Monks come off the mountain to bring Buddhism to Tokyo

In today's busy world, not every worshipper has the time to make the age-old pilgrimage to Mount Hieizan, the historic seat of the Tendai Buddhist sect.

So the monks of the peak, overlooking Kyoto, have brought their monastery to Tokyo to offer a chance to meditate in one of the capital's busiest commercial spots.

From July 12-17, monks from Enryakuji temple, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, set up a darkened studio for visitors to try shakyo--a form of meditation based on tracing Buddhist sutras written in Chinese characters with brushes and ink--inside Tokyo Skytree.

Buddhists are looking for a way to reach the ears of the younger generation, whose only image of the religion might come from the monk paid to chant at family funerals.

Filled with shops and restaurants, the 634-meter Skytree tower in Sumida Ward ranks as the world’s tallest and is constantly crammed with tourists and shoppers. Yet it’s exactly the sort of environment, said Koshi Takebayashi of Enryakuji, where the monks want to deliver their message.

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