Buddhism

Tokyo,

The religion Buddhism is forced to turn trendy to attract a new generation in Japan.  More than 1,200 years ago after its arrival from Asia, Buddhism is in crisis.  About 75% of Japan’s 127 million people describe themselves as Buddhism, but many of these only see the inside of a temple for a traditional and expensive funeral.  Because of this, public donations are drying up and the country’s 75,000 temples are in financial troubles.  Applications to Buddhist universities has dropped so dramatically that several schools have dropped the religious associations from their titles. 

 

Buddhist priests say that Japan’s mainstream sects must shed their conservative image to broaden their appeals.  There was a time when people would go to the temple to ask for advice on all sorts of problems not just spiritual matters, but that is not the current trend.   Baijozan Komyoji, a temple in Japan, has opened an outside café and operates a beauty salon. At a Jazz lounge in Tokyo, they will offer saxophone music as three shaven-headed monks wearing robes chant sutras and encourage onlookers to join in as a way to spread the word on Buddhism.  Other temples are offering prayers to a hip-hop beat and serve sake and rum.

 

World Religion Can Learn From Japan

The teachings of Buddhism will not change, but the way the offerings will be presented need to be in touch with feelings of people today.

Prime minister of Tokyo Taro Aso, feels that some of the world’s major religions could learn from Japan’s work ethics.  He feels that values in Japan regard hard work as important, working is good.  The Prime minster feels they should share their philosophy with other nations.  Japanese are famous for their long working hours, which has turned the island nation into the world’s second largest economy.  Thousands of Japanese literally work themselves to death each year, a problem that became so popular it received its own name, karoshi.

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