Japanese temple monks run cafes and bars for a living

The picture shows some monks in Japan running bars for male office workers to drink a few glasses to relieve their worries. (Internet)

A monk serves tea to guests at a Western-style cafe converted from a temple in Tokyo's Kamiya town. (Internet)

[Global Network Reporter Cheng Junqiu] According to a report in Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on May 25, Japanese temples have a special environment. In addition to burning incense and worshipping Buddha, some temples in the Urban area have recently opened Western-style cafes. In order to meet the needs of the secular world, monks also enter the red dust open bar. Japan's diversified religious management methods, not only did not cause controversy, but also received support from the public opinion. These critics argue that ancient temples also need to be renovated to keep pace with the times.

In the past, the main business of Japanese temples was to manage cemeteries and perform rituals for the community. Today, with the changes in the structure of Japanese families, a new generation of Japanese has no longer adhered to the family concept of "home grave," resulting in many temples in Japan losing their regular customer base and becoming inaccessible places.

A documentary about the decline of Japanese temples broadcast by Japan Broadcasting Association TV recently talked about temples in Japan's Urban area, many of which are facing business crisis. They earn their income from practices and cemeteries, but these businesses are much weaker than before. Some even carry debts of hundreds of millions of yen.

Kwangmyung-ji temple is located in Tokyo's Kamiya-cho district, where office workers are mostly. Since the temple converted into a cafe in the front yard, it has been crowded every day. At noon, office workers in the district would enter the courtyard of the temple to drink coffee. Every Wednesday and Friday lunchtime, the temple also set up a special "talk time" for troubled guests to consult.

A female office worker told reporters: "The more developed the Internet era is, many people have something on their minds to find chat objects on social networks." If you are not careful, it is easy to meet malicious people and fall into traps. Now, the temple cafe provides a place for people to complain, and I think it's good. It's safer to talk to family members."

Recently, Japanese media have also actively promoted temple cafes in the Urban area, saying that some monasteries have a good business and have expanded to open chain stores. In addition to coffee shops, some monks in Japan also run bars for stressed male office workers to drink a few glasses to relieve their boredom.

Source: World Wide Web