5.7K views · 286 reactions | "My children, the arms of the Church are...

Monks in Japan follow very different rules depending on the sect, and unlike the common image of Buddhist monks elsewhere, many are allowed to marry, eat meat, and even keep their hair. This comes from reforms in the Meiji period, when the government loosened strict monastic codes to modernize Buddhism. I spent several days with Zeko, a monk under the Nichiren Sect to learn firsthand, @monk_kakurinbo We are visiting his temple again in April. For availabilities, check out @yamatrips_japantours O