Kyoto: Free Magazine Edited by Young Priests Celebrates 15th Year; ‘Freestyle Priests’Discussing Modern-Day Buddhism

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, November 16, 2024

KYOTO — A cross-denominational free magazine published by young Buddhist priests has celebrated its 15th year of publication in Kyoto.

The magazine “Freestyle-na Soryo-tachi” (Freestyle priests) was launched in 2009 to offer priests a venue for free discussion with members of the younger generation and to explore how Buddhism works in the modern age.

The circulation of the magazine was about 1,500 copies at first, but it has since grown to more than 10,000. It is now distributed at places like temples and restaurants at 700 locations across the country.

An event to look back on the magazine’s history was held at Ryuganji temple in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, last month, and some young priests who have served as the publication’s chief editors discussed relevant issues.

Ryuho Ikeguchi, 44, head priest at Ryuganji and the first chief editor of the magazine, said that it was taboo to work together across denominational barriers at the time of the magazine’s launch.

“It became possible for anyone to freely express their feelings in the 2000s when the internet began to spread. At a time when temples were also forced to change, I wanted to create an opportunity in which priests could express a new form of Buddhism in a ‘freestyle’ way,” Ikeguchi said.

Current chief editor Masaaki Hata, 30, a priest at Seitokuji temple in Sapporo, said: “I want to make sure the magazine addresses the worries and troubles of the people in the modern age. I want to make the magazine into something readers can relate to.”

There are said to be few opportunities for priests of different denominations to have dialogue with each other. “We all want to reach the same place. We just have different ways of getting there,” said Shunyu Kaga, 38, head priest of Mitsutera temple in Osaka and the third chief editor of the magazine.