Japanese Temple with Anime Mascot and theme song

[Ensapa]

As Japan is famous for its Anime culture, one temple has somewhat created an anime mascot and an anime theme song as well as a game so that they can reach out to more people. We have all heard that Buddhism should reach out to more people, but how far should a temple go before it is considered disrespectful?

Sutra Master” is Cute, Confusing, and a Little Controversial, Goes on Sale at Comiket 82 by Ryoho Temple
Aug 8, 2012

Tokyo’s famous Comic Market (Comiket) 82, the world’s largest doujinshi convention, is set to kick off on 10 August.  We can be sure to expect cosplayers and original comics a plenty, but one particular creation has be stirring up a fair bit of hype weeks before the gates open – the PC game Sutra Master.

Sutras are, in a nutshell, short pearls of spiritual wisdom like something you might find in a high-brow fortune cookie and are often compared to prayers in other religions.  Taken from Buddhist texts and often chanted during meditation or religious ceremonies, sutras are generally treated with solemn dignity but Sutra Master takes them to a weird new place.


A video demonstration of Sutra Master was uploaded to YouTube back in July and since then has been gradually chalking up views and a healthy like/dislike ratio. Here’s what the video’s description has to say:

“This totally original game comes from Ryoho Temple in Hachioji, commonly known as ‘Moe Temple’!
The game is called Sutra Master!
Hit your wooden fish! Ring your singing bowl! This music game is actually an amazing sutra game!
From 10 August at Comic Market 82 at Tokyo Big Sight West wing of the 4th Floor this game will be sold at the ‘Welcome to Ryoho Temple’ booth for 1000 yen!”
(Translated from the YouTube video description)

The format of the game should seem familiar to music game aficionado’s resembling Taiko: Drum Master or Donkey Konga.  But even the dancing bananas and other inherent weirdness of those games don’t quite prepare you for Sutra Master.

As the description explains, you must hit your wooden fish, which is a wooden percussion instrument used by Buddhist monks when reciting sutras. In addition you also must ring your singing bowl, which is basically a bowl that is used like a bell, often alongside the wooden fish.  Together these instruments are used during religious ceremonies like a funeral or memorial service.

In Sutra Master you must rhythmically hit each instrument as half-man half-snake gods and frogs come at you to poppy high speed techno music.  Oh yeah, and you have to occasionally swat away ghost fireballs that float by.  Then the dancing cat-girls and tombstones come. All in all just your typical video game.

If you are successful, the sutras you conjure up by keeping the rhythm send a recently departed ghost to the other side as represented by a meter on the top of the screen.

It certainly seems like a cute and fun game that the whole family can enjoy.  And for Buddhists, it can be a nice way to reconnect with the religion.  After all, memorizing sutras are a path to enlightenment.

However, some Japanese viewers of the demonstration video expressed a range of emotions from “What the hell are they thinking?” to “I think I want to buy this game.” More than a few Japanese people were disconcerted by the use of religious symbols in such a way.

Surprisingly though, in China, which has had a longer relationship with Buddhism, the response has been overwhelmingly positive with comments ranging from “LOL” to “Super cute!”

One thing is for sure, everyone who witnesses this game walks away with an opinion.  So it will be interesting to see how this game sells when Comiket rolls around.  Ryoho Temple keeps a well maintained blog which we will keep an eye on for developments!

The Game:

?	Small | Large

The official theme song (1st theme):

PV?

(both on top is a sutra, apparently)

The official theme song (2nd theme):

PV?!!???×?

I would personally love to see a DS version complete with characters and the 5 emanations

[Ensapa]

And before you think otherwise, it is actually a real temple that was built during the 16th century:

Japanese temple resorts to manga to woo visitors
By Miwa Suzuki (AFP) – Nov 21, 2009 



HACHIOJI, Japan — Girls clad in maids' outfits are not traditionally associated with Buddhism, but that has not stopped monks at a centuries-old temple using Japanese pop culture to woo visitors.
The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up -- especially young men.
But it went a step further at the weekend, setting up tents and opening up a temporary cafe staffed by bonnet-wearing girls sporting classic frills, one of the recent popular themes among fans of anime and costume role-playing.
The "maids" look authentic and old-fashioned in every way -- save for the short length of the skirts and the fake cats' ears on their heads.
And it seemed to work, the temple drawing hundreds of visitors on Saturday as the event coincided with a local autumn festival in Hachioji, on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
"I came over because this temple has been the talk of the Net," said Mitsutaka Adachi, a 26-year-old telecom software programmer, one of many first-time visitors to the ancient temple.
"I was a bit surprised to see this but it's fun," he told AFP. "This can motivate people to come here."
One of the maids, who only identified herself as Yurin, said it was "good that young people come to the temple."
"This is my first experience as a maid but I'm enjoying myself," she added.
Ryohoji's chief monk, Shoko Nakazato, 45, said he did not think it was inappropriate.
"I'm a manga generation who grew up watching them on television. I have little resistance to manga.... I wanted to tell the people that temples are a fun place to visit," he said.
Ryohoji previously had almost no visitors during the week, but recently up to 30 people, mostly young men, had come every day, Nakazato said.
Adding to the spectacle, Toromi, a singer who drew the manga characters on the temple's sign, was in a red-and-white costume inspired by a goddess worshipped at the temple.
"I'm so happy as unexpectedly many people came," said Toromi, who goes by one name and is a common sight in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district that is frequented by computer buffs and fanatics, known in Japanese as "otaku."
Ryohoji is also selling a 500-yen (five-dollar) card with cartoon characters which allows buyers to download three-minute motion pictures on to their mobile phones of chief monk Nakazato chanting prayers.

They actually have a website as well. It's in Japanese, but google translate works quite well: http://ryohoji.jp/

Is it appropriate to use popular culture to this extent to bring people to Buddhism?

[buddhalovely]

The thing is, Toro Benten isn't a Buddhist diety, it's a mascot. A mascot that didn't really come through some meditative revelation, but a mascot consciously made up to attract customers to the temple. However, Buddhism in Japan is pretty much dead. It's existence is dependent upon funerals for monks to make a living, and Japanese people in general don't have much of an interest in Buddhism, or even spirituality in general. Perhaps if they revived the Vinaya in Japan there would be a resurgence in Buddhism, but it seems highly doubtful as temples are handed down from father to son, and they are married and like to drink. Similar to Christianity in America in a sense.

This vid is just surreal and amusing:

PV?

[Ensapa]

Really, to what extent that methods used to promote Buddhism is inappropriate? Manga and anime is in reality just another medium, another platform. If it can be used to express Dharmic intentions, why not? It is just like how the culture of the countries that Buddhism set foot in were used by Buddhism to spread the Dharma to them. So, is this not like the same as that? It is just a different medium in which the Dharma can spread from. Personally, I also grew up with the manga culture, and I dont really see too much of a problem with using anime and manga to promote Buddhism or to attract those who would normally not be able to listen to Buddhism to that direction. It is just a method at the end. If we should not have a fixed view of how Buddhism should be and how the Dharma would spread, then why do we feel upset when we look at something like that?

Toro Benten is probably a reference to and was inspired by Benzaiten or, better known to us as Sarasawati. To be honest I was very shocked at first to find a temple 'selling' Buddhism in this way, but upon further thinking, I realize it was more or less due to my closed mind that I was unable to accept such a method. The last part where Toro Benten and the other mascot reveal their breasts is, a little, unnerving in more ways than one, tho.

[sonamdhargey]

Cool! Manga Maskot to promote Buddhism is very interesting . Buddhism should not be stuck on old ways to attract the old people. Buddhism must go with the times. Keeping the teachings pure and intact is a must but why not make it interesting for young people to get attracted to ancient teachings via approach like this? Like Chögyam Trungpa a Lama who have very different and unconventional approaches to attract people.

[bambi]

LOL. Japan really have their ways to promote anything and everything! I find it rather interesting. Different people and different upbringing. Japanese are accustomed to anime as they love it and most of them are interested in it. I find this approach something new and it can attract the young ones. Who said that Buddhism is just about learning and being holy schmoly? 

[Klein]

Buddhism in Japan has degenerated to a level that the only way to remotely attract the people to Buddhism is to first use what they are attracted to in the secular world. In this case, the temple decided to use anime. It has nothing to do with Buddhism.

When the people go to the temple, they will see the Buddha statue and perhaps even hear the prayers. This will plant some seeds of Enlightenment in their mind streams. If learning and practising the dharma is not possible in this life time, they can learn it in their future lives when the right conditions triggers the Enlightenment seeds to open up.

My guru says that benefitting people does not always have to be in this lifetime. We must always take their future lives into consideration.

There is a bar in Japan that is operated by Buddhist monks. These monks work as bartenders and talk to their customers. It's a way of counselling infusing Buddhist teachings. Although it is shocking to hear of Buddhist monks serving alcohol, the ultimate motivation is to help people relieve their sufferings. Isn this what Buddhism is about?

This is the link: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=1534.0

[ilikeshugden]

Japan is seriously innovative when it comes to these sort of things. Anime is extremely popular in Japan. I find it good that Japan is using anime to pull in the younger crowd to the Dharma. I rejoice. I think the theme song is very nice. I am not sure which sutra is it. Can anyone tell me?

