Miroku Star Village is a Los Angeles nonprofit that brings the calm of Japanese Zen practice to our community, and handwritten letters of hope to people behind prison walls.
We share Zen meditation and the quiet wisdom of Japan so people can find inner peace, and we carry that peace to those the world has forgotten: one soul, one letter, one act of compassion at a time.
Our work begins with inner peace and flows outward: to our neighbors, to older adults at home, and to people in prisons and juvenile centers.
Guided Zen meditation, gentle movement and Japanese tradition, shared in community and open to beginners.
Since 2022, handwritten letters of encouragement to people in prisons and juvenile centers across the country.
Home safety and mindful decluttering in the spirit of Dan Sha Ri, so South Bay seniors can age in place with ease.
For years, our founder Kazumi Smith Tharpe has written to people in prisons and juvenile centers across the United States. Letter by letter, these quiet conversations became friendships. Some of her pen pals now write back with drawings, poems and cards that begin with Konnichiwa, Kazumi-san.
Miroku Star Village was founded in 2025 to grow that work: to keep writing, to visit, and to share the calming practices of Zen with anyone who needs a moment of peace.
Those who inflict pain are often screaming from their own internal shadows. We reach into that darkness so no soul shivers alone.Kazumi, Founder
In Japanese, 3, 6 and 9 can be read mi, ro, ku. Together they spell 弥勒 Miroku, the Japanese name for Maitreya: a symbol of compassion and of a peaceful age to come. That is the spirit of our name and of the golden tree in our logo.
We are planning a community Zen gathering in the Torrance area in early 2027: guided meditation, the gentle rhythm of the 木魚 mokugyo, a bowl of matcha, and time to simply breathe together.
The date and venue will be shared with our interest list first. Joining is free and takes a few seconds.
Proudly supported by Bridge USA, our official event sponsor.
There is a place for everyone here, whatever you can offer.
Become a member for $8.88 a month and help keep our gatherings open to everyone.
Volunteers help us write letters of encouragement to people in prisons and juvenile centers.
A gift funds meditation materials, travel to correctional facilities and our 2027 gathering.
Every message is read with care. Write to us and we will reply within one to two business days.
Miroku Star Village NPO (369 Star Village) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. Through the 369 Zen Circle we offer Zen meditation and mindfulness rooted in Japanese tradition, including Ryutai Moji calligraphy, matcha and the mokugyo drum.
Through 369 Miracle prison outreach we write handwritten letters to people in prisons and juvenile centers, and through 369 Life Service we help South Bay seniors make their homes safer and calmer. Every donation helps us share peace one person at a time.