Online funerals, Zen apps keep Japan’s Buddhist temples afloat

A screen shows a broadcast of an online memorial service at Tsukiji Hongwanji temple in Tokyo, Japan, which is venturing into new fields such as match-making services, a cafe and yoga classes. — Bloomberg

Memorial services held online. Zen meditation apps. Buddhist temple-led match-making services.

As the coronavirus pandemic forces institutions around the world to change the way they do things, those new endeavors are some of the ways that Buddhist groups in Japan are trying to survive. Their temples are part of the landscape: there are about 77,000, more than the number of Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores.