Half-day Introspective Retreat Conducted at Meiji Jingu: Re-examining Autonomy Through the Lens of 'Death'

Half-day Introspective Retreat Conducted at Meiji Jingu: Re-examining Autonomy Through the Lens of 'Death'

Shoichi Kono, a member of the social experiment community "DICT" (operated by Link & Innovation Co., Ltd.) and a specially appointed researcher at Hosei University Graduate School, conducted a half-day introspective retreat titled "Questioning Autonomy in the Eternal Forest" at Meiji Jingu in April 2026. This project is an exploratory practice, rooted in Thanatology, that re-examines one's "current" way of living, decision-making, and autonomy by contemplating the "end."

The participants were MBA students and alumni. The project treated Meiji Jingu, a historical and symbolic space, not merely as a venue but as a collaborative entity that generates practical wisdom. It was designed as an opportunity to reconsider one's job titles, responsibilities, evaluations, and anxieties through the interplay of place, history, physical sensation, and dialogue.

*Note: This project was conducted as an individual research practice by Kono and is not an official program of his affiliated institution.*

### From Thanatology to Practice in Historical Space

In modern society, many people make decisions while remaining strongly tied to their professional roles, titles, achievements, and the evaluations of others, making them susceptible to future anxiety and rigid thinking. Addressing this, Kono has explored the question, "Could contemplating death allow us to rethink how we live in the present?" from the perspectives of Thanatology, through both research and practice. "Questioning Autonomy in the Eternal Forest" positioned these research interests in a concrete setting, exploring the practical feasibility of "Death Reflection" within a historical and symbolic space.

### Set in the Forest of Meiji Jingu

The Meiji Jingu forest, chosen for this project, is known for being designed with a vision 100 to 150 years into the future. By focusing on the philosophy of this space, which considers the natural cycle of the forest—such as the generational shift from pine to broad-leaved trees—the project positioned Meiji Jingu as a site for participants to rethink their own titles, responsibilities, anxieties, and philosophies of life, asking: "What should I let go of, what should I keep, and what should I live for?"

### A Half-day Introspective Retreat: "Not a Lecture, Workshop, or Tour"

The day began with input sessions and pre-surveys, followed by a personal introspective walk at Meiji Jingu, sharing sessions after regrouping, and closing remarks. Structured as an "introspective retreat" or "breathing room for finding one's own questions," it deliberately avoided providing right answers or results, focusing instead on extracting questions that have not yet been articulated from within, amidst the silence of the century-old forest.

### Opportunity for MBA Students and Alumni to Re-examine Role Understanding

Given that the participants—MBA students and alumni—are highly conscious of their careers, responsibilities, and achievements, the organizers believe that contemplating "death" holds unique significance in relativizing their roles and ways of living. In the post-retreat survey, all three participants agreed to research cooperation and shared the following:

- "The sunlight streamed in, casting shadows on the trees in the foreground, while the trees behind glowed with bright, beautiful green." - "I felt that the concept of looking at current brightness by becoming conscious of the 'death' in 'Death Reflection' is naturally expressed in the forest." - "I realized that life and death are not separate, but are side-by-side and continuous."

Comments such as "I feel less burdened than before the session," "I want to make people around me smile," and "I will live honestly with myself" suggest that participants were not simply denying their titles or responsibilities, but rather re-examining their relationship with them and reinterpreting their meaning.

### Uniqueness at the Intersection of Research, Education, and Place-making

The project’s characteristic lies not in presenting answers or changes as short-term outcomes—as typical self-improvement programs or trainings do—but in its configuration that allows participants to encounter their own "yet-to-be-articulated questions" while integrating place, history, physical sensation, and dialogue. By connecting the design philosophy of Meiji Jingu to their own existential questions, the project’s uniqueness as a research practice lies in its ability to reconstruct introspection not just as an individual mental task, but within the relationship with the environment.

### Future Developments

Kono intends to continue developing new research areas by advancing innovations in collaboration with people, places, and history, as well as developing new methods. Based on the insights gained from this project, he aims to connect his "Death Reflection" research, which encourages the multi-layered identity development of management-level individuals, with research into co-creative learning communities. He seeks to present a practical model that balances personal internal transformation with community emergence.