UNESCO Recognizes Ancient Buddhist Documents for Memory of the World Register

The Buddhist Channel, 25 May 2023

Otsu, Japan -- UNESCO's Memory of the World register will now feature a remarkable collection of documents dating back over a thousand years, shedding light on the historical and cultural exchanges between Japan and China.

The Rise of K-Buddhism

by Emi Hailey Hayakawa, The Buddhist Channel, 14 July 2022

Cheonjinam Hermitage and Jueosa Temple: The Forgotten Sacrifices of Buddhist Monks by the Korean Catholics

By Emi Hayakawa, BTN Korea, Published on the Buddhist Channel, Dec 7, 2021

Gwangju, South Korea -- Currently at the Cheonjinam memorial site located in Toechon-myeon Village in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province) a large statue of the Virgin Mary stands at the entrance, with the inscription “The Statue of Virgin Mary for World Peace,” by Pope John Paul II, and the grand tombs of five Catholic martyrs exalted where the Buddhist dharma hall of Cheonjinam hermitage once stood.

Buddhist monk master in China resigns after sexual misconduct allegations

by Lusha Zhang and Philip Wen, Reuters, Aug 15, 2018

BEIJING, China -- One of China's highest-ranking Buddhist monks quit as the head of the country's Buddhist association on Wednesday after facing a government investigation over accusations of sexual misconduct.

Japan's Buddhist temples to offer rooms to rent after law change

by Danielle Demetriou , The Telegrraph, 28 May 2018

Tokyo, Japan -- The words “spiritual” and “spartan” are not often used to describe properties listed on Airbnb. They are, however, more likely to crop up following the launch of a service devoted to providing accommodation in temples across Japan.

For China's Buddhist Monks, an IPO Too Far

by Adam Minter, Bloomberg, April 25, 2018

Entrepreneurs hoped to list a sacred mountain on a Chinese stock exchange. Trouble ensued.
Beijing, China -- In China, religion is big business. The famed Shaolin Temple owns dozens of companies and its abbot is popularly known as the "CEO monk." Two of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains are publicly listed. So management at Mount Putuo Tourism Development Co., which oversees a third holy mountain, probably thought that their own initial public offering would cause little controversy.

Fire at sacred Tibetan Buddhist temple sparks suspicion about censorship

by Neil Connor, The Telegraph, 18 February 2018

Beijing, China -- A fire broke out at one of the most sacred temples in Tibetan Buddhism, prompting concern and suspicion that information on the incident is being controlled by authorities.

Ancient Banquet Hall Near Country's First Buddhist Temple Discovered in Former Capital of Japan

By Sydney Pereira, Newsweek, Feb 26, 2018

Tokyo, Japan -- Archaeologists may have found a 63-foot-long banquet hall for nobility, dating back to the Asuka period, which extended from 538 A.D. to 794 A.D. What remains of the structure are holes in the ground measuring 3 to 4 feet wide, where, researchers believe, wooden pillars once stood lining the banquet hall.

Nara temple unravels giant scroll of 11-faced Buddhist statue

By YUYA TANAKA, Asahi Shimbun, February 28, 2018

SAKURAI, Nara Prefecture (Japan) -- A gigantic scroll containing a life-size picture of the main Buddhist statue of Hasedera temple here has been dusted off for the first display in six years.

What’s behind the ‘Buddhist mentality’ among mainland China's youth?

by Chung Man, Hong Kong Economic Journal , Feb 9, 2018

Hong Kong, China -- The “Buddhist concept”, i.e., a laid-back outlook on life, has become all the rage among young people in the mainland; they have become too relaxed about everything and stopped being competitive.