{
  "id": 15500833,
  "title": "Young priests in rural Japan struggle as temples face dwindling parishioners",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/young-priests-in-rural-japan-struggle-as-temples-face-dwindling",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T22:00:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261015/p2a/00m/0na/032000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the mountainous region of Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, young Buddhist priests face significant challenges due to dwindling parishioners, marriage issues, and hereditary succession as temples across the country struggle for survival. Rural areas are particularly affected by population decline. At Zenpukuji temple in Tsuyama, a children's summer Zen meditation workshop saw only one participant, a second-grade boy accompanied by his grandfather. Chief priest Jiyu Morisada, 37, expressed uncertainty about the future of such events. The Terakatsu Project, launched in 2018 by volunteers from 20 Tendai Buddhist temples in northern Okayama, aims to lower psychological barriers to visiting temples and involves temple matchmaking events. However, the number of participants has been declining, and the pandemic halted in-person gatherings. In Kannonji temple, the parishioner households have dropped from around 800 three decades ago to approximately 500 today. To maintain the temple as a viable occupation and family support, 300 parishioner households are considered the minimum. The temple's situation is dire, with about 100 households moving away last year alone. Chief priest Jiyu Morisada, who is also deputy chief priest of another temple, acknowledges the urgency of the situation and expresses concerns about passing the temple on to the next generation due to the hereditary system. Deputy chief priest Ensho Maniwa, who is married with a young son, believes that in 20-30 years, it may not be feasible for him to tell his child to take over the temple. Maniwa suggests reducing maintenance costs by compacting temple facilities, which could help pass the temple on to future generations. Despite efforts to help families maintain a connection with the temple, Maniwa emphasizes that individuals must choose their path, as religion cannot be forced upon them.",
  "summary": "TSUYAMA, Okayama -- In a mountainous area of Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, young Buddhist priests are struggling with shrinking congregations,",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}