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44 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURES
Can Mindfulness Save
Buddhism in Japan?
By Karen Jensen
In a country where Buddhism has become a “funeral religion,” one Zen monk hopes to use
the popular Westernized practice to revive his tradition.
In the western imagination, Rev. Kawakami is the deputy head
Buddhist meditation in Japan priest of Shunkoin, a Rinzai Zen
evokes the stoic monk sitting full temple in the Myoshinji complex
lotus on a tatami mat or the lone in Kyoto. He’s part of a small group
hermit climbing to his mountain of Zen priests who have been
hut. But in today’s Japan, the models promoting mindfulness in hopes
for these images are slowly receding of demonstrating the relevance
as many people embrace a growing of Buddhism in people’s lives.
phenomenon— mindfulness, He has long been interested in
or maindofurunesu (the English teaching Japanese and Western
word, now a Japanese loanword). audiences how Buddhist ideas
can cut through our preconceived
In 2017 at least three major biases, and has given lectures
Japanese magazines ran cover at universities, corporations,
stories touting the benefits of and TEDx conferences. He also leads
“Mindfulness Meditation,” mindfulness, citing scientific meditation classes at Shunkoin
released by Fusosha Publishing studies, and advocating its use in temple for foreigners and locals.
in July 2017 business settings. Mindfulness
events cropping up across the The approach of this Zen priest
country are just one sign that the may sound similar to those of many
practice is starting to stick. other mindfulness teachers, but
he’s an exception among his fellow
Some monks see the growing Japanese monks, who do not spend
interest in meditation as an a lot of time teaching meditation.
opportunity to revive Buddhism, Instead, most temples primarily
which most Japanese people view provide memorial services—
as stuffy and irrelevant. expensive Buddhist funerals—for
“In Japan, Buddhism is considered deceased followers.
conservative—a traditional
organized religious institution,” In hopes of reviving popular interest
Reverend Takafumi Zenryu in Buddhism, monks across Japan
Kawakami recently told Tricycle in in recent years have endeavored
an email. to shed the stereotype of money-
