Presenter Masatsugu Okutani at the Feb 12 conference in Paris
Masatsugu Okutani explaining 'What is Shinto' to his French audience
Green Shinto has previously featured the work of Shinto priest Masatsugu Okutani in Paris. Now comes news of a conference and photo exhibition held on Feb 12, ‘the first time for France to have such a conference specially in French by a Japanese Shinto priest.’
The meeting centred around the topic of ‘What is Shinto?’ and was held, ecumenically, at the ‘Association Culturelle Franco-Japonaise de Tenri’.
Masatsugu Okutani, who is a priest from the Yabuhara Shrine in northern Japan, has been working in Paris for some time as a company employee while at the same time helping to spread awareness of Shinto among the French, who he reports are surprisingly open to learning more about the traditions involved.
The exhibition of photographs featured the work of Yamaguchi Katsuhiro, Executive Director of the Society of Japanese Photographers who specialises in cultural heritage such as kyogen, kagura and kabuki as well as the Ontake sacred mountain cult.
Following the presentation, there was opportunity for more informal interaction
Photo exhibition of Japan's cultural and spiritual heritage
A toast with saké to round off the proceedings
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For more information and pictures see here for the Yabuhara Shrine or here for the profile of Masatsugu Okutani.
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