{
  "id": 7679204,
  "title": "Cash-strapped Japanese monks turn to investing as inflation worsens",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/cash-strapped-japanese-monks-turn-to-investing-as-inflation-worsens",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-16T01:18:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/09/16/japan-monks-investing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a small town in Hokkaido, a fifth-generation Buddhist priest named Koukyo Yoneta is facing a financial struggle to maintain his century-old temple. Instead of waiting for his congregation to donate money they may not have, Yoneta invested the donations his community had already given. This investment strategy proved successful, with his portfolio of U.S. Treasuries, Japanese real estate investment trusts, and stocks like BYD and Hyundai yielding more than 10% annually over two years. This additional funding enabled Yoneta to cover approximately ¥25 million ($162,000) in needed repairs, even allowing him to expand the renovations beyond the original plan.\n\nYoneta's financial acumen comes as a surprise, considering that he previously worked in retail sales at Daiwa Securities Group. However, he is part of a growing trend of temple owners turning to financial markets to cope with the rising costs of maintaining their ornate wooden structures. The expenses associated with these temples have been increasing, while the Buddhist population in Japan has dwindled by about 14% over the past two decades. This decline is attributed to the aging of adherents and younger generations moving to larger cities and distancing themselves from religious practices.",
  "summary": "A growing wave of temple owners turning to financial markets as costs for the upkeep are soaring and the country's Buddhist population is falling.",
  "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."
}