The Kamiyacho Open Terrace cafe in central Tokyo has all the trappings of a trendy establishment -- good coffee, homemade desserts, an airy terrace.
But what makes the cafe truly interesting is its setting: inside the Buddhist Komyoji temple, one of many across Japan offering new services -- concerts, discos, yoga classes -- in a struggle to stay relevant in an increasingly secular society.
"For Japanese, temples were once a part of daily life," said the cafe's 24-year-old owner, monk Keisuke Matsumoto. "I want Kamiyacho Open Terrace to be a place people can drop in casually . . . and perhaps become a little curious about Buddhism."
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