God of Null at Takayama’s Computer Nature Shrine (Digital Nature Shrine): Founded by Yoichi Ochiai – Deities, Blessings, and How to Visit in Gifu Prefecture
【この記事にはPRを含む場合があります】
On November 4, 2024, the “Computer Nature Shrine (Digital Nature Shrine)” was officially established in the “Inner Room” on the second floor of the nationally designated Important Cultural Property, Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum, in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.
This shrine was created by media artist and University of Tsukuba associate professor Yoichi Ochiai. It celebrates the “God of Null“, who represents the idea of “Null” in the world of computers.
What is the Computer Nature Shrine (Digital Nature Shrine)?
(Source: PR TIMES)
The Computer Nature Shrine, also known as the Digital Nature Shrine, is a new shrine that opened on November 4, 2024, on the second floor of the Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.
On November 4, 2024, Nobuyuki Miyazawa, the chief priest of Kurumayama Shrine in Nagano Prefecture and executive director of the Japan Cultural Heritage Association, and Yoichi Ochiai, the shrine’s assistant priest, conducted the enshrinement ceremony at this location. This marked the official founding of the shrine.
Note: In Shinto, the main priest in charge of a shrine is called the “guji,” and the assistant priest is called the “negi.” At the Computer Nature Shrine (also known as the Digital Nature Shrine), Nobuyuki Miyazawa is the “president” (guji), and Yoichi Ochiai is the “executive director” (negi).
落合陽一さんがスパゲッティモンスター教みたいなのを真面目にやってた。
「計算機自然神社」でヌルの神様を祀る。。。
やっぱり落合さん面白い。
〉落合陽一、新たな神仏習合の神社を自ら神職となり創建する。 | 一般社団法人日本文化伝承協会https://t.co/QALOjGCBkZ— ひろゆき (@hirox246) November 11, 2024
Why Did Yoichi Ochiai Establish a Shrine?
Many people may wonder why Yoichi Ochiai—a scientist, media artist, entrepreneur, and associate professor at the Faculty of Library, Information and Media Science at the University of Tsukuba—became involved in Shinto rituals.
Some people may be surprised that this shrine was created.
After the news of “Yoichi Ochiai establishing a shrine” was reported, some people on social media expressed criticism. One person commented, “I’d like him to talk about Shinto only after completing the full training and practical work for Shinto priests,” and another said, “It feels extremely superficial.”
However, Ochiai himself has explained his reasons for founding the shrine at events such as “AI Festival 2024 Powered by GALLERIA” held on November 8, 2024, and on his note blog. People who attended his keynote speech, “And So I Build a Shrine,” at the AI Festival liked it. They said they enjoyed it and that it made them think deeply.
Reading what people who attended the event posted online shows that Ochiai’s founding of the shrine was not a temporary performance, but an act based on thoughtful consideration.
（一部引用）
(Excerpt)
He said, “The internet is a grave.” The digital space contains a wealth of data, memories, and ideas that serve as a connection to the “dead,” similar to physical gravestones. This makes the line between life and death less clear, and we can keep talking with people from the past in the digital world. It’s like a special place where people can connect digitally.
A shrine is a place that connects nature and people, the past and the present, and the future. Shrines are places where people can feel nature, calm their minds, and connect with memories of the past. Yoichi Ochiai reimagines this for the digital age, envisioning “a new kind of shrine that connects the physical and digital, life and computation.” (Source: note | “Building a Shrine”-Yoichi Ochiai’s View of Life and Death and the Future in the Digital Age, Hiroshi Hori)
If you have questions about why Ochiai created a shrine, it is recommended that you follow his posts on note or X (formerly Twitter).
Who is the “God of Null” Enshrined at the Shrine?
The Computer Nature Shrine (also known as the Digital Nature Shrine) is home to the “God of Null“.
The “God of Null” is a concept of “null” in computer nature. It was originally used to describe the idea of null in computer science. It expresses a notion similar to “emptiness” (śūnyatā) in Buddhism.
It has endless possibilities, and even non-existence can be the starting point for creation and innovation.
Blessings of the “God of Null”
In short, the God of Null is like a deity that represents “non-existence” or “undefined” in the world of computer science.
The God of Null brings two blessings: the ability to create something from nothing and the ability to think more creatively.
People say that worshipping this deity brings new ideas and ways of thinking that are not limited by existing frameworks, allowing infinite possibilities to unfold.
Visiting the shrine is recommended when seeking “innovative achievements” or “new values.”
The “Object-Oriented Bodhisattva” Is Also Enshrined
(Source: PR TIMES)
At the Computer Nature Shrine (also known as the Digital Nature Shrine), the “Object-Oriented Bodhisattva” is also honored together with the God of Null. The Object-Oriented Bodhisattva is closely related to the Buddhist Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha). It represents the structure of the entire system and the things that we can see and touch. It serves as a bridge between the world of information and the material world. It helps us understand and interpret both.
The God of Null is a concept in computer science that represents “non-existence” or “undefined”. The Object-Oriented Bodhisattva is a symbol of the “superclass” of all objects and classes, representing the structure of the digital world. It plays the role of connecting the “concrete” and the “abstract.”
The Computer Nature Shrine is said to present “a new form of faith that fuses digital technology with the Japanese syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism”. Many engineers and IT professionals have said that they would like to visit at least once, so if you’re interested, think about going.
How to Visit the Computer Nature Shrine
The Computer Nature Shrine (also known as the Digital Nature Shrine) is located in the “Inner Room” on the second floor of the nationally designated Important Cultural Property, Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum, in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.
Please note that you cannot visit the shrine on the museum’s closed days or after closing hours.
■ Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum
Address: 1-52 Oshinmachi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture (National Important Cultural Property)
Closed: Every Tuesday (if Tuesday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
Admission: Adults 1,000 yen; High school/university students 500 yen; Elementary/junior high students 300 yen (free for preschool children)
Official website: http://www.kusakabe-mingeikan.com/english.html
A Calming Experience at a New Shrine
As described above, the newly established Computer Nature Shrine (also called the Digital Nature Shrine) in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, is a new type of shrine that combines digital technology with the Japanese beliefs of Shinto and Buddhism.
At first, “digital” and “shrine” may not seem related, but as times change and people’s lives evolve, so do their views on life and death.
If you visit Hida Takayama, you should definitely stop by.
- Palworld Patent Infringement Lawsuit: Nintendo’s Legal Action and Global vs. Japanese Reactions
- "Nokyo Milk" is launching a new flavor: Uji Matcha! Release Date & Where to Buy
