Photo/Illutration A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Tokyo Daionji temple is held at Higashi-Ayase in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward in July 2022. (Ari Hirayama)

A Vietnamese Buddhist nun will open a new temple in Tokyo to help her compatriots living in Japan who are in need, as more technical intern trainees and students encounter problems in the country.

“I want to make the temple a place where they can find peace of mind,” said Thich Tam Tri, 45.

Tri, who has been in Japan for more than 20 years, heads the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in Japan, which is currently based in Daionji temple in Honjo, Saitama Prefecture.

20230830-temple-2-L
Vietnamese Buddhist nun Thich Tam Tri (Ari Hirayama)

The planned location of the new temple is near JR Ayase Station in front of Higashi-Ayase Park in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward.

The three-story temple will be open to everyone. Tri also plans to set up a Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Center of Japan in the temple to display folk art and offer Vietnamese language lessons.

The Daionji temple has served as a haven for Vietnamese trainees and students who were suddenly laid off and unable to return to their home country during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has distributed rice to them.

The temple also provided a haven for young Vietnamese who had nowhere else to go, and it conducted funerals for those who died from illness or suicide.

The number of Vietnamese living in Japan has surged over the past decade. As of the end of 2022, around 490,000 Vietnamese resided in Japan, a more than ninefold increase from the more than 50,000 in 2012.

They are the second-largest group of foreign nationals living in Japan after Chinese.

Around 176,000 Vietnamese living here are technical intern trainees, accounting for the largest number.

20230830-temple-1-L
Vietnamese nuns pull weeds on July 13 at the site in Higashi-Ayase in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward where Tokyo Daionji temple is to be built. (Ari Hirayama)

However, many trainees are struggling with unexpected pregnancies and giving birth in isolated conditions. 

Given this, Tri thought of building a new temple in Tokyo to make for easier access from locations in the Kanto region. She named it Tokyo Daionji temple.

“I want to establish a place in the center of the capital that can support those in need as soon as possible,” Tri said. “I’ll dedicate my life to it.”

One concern, however, is the rising cost of materials, which has inflated the construction expenses.

So far, Tri and her team have collected about 100 million yen ($684,000) in donations, but nearly 200 million yen more is still needed.

The team is asking for support. For inquires, email adidaphat6999@gmail.com.

Related News