[Buddha-l] The upaya express

[Dan Lusthaus]

More on the background of the new experiments in relevance among Japanese 
monks.

Here's a piece from 2006, at that a cafe within a Tokyo temple.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20061101f2.html

It should be noted that the cafe idea is not entirely a novel development. 
Temples, esp, prominent ones have done similar things with the lay community 
for many centuries in Japan, sometimes under the rubric of specific 
festivities or celebrations, sometimes 'private catering,' etc. The modern 
versions just adopt a more updated business model. Restaurants attached to 
Temples are common throughout E Asia (China, Taiwan & Korea they are 
vegetarian and usually quite tasty -- in Japan Temple restaurants, or 
Sect-associated restaurants may be vegetarian, usually each with its own 
specialty, such specializing in varieties of tofu dishes; and these can be 
located away from the temples themselvesl they are usually VERY expensive.)

Dan