the collection of Kongōbu-ji and remains on display in its Shin-Betsuden.

Audience and performers at the special screening in Koyasan
The special screening and dedication ceremony
The dedicated artwork on display in the Shin-Betsuden, Kongōbu-ji
The work on display in the Shin-Betsuden, Kongōbu-ji
A STORY THAT CONTINUES

From a single encounter
to a continuing story.

Returning to the Betsuden, Kongōbu-ji.

In the 20th anniversary year of Koyasan’s World Heritage inscription, selected works from the previous year’s Okuden exhibition were shown in the Betsuden. The meeting of art and a place of prayer continued into a second year.

Official Kongōbu-ji announcement ↗

From the Expo, back to Koyasan, and on to Ninna-ji.

In 2025, the works were shown at Expo 2025 and the Japan International Art Festival, followed by a special exhibition in the Betsuden of Kongōbu-ji from 24 August to 21 September. The journey continued to the Oku-shoin of Ninna-ji in 2026.

View the Koyasan 2025 exhibition photographs and record ↓

Sources: LIFE Inochi Exhibition archive・Koyasan 2023 special event page・Official Kongōbu-ji announcement
Verified: October 26, 2026. The Shin-Betsuden photographs are archival; the work remains on display.

04 / EXHIBITIONSEncounters in resonance

Art meets place.

From sacred places alive with a thousand years of prayer,
to places of encounter with the world.

UPCOMING / TALK & EXHIBITION

Kyoto Prefectural Chūtan Cultural Hall / Ayabe, Kyoto

Koyasan Shingon Buddhism Special Gathering
“Life, Connected”

With the attendance of His Eminence Shindō Hasebe, the 415th chief abbot. ART TO SATORI works are scheduled to be exhibited alongside a talk and film screening by Masahiko Hashimoto, with a special appearance by Sayaka Hashimoto.

View the upcoming program ↗
ART TO SATORI exhibition in the Oku-shoin, Ninna-jiKYOTO, JAPAN
EXHIBITION ARCHIVE

Ninna-ji, a World Heritage temple
Oku-shoin

At Ninna-ji, the venue for Kyoto World Culture Forum 2026, Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm was specially exhibited in the normally private Oku-shoin.

Explore the Ninna-ji exhibition ↗

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
Special exhibition at EXPO Hall “Shining Hat”

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The special exhibition in the Betsuden of Kongōbu-ji, 24 August–21 September 2025, with Inochi Mandala artworks displayed before golden painted sliding doors
Exhibition photograph courtesy of Feel&Sense
EXHIBITION ARCHIVE · KOYASAN 2025

Koyasan, a World Heritage site
Special exhibition, Betsuden, Kongōbu-ji

Following displays in the Wakayama Zone of the Kansai Pavilion and at the Japan International Art Festival, selected works were specially exhibited in the Betsuden of Kongōbu-ji. Bonji traditionally attributed to Kūkai and photographs of life came together as mandalas in a place of prayer.

Organiser: Feel&Sense
Co-organiser: Kongōbu-ji, head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism

Read the official exhibition announcement (Japanese) ↗

Source: LIFE official announcement, 23 August 2025. Verified: 27 October 2026.

3rd Japan International Art Festival / Expo 2025 Exhibition
EXPO Messe “WASSE” / Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

Inochi Exhibition — To the Beginning of Existence presented works bringing together bonji traditionally attributed to Kūkai and photographs of the beginnings of life.

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05 / ARTISTSThe artists
Artists Masahiko Hashimoto and Sayaka Hashimoto
MASAHIKO HASHIMOTO & SAYAKA HASHIMOTO
ARTIST UNIT

Feel&Sense

Masahiko Hashimoto & Sayaka Hashimoto

An artist duo creating experiential art around inochi—life itself—through sound, film, poetry, and spatial design.

We hope to offer profound experiences that bring us close to the invisible source of existence.
With that wish at the heart of our practice, we continue to create as an act of prayer.

Feel&Sense official website ↗
EXHIBITIONS / COLLABORATIONS / ARTWORKS

Together,
a space for resonance.

For program hosting, invitations, exhibitions, and artwork inquiries

Let’s create resonance.↗support@feelandsense.org