Japanology Plus (2014)

Season 7: Episode 16

Kohfukuji, a World Heritage Site, is a prominent Buddhist temple in Nara, western Japan. One of its priests is Gyoei Saile, from Germany. In a Japanophiles interview, he tells Peter Barakan how his interest in Buddhism developed, and we learn about the extremely difficult exam he had to pass in order to become eligible to assume the abbacy of Kohfukuji. Saile also takes us through his daily routine, and offers thoughts on the role that Buddhism can play in contemporary Japan.