■Instructor Shoji Tamura Profile
At age 17, he practiced zazen for the first time at Kenchoji Temple.
At age 18, he studied under Master Taizan Kawasaki Roshi at Rinshoin Temple for one year.
At age 23, he established a limited partnership (internet advertising business) with capital of 1 million yen.
At age 25, he reorganized into a corporation. As the sole president, he earned a monthly income of 5 million yen. He began commercial publishing (selling approximately 20,000 copies).
At age 26, he conducted a third-party allotment of new shares at a market capitalization of 800 million yen. He raised a total of 140 million yen, including 100 million yen from netprice.com (now BEENOS) and 40 million yen from Itochu Technology Ventures. He also signed a contract with Tohmatsu as his auditing firm.
At age 27, he had over 30 employees.
At age 28, he sold his business.
At age 29, he participated in weekend zazen sessions at Engakuji Kojirin. He mastered the koan of “Zhaozhou Muji” in just two months.
At the age of 30, he trained under Master Soushin Kanetake at Kourin-in Temple for eight years.
At the age of 36, he graduated from Musashino University Correspondence Course, Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Human Sciences, with a major in Buddhist Studies.
At the age of 38, he was recognized as having attained “enlightenment of dependent origination” by Master Nanrei Yokota, and completed his training. He continued to “practice of after enlightenment” for seven years from that year, until he was 45, and remains a layperson to this day.
This is a calligraphy piece I received from Master Daishin Adachi, former head of the Engakuji branch of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. The signature reads “Priest Daishin.” (character: I’m grateful, thanks to you.)
This calligraphy was given to me by Master Nanrei Yokota, the head of the Engakuji branch of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, to commemorate the completion of my training. My name is written in the inscription.
(character: sincerity)
This is the letter I received from Master Yokota when he recognized my “enlightenment of dependent origination (the same enlightenment as Buddha)”. And then I said “I forgot about enlightenment and no longer needed the seal of enlightenment”.
I first met Master Yokota in the winter of my 29th year. Having sold my company, I decided to seek my next goal in life and went to the Zen training center of Engakuji.
Master Yokota isn’t strictly my teacher. However, after our weekend zazen sessions, he invited me to his room for tea and taught me. With Master Yokota’s guidance, I was able to master the koan of “Zhaozhou Muji” in just two months, a task that even a trainee monk would likely take three years to master.
My farewell from Master Yokota was during the Great East Japan Earthquake. I had caused an “incident” at Engakuji Temple related to the earthquake, and after that, Master Yokota completely ignored me. This period lasted eight years. I then began training under my next teacher, Priest Soushin Kanetake. Priest Kanetake had completed all of the koan exercises, but, following the example of his beloved Zen master Ikkyu, had not received the seal of enlightenment. Since I completed my training under Priest Kanetake, who didn’t have the seal of enlightenment, I also don’t have one. When my training was over, Master Yokota finally forgave me and wrote me a letter in reply. This photo was taken when I was 41 years old.
Enlightenment doesn’t end with attaining enlightenment. It is said that one is fully matured if one forgets it. However, even if one says that one has forgotten, one sometimes remembers it. At those times, one is ecstatic at how beautiful the world is.
True certification is when one doesn’t need the seal, and I was recognized by Master Yokota because I don’t have the seal. So I can’t be called the Roshi. I’m not the Shike. I have never conducted private interviews (Dokusan), so I can’t examine koans. However, there is no doubt that I have completed all the training, and I’m a legitimate, fully authorized Zen master.
My training session is backed by this background. And I offer you a path to “transforming the healing power of Zen into business productivity” backed by my experience running a company with a market capitalization of 800 million yen and over 30 employees, as well as the miraculous coincidence of the Pomodoro Technique and Rinzai Zen.
The Pomodoro Technique is a concentration method that alternates between 25 minutes of work and a 5-minute break. Rinzai Zen Zen training also involves 25 minutes of zazen followed by a 5-minute break. I believe I am the first person in Japan to combine this technique in the form of a zazen meeting. I don’t want to be imitated by businessmen. But it is a business model that Zen priests should emulate in the broader religious world. Master Daishin Adachi lamented that “monks are at the mercy of their parishioners.” Perhaps it’s time for the religious world to develop income sources that aren’t dependent on parishioners. Incidentally, my services are not provided by a religious organization. I hope to continue providing reliable solutions to everyone. A religious-free, self-employed, and lifelong active career.
In this way, my Pomodoro Zen, Business Zen Mindfulness, is a technique developed with solid authority and proven results.
📩 Leverage the Master’s Experience: Strategic Consultation
You have read my history. I am not a monk who has hidden away in the mountains, nor am I a CEO who merely dabbles in meditation.
I have built a company valued at 800 million JPY ($5M+), managed over 30 employees, and navigated the brutal realities of the business world. I have also undergone 15 years of rigorous Rinzai training, solved the “Mu” Kōan in record time, and received the recognition of true masters.
I bridge the gap between aggressive business growth and absolute inner stillness.
If you are a leader seeking a solution that is both spiritually profound and commercially viable, I offer you my direct guidance.
Do not settle for theoretical advice. Get an answer born from proven authority.
Strategic Email Consultation: $500 USD
- Format: One Specific Problem. One Masterful Insight.
- Ideal For: Male Leaders & Entrepreneurs facing critical decisions.
- Bonus: Includes a complimentary invitation to my “Pomodoro Zen” Online Session—the ultimate fusion of productivity and mindfulness.
Transform your hesitation into clarity.
Consult Shoji Tamura Now ($500)