‘Becoming Like the Sky’: an Encounter with a Street Monk in Ginza

In Tokyo, Buddhist priests chanting sutras in the streets, with their traditional robes and straw hats, have become an exotic sight not only to foreign tourists but to Tokyoites too. Mr. Mochizuki has been practicing takuhatsu (religious mendicancy and sutra chanting) in the streets of Ginza for nine years.
I had the opportunity to interview him about his path in life and the reasons that have led him to chant sutras in the middle of one of Tokyo’s busiest districts.

Buddhism in Japan Today

It is often said that Japanese people are born Shinto and die Buddhists. As a matter of fact, most Japanese people are not observant of one religion specifically, but will make an occasional visit to the local shrine or temple, or take part in celebrations of Japan’s two main religions independently. In the community, Buddhist priests used to be people you could talk to in order to seek advice. However, with time, Buddhism in Japan has been more and more associated with funerals, leading people to forget that Buddhism is actually a religion of life. Some priests and temples are actually struggling.