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Moe Moe Buddhism!
by Jon Snyder, 11/24/2009
Moe Moe Buddhism! photo

Do you remember the Shinto shrine that experienced a sudden surge in popularity because of Lucky Star? Well, it appears that the Ryohoji Buddhist temple near Tokyo has decided to go one better... with a full-blown catgirl maid cafe.

Last May, Ryohoji erected a PR sign that featured moe representations of various Buddhist goddesses. This garnered them the attention of GONZO, who expressed interest in licensing the characters earlier this month. In order to further bolster their popularity, Ryohoji decided to put together a catgirl maid cafe during a local festival last week. Unsurprisingly, the cafe turned out to be quite popular.

According to Ryohoji's chief monk, Shoko Nakazato, this new marketing strategy has benefited the temple greatly. They have experienced a healthy surge in popularity, especially among young men. The temple is, naturally, taking this opportunity to sell merchandise featuring the moe goddesses.

Hmm, I have a sudden urge to change religions...

Photos of the event (in video form), as well as a couple of Ryohoji's promotional videos, can be viewed below the jump.

[Via Cartoon Leap, Google News and Ryohoji's website]

 
 


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Legacy comments:

Neonie

In before moe Jesus

 
floppy

More likely to have a moe Mary, I think.
 
Mahina

Moe Mary...there's something wrong about that.

But then, haven't we been watching moe nuns and the like for eons?
 
Rewarp

/sigh

The evolution of a religion towards what appeals to the masses is always a cause for celebration.
 
Thrishmal

Interesting idea, modernizing and popularizing the image of their temple. While I am sure there are a number of people who would not agree with the "updates" the image of a religion is rather unimportant as long as the message stays the same and is better able to reach the people. So, as long as they don't get carried away with greed, great for them!
 
Nihon Freak

Seems disrespectful...But so cute! The drawings anyway.
If they get this, we should at least get Buddy Christ.

 
Jon Snyder

Japan's society is becoming less and less religious. I'm sure they needed to do something to keep up with the times.
 
Rewarp

Speaking as a former Buddhist, I can assure you the central tenets on display are utter nonsense. The person who would be known as Buddha only laid down a set of principles of life that he says will lead one away from suffering.

You can google those principles on your own, but the basic thing is, corruption of what was essentially a philosophical approach to life by Hinduism means Buddhism now has heaven and hell and gods and goddesses and saints and prayers.

Cute though the merchandising may be, I personally feel nothing but sadness that marketing tactics that serve to enrich a religious organization so that it may spread its religious ideals further are always so successful.

Evidently, spreading lies is okay if you call it religion.
 
MarzGurl

I am not Buddhist, but I think that this is a bit hypocritical for such a church, whose beliefs are well-known to include separating oneself from worldly things - you know, not getting attached to the world, so that you can attain something higher. I mean, OK, perhaps this temple was hurting for money. I can see how this would be tempting. But you know what they say - money is the root of all evil. Anyway, bringing in tourists in this fashion, who are there for the cute moe girls and not for the Buddhism, just seems so backward. And if those otaku who show up are kind of on the fence about Buddhism, I somehow get the feeling that they'll be none-too-thrilled when they find out they really SHOULDN'T be holding their silly little "unimportant" things so close to them.

I'll admit, I think I would pay this temple a visit, seeing as how I'm not planning on converting to Buddhism any time soon. But the novelty of the idea makes for an interesting tourism spot.
 
Jon Snyder

Evidently, spreading lies is okay if you call it religion.

Unfortunate but true.
 
Thrishmal

The thing is, how many people does the classic image of Buddhism bring in to their temple? This new image will bring more people in who would otherwise ignore it. While the majority of those people will simply be there for what is being marketed to them, a few might become interested in the underlying message of the temple. This number might be higher than the number of people who would go to the regular temple on their own.

Good or bad, it is up to interpretation.

 
Rewarp

@Thrishmal

Of course it is okay for them to market it that way, and it is okay for whoever who wants to go and sign up to do so.

Although I have no affiliations with this religion any more, I still find it, as Marzgurl says: "a bit hypocritical". Soon they may even start selling "karma paper" for Love Plus characters residing on your DS so they can be reincarnated as people in the next lifetime (not saying its a bad marketing idea at all!).

The sheer number of people who willingly buy into it, that's depressing.
 
Teradoc

@Rewarp

Possibly there might even be a schism to occur in the Buddhist/Shinto area over this. Your mentioning of karma papers for Love Plus characters made me remember some of my history degree when Luther (Martin Luther, founder of Lutheran Churchs) got angry at the Church & Rome for selling indulgences so you can buy your way and your grandmothers and your kitchen sinks way into heaven.

I figure if they don't go overboard to the point of strangulation with this, it'll be just a marketing ploy that will bring a few in but will eventually hit a niche market only. Kinda like Sunday morning church TV programs
 
Parasepsis-Ezza

If this becomes too successful, other institutions might follow suit. The people looked pretty cheerful though.
 
CaptainBright

As a Buddhist here(I feel more like an Atheist than anything else),looking at the state of real,genuine Buddhist monks(those from mostly Tibet and India),these monks who operate the maid cafes seem really,really skeezy people,man.

To think that Buddhism has very,very extreme edges.......
 
Gee-Man

As a Buddhist, I can't help but look down on such practices. Don't get me wrong, if there's any religion that needs money REALLY badly right now, it's Buddhism. Temples are falling apart all over the world and fewer and fewer monks are around to spread the word. I mean, I know some temples sell off their heirlooms and treasures just to keep afloat in these tumultous times.

Still, commercialization on this level just doesn't seem right. I don't mind if you sell me your cheap trinkets and fake scrolls as long as it's going towards fixing the broken bell or renovating the leaky roof.

Ah well, no matter what religion you believe in, there's always going to be some jackass trying to make a buck off of it.
 
lord_jagganath

I, as a liberal Hindu, for one think it is a good idea for them to evolve the way things are looked at... and another thing is... nothing is truly sacred... If they can bring in more people via an evolution of icons and ideas, why not... though you need not go/buy if you don't like it... most people here seem to have chips on their shoulders... I say there is space for variety.. much like that Frater Metal in Italy, Spread the word if you must, in what ever way you can... better through these kind of imagery rather than violence and blackmail
btw captain bright... true buddhist philosophy is as how you feel... Atheistic. What is practiced in japan, is an amalgamation of various beliefs, filtered through India and China, picking up various beliefs of the locals as it is assimilated into Japanese Buddhism.

I like this adaptability, and i do not believe that evolution of religion is to the detriment of faith. I do have a problem with those who stress that their way is the only way though...

 
7h3d4rkw0lf

Just need to get this out there, hell I just made an account to get this out there, that Japanese Buddhism, is whole LIGHT YEARS away from Hindi Buddhism. Really, it's not even Buddhism, it's more a Synchronism between Shintoism and Buddhism, but it's barely a qualification of religion really. It's more a set of standards, ideals, and the general, "be nice" sort of belief so as long as they're spreading these ideals, regardless of how, I think it's great.
 


  

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