Date : October 26, 2015
Video Report: Vanishing Temples -Efforts by Priests as Population Declines- by Mr. Hidenori Ukai, Reporter for Nikkei BP’s Nikkei Business
post date : 2015.11.02
There are currently approximately 77,000 Buddhist temples in Japan, a number greater than even the 52,000 convenience stores nationwide. However, with changes to the fabric of society stemming from an aging population, a shift to nuclear families, and depopulation of rural areas, people are less connected with temples, and some experts say that in the future 30 to 40% of those temples may vanish. In response to this situation, there are a number of initiatives by younger priests to revitalize Buddhism, such as by having retirees utilize empty temples and by providing training for seniors.
The FPCJ invited Mr. Hidenori Ukai, a reporter for Nikkei BP’s Nikkei Business, to speak about the current situation of temples vanishing and the initiatives being implemented by younger priests. He is the author of Vanishing Temples—The Loss of Regional Areas and Religion, which was published this May and was written based on interviews at temples throughout Japan.
The briefing had a total of 22 participants, including 13 journalists from the U.S., the U.K., France, China, Taiwan, etc., and 2 embassy representatives.
[Material distributed at the press briefing]
Vanishing Temples - Efforts by Priests as Population Declines
[Briefer]
Mr. Hidenori Ukai, Reporter for Nikkei BP’s Nikkei Business
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