A group students participated in a volunteer cleanup effort at Ninna-ji Temple, a World Heritage site and the head temple of the Omuro sect of the Shingon School of Buddhism, on Wednesday August 20 and Thursday, August 31. These activities were part of the World Heritage Ninna-ji Volunteer Experience Program 2023, which was organized by the Ritsumeikan University Service Learning Center with the aim of getting people interested in the preservation of cultural properties.

This program, which began in 2022, provides students with an opportunity to interact with Ninna-ji Temple, which is committed to passing on its history and cultural assets to the young people who will lead the next generation.

This year, 30 students interested in the conservation of cultural assets and volunteering participated in the cleanup and maintenance activities after undergoing preliminary training. On the day of the program, participants were briefed by Ninna-ji monks, after which they weeded and added sand to the garden and swept and wiped Kondo Hall. Participating students were able to enter Kondo Hall and the garden, which are normally not open to the public, and they learned about history and the conservation of cultural properties by engaging in cleanup and maintenance work.

Going forward, the Ritsumeikan University Service Learning Center will continue to foster citizenship among students and serve as a contact point for interaction between students and the local community, citizens, groups, and institutions by coordinating activities and resources necessary for both parties.