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Buddha

Abe Monjuin: An ancient temple with a connection to stars and astrology…and National Treasures

A stop on the Nara Yamato Four-Temple Pilgrimage leads to a jaw-dropping discovery.

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This little-known temple in rural Japan has a giant Buddha bigger than Kamakura’s or Nara’s【Pics】

A visit to Seirinji Temple.

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We visit a mysterious pagoda near Yomiuri Land, turns out to be an incredibly sacred spot

An enigmatic-looking building turns out to be much more.

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Where to find the Great Floating Buddha of Ikebukuro

Tokyo ward known for its otaku culture holds a hidden gem not many people know about.

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Senkoji: The Japanese temple that’s more like a theme park to heaven and hell

The chief priest at this temple says there’s more to this experience than just entertainment.

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Boys’ love at the temple? Sensual ikemen art that raised eyebrows in Japan now set to be removed

Modern makeover at centuries-old temple comes to an end, but not for rumoured reasons.

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Why is there a giant Buddha head on the top of this Japanese office building?【Photos】

It’s not the only startling rooftop surprise in this town, either.

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Help your kitty reach enlightenment with Felissimo’s new Buddhist statue-style “halo scratcher”

After all, isn’t the most divine member of your household worthy of some proper respect every now and then?

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Video game answers age-old question: Could Jesus kick Buddha’s butt?

Two-dimensional fighting game Fight of Gods offends me deeply, but I wonder how religious people feel about it.

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New live action Japanese comedy will star Jesus Christ and Buddha hanging out together

Saint Young Men, a popular manga series starring the two religious figures, will make the jump to live-action next year.

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Japanese designers create a knit hat to help you look like Buddha

Japanese designers help you share your religious zeal (or irreverent sense of humor) with this quirky new hat that’ll make you look just like a statue of Buddha!

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Buddha-shaped chocolates keep showing up in Japan, this time in Hiroshima

Enlightenment gets even sweeter.

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Kyoto confectioner selling hemp-infused Buddha head chocolates

If you’ve got such a powerful sweet tooth that you worship chocolate, these might be just the treats for you.

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We visit “world’s largest” Buddha in Fukuoka, puts Sagat’s to shame

Fukuoka Prefecture is a major tourist destination in Japan, drawing people form all over the country all year round. But what’s unusual about the prefecture is that, despite its great many visitors, it doesn’t have any particularly famous sightseeing spots. Most people come for the food alone—a fact which should give you an indication of how good it is.

That’s why our reporter, Takashi Harada went in search of something worth gawking at in the otherwise wonderful land of Fukuoka and came across something that every visitor ought to see: the “World’s Largest Buddha statue” nestled deep in its mountains.

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Mummified remains of monk found inside 1,000-year-old Buddha statue

When you think of mummies your mind probably goes straight to Egypt and Halloween. But not all mummies are pyramid-dwelling, bandaged pharaohs. Asia has had its fair share of mummies over the millennia as well, but instead of pharaohs they were Taoist and Buddhist monks, and instead of being mummified post-mortem, they mummified themselves before dying.

Recently, researchers in the Netherlands have discovered the mummified remains of a Buddhist monk who is thought to be Liuquan, a master of the Chinese Meditation School, within a bronze Buddha statue! Keep in mind, this guy lived around 1100 AD!

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Buddha vs Eva, Ultraman, Gundam and Lady Liberty: How the otherworldly measure up

If you’re a fan of mecha anime, you’ll know all about towering robots and the impressive displays of power they show during large-scale, epic battles. One of the titans of the mecha world, Gundam, is so revered in Japan he’s been recreated to scale and stands looking out over Tokyo Bay, wowing crowds with his strength and height.

Gundam might not be so happy, however, to learn that a picture doing the rounds on the internet is making him look tiny when compared with his peaceful brother from another otherworldly realm. To be fair though, not much can compete with Ushiku Daibutsu, the tallest Buddha statue in the world, who lives just a 90-minute train ride from Narita Station.

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Date that deity! Japan picks the top 5 most dateable Buddhas

With the popularity of Saint Young Men, a story about Buddha and Jesus living together in Japan, readers have had the chance to imagine how a god would react to everyday life. Do they live up to their holy ideals? Or are they a little more human? Some avid readers have gone beyond those basics to imagining themselves dating one of these divine deities!

And why limit yourself to the Jesus or Buddha of Saint Young Men, when there is a directory full of other Buddhas to pursue?! We took to the streets of Nara and Kamakura, famous hot spots for Buddhist temples, and polled women on which Buddha they would want to date! 

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Hilarious Comic About Room-Sharing Jesus and Buddha, “Saint Onīsan”, to Become Animated Movie

It was revealed yesterday that Saint Onīsan, quite possibly this writer’s favourite manga right now, is to become an animated feature film.

For the unfamiliar, Saint Onīsan (lit. Saint young man), is Hikaru Nakamura’s serial comic that tells the tale of Jesus and Buddha, who come down to Earth from heaven for a little rest and relaxation, setting up camp in a small apartment in Tachikawa, Tokyo.

Constantly on a budget but always keen to explore, Jesus and Buddha do their best to keep their true identities secret while experiencing as much everyday human life as possible. Doing everything from experiencing local festivals to shopping for a rice cooker, the pair often find themselves getting into genuinely hilarious mishaps. Read More