author
Ekai Kawaguchi
1866–1945
A Japanese Buddhist monk and explorer, he became the first recorded Japanese traveler to reach Tibet and Nepal, driven by a deep wish to study Buddhism at its source. His journeys through the Himalayas made him one of the most remarkable religious travelers of his era.
1 Audiobook
Three Years in Tibet
by Ekai Kawaguchi
About the author
Born in Sakai, Osaka, in 1866, Ekai Kawaguchi devoted himself to Buddhist study from a young age. Doubting the accuracy of the scriptures available in Japan, he set out to learn directly from original traditions and texts, a goal that would shape the rest of his life.
He is best known for his dangerous journeys to Nepal and Tibet around the turn of the 20th century. Tibet was largely closed to outsiders at the time, and Kawaguchi's travels were unusually bold. He later wrote about these experiences in Three Years in Tibet, a book that introduced many readers to the region through the eyes of a monk, scholar, and determined traveler.
Kawaguchi also helped bring Buddhist manuscripts and firsthand knowledge back to Japan, contributing to the modern study of Buddhism there. He died in 1945, but he is still remembered as a rare figure who combined spiritual curiosity, scholarship, and real physical courage.