[Tenzin Malgyur]

This is so interesting. I wanna get the game too. If this is the way to get the Japanese to visit the temple, and it is drawing in the crowds, then I would say it is an effective method. I have read that one must not have a projection of how things should be. I think the temple have a good motivation to use this gimmick as way to get more people to visit the temple, especially the younger generation. As sonamdhargey have mentioned, Buddhism must go with the times, so this is one of the many modern ways to plant the seed of enlightenment into the mind of people during thie period.

[Rihanna]

Really, to what extent that methods used to promote Buddhism is inappropriate? Manga and anime is in reality just another medium, another platform. If it can be used to express Dharmic intentions, why not? It is just like how the culture of the countries that Buddhism set foot in were used by Buddhism to spread the Dharma to them. So, is this not like the same as that? It is just a different medium in which the Dharma can spread from. Personally, I also grew up with the manga culture, and I dont really see too much of a problem with using anime and manga to promote Buddhism or to attract those who would normally not be able to listen to Buddhism to that direction. It is just a method at the end. If we should not have a fixed view of how Buddhism should be and how the Dharma would spread, then why do we feel upset when we look at something like that?

Toro Benten is probably a reference to and was inspired by Benzaiten or, better known to us as Sarasawati. To be honest I was very shocked at first to find a temple 'selling' Buddhism in this way, but upon further thinking, I realize it was more or less due to my closed mind that I was unable to accept such a method. The last part where Toro Benten and the other mascot reveal their breasts is, a little, unnerving in more ways than one, tho.


I agree with your view Ensapa. All these rules and what is right or wrong are made up by men who themselves are unlightened. Modern times require 'modern methods' to bring people into dharma. Isn't this a skillful way of reaching out to another group of people who  otherwise may not even look at Buddhism? In this day and age, we even have singing lamas, Karmapa who dons a sea captain's hat, etc. As long as no being is hurt and sacrificed, who shouldn't new age methods be deployed to attract people's attention to something good?

[Jessie Fong]

Thank you for this post Ensapa.

Modern days need modern methods.  Let's not stay fixated with old methods that may not be applicable in this age.  There may be methods that are old tried and tested but as we go forward with advanced technology and different ways of thinking, we need up-to-date ways to keep in touch.

Since we need to grow the dharma seeds while we are young, this new method will surely attract the younger generation

[Galen]

Is this innovation/creativity or degeneration of Buddhism?

Degeneration is because the Japanese have to resort to these ways to attract people to Buddhism. Buddhism is a glorious religion which teaches practical way of life to reach enlightenment. This should be the attracting point to get people to practice Buddhism instead of means that have nothing to do with Buddhism, like Anime. If people are attracted to Buddhism just because it is cute and in trend. So, when the trend is over, would the people still stick with Buddhism? From my thoughts, I think this is a short term way to get people into Buddhism.

It is indeed creative and innovative because this is the only way that Dharma seeds can be planted into their mind stream hoping that one day their karma will ripen and they will practice Buddhism. So, get all the people that we can so that we can maximise the planting of Dharma seeds. Since we are in the degenerating age, use all the methods to attract people.

Depends on how you see this. What do you think?

[Tenzin K]

At this degenerate time, it’s not easy to spread the dharma. So much distraction and attachment created by our own selves. The compassionate practitioner tirelessly look for ways to blend in the dharma into the modern world. This is just the same to all the great Mahasiddha.

This Japanese game definitely a good idea to educate and indirectly get people learn know more in gaming way. Very creative way to plant dharma seed to the young generation and I believe there will be more in future.
Rejoice.   

[ratanasutra]

Its sound very worldly to me but if this things will attract people to come temple and learn more buddha teaching then it will be a skilful way as i do not know how japanese people keen and into spiritual practice now a days as japanese are very creative and always come out with new idea to and it hit the market in the path.

Another 2-3 years we should know the outcome that these things will attract people to go temple more or not.

 

[Barzin]

I think we can say it's degeneration but we can not really judge what is going on in the temple, i don't these medium to attract people into the temple is to have your picture taking with the anime character or go play game.  Then it really defeat the purpose of promoting the temple.  On the surface, i think an advance country like Japan to spread religious matter is very difficult.  Such advance well market country have seen it all, done it all...  What is new?  I am thinking the person who thought about creating this method to promote temple must have a lot of loyalty and faith to the temple hence he/she is thinking ways to attract.  I might be wrong, it could also be a tourist place which is solely use for money making purpose.  Well, i hope not!