The Challenge of Buddhist Practice in Modern Tokyo

A common image that comes to mind when thinking of Japanese culture might be of a Buddhist monk meditating in a rock garden, or maybe some other type of Westernized idea of a “zen” image. Yet if you were to ask the average person in Japan if they were religious they would say no. The Buddhist culture that so defines the outsider’s perspective of Japan is rapidly changing, some may argue, even disappearing. This transformation of the religion, due to the fast paced modernization of Japanese cities and the young generation’s tendency to discard Buddhism as old fashioned, has led the religion to be faced with a tough decision: Should Buddhism adapt to the modern culture, or should it keep to its traditions?

This is a question most religions face in today’s modern society where it is fashionable to be spiritual yet remain detached from religious institutions. In Japan, especially Tokyo, there has been a push for Buddhism to adapt to modern culture, by way of music, food, clothing and more. In 2008 I attended an event at the Tsukiji Honganji called “Tokyo Bouz (Buddhist Monk) Collection”; it was aimed at addressing issues in attracting followers to Buddhism. At the event there were booths set up advertising volunteering activities for temples, and throughout the day there were seminars and speakers directed both towards Buddhist followers and monastics.

The main event took place inside the main temple hall. As an up and coming Tokyo rapper rapped a section of the Lotus Sutra, dancers performed an interpretive dance. The temple was packed with spectators, many of who came early to get good seats for the show. Unfortunately I came late and was forced to only catch glimpses of the show through the crowd. Even still I could see the vibrant costumes and the rapping of the sutra seemed out of place in the main hall. This great departure from traditional methods of conveying the Buddhist way took me by surprise, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were achieving their goal of modernizing Buddhism, or if such a drastic change needed to be more gradual.

Not all temples have followed Tuskiji Honganji’s example in attracting followers. It has become ingrained in Japanese Society that Buddhism is for death and the national religion of Shinto is for life. With the events at Tsukiji Honganji they have tried to revamp their image, making them more than a place for funerals. Whether these tactics will have a lasting impact on the structure of Japanese Buddhism has yet to be seen. Needless to say, however, these events have attracted a lot of attention and have opened the discussion for changing Buddhist practice to better fit the modern Japanese lifestyle. Over time this may ultimately erase the traditional image of Japanese Buddhism that is so popular abroad. There is already evidence of Buddhist images taking on more of an “anime” or animated appearance which is obvious in the poster for the “Tokyo Bouz Collection”. Some temples have even created anime version of Buddhist deities. I look forward to see the development of the religion first hand as I study in Tokyo this fall.