In 1985 Saint Anselm's Priory purchased a wooded, two-acre plot
of land in Fujimi, a town in the Yatsugatake (Eight Peaks) region of the
Japanese Alps. The name "Fujimi" means "Fuji Vista,"
and, in fact, from many parts of the town there are
splendid panoramas of the mountain that holds a unique place in the
hearts and minds of the Japanese people.
Fujimi lies in the center of Honshu,
the largest and most central of Japan's four major islands. Japan's two other Catholic monasteries for men,
both Trappist, are located on the northern island of Hokkaido and the southern island of Kyushu.
Views of Mount Fuji:
Live Cam
Our property is situated atop a knoll in a quiet, residential part of the town, about a fifteen minute
walk from the train station. (Tokyo is just a little more than two
hours away by express train.) There is a small Catholic church in the
town that we have been serving ever since we purchased our land there.
Because of its scenic mountain setting, its pleasant climate, and its
proximity to the major metropolitan centers of Japan, Fujimi is a popular
recreational and cultural area. There are many small factories scattered
throughout the region, and in recent years they have begun to employ large
numbers of Latin Americans, mainly Brazilians of Japanese descent. Most of
these migrant workers are Catholic, and at the present time they outnumber
the native Japanese Catholics in the Yokohama Diocese, to which Fujimi belongs.
OUR NAME
We have named our monastery the Sanmi Ittai Benedikuto Shuudooin (Trinity Benedictine Monastery).
The human penchant for organizing reality into sets of three is probably a
universal phenomenon. Among the Japanese people, however, there seems to be
a special attraction to triads. At the very heart of Japanese culture are
the "Three Jingi," that is, the Three Sacred Treasures -- a
mirror, a sword, and a crescent-shaped jewel -- that have been in the
possession of the Imperial Household since mythological times.
Because of the Japanese people's special predilection for threes, the doctrine
of the Trinity resonates well with the culture. Furthermore, the
Christian portrayal of God as a mystery of three distinct persons relating
to one another in perfect and creative unity offers monks a model and goal
for their community life.
![[+CSPB]](http://www.osb.org/graphics/tscspb.gif)
