VOA文化艺术2024--Buyers Want Japanese Temples for Tax Breaks

Benmou Suzuki is a religious worker at a 420-year-old temple that is not in very good condition.

It is deep in the forest near a small Japanese mountain village. It does not look like a valuable property.

Yet two men recently asked Suzuki if he was interested in selling. He said he thinks they did not want the old, ornate building next to a mountain that is considered holy. Instead, they wanted the special tax status that comes with running a religious property.

"There are people out there who want a temple, even a mountain temple like this," said 52-year-old Suzuki.

Japan's population is decreasing and interest in religion is less intense. There are fewer people to support the country's many temples and shrines².

Suzuki's Mikaboyama temple, for example, is in a small town, which also has three other Buddhist³ temples, one Shinto shrine¹ and a Christian⁴ church.

Japanese officials say they are seeing more sales of religious properties to buyers who do not continue to run them as religious centers. Officials fear many are buying them to avoid paying taxes or possibly even to hide criminal activity.

Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs oversees⁵ religious places. An official from the agency said, "It's already a sense of crisis⁶ for us and the religious community."

The public is unhappy about the sales, too. In Osaka, a temple sold in 2020 was later torn down for a property development. In Kyoto, news reports said a temple was destroyed to make a parking lot.

The owner of an active religious center in Japan is a corporation that pays no taxes. Even non-religious businesses on the property enjoy lower tax rates. The law permits many different activities like restaurants, hair salons⁷ and hotels.

The cultural affairs agency said it has increased its efforts to end the legal status of inactive religious corporations to stop sales to non-religious owners. Where there has been damage to a religious place, agency officials visit, warning the religious leaders about selling to such buyers.

It might seem easier for Japan to change its laws for purchasing religious properties. But the agency said the government does not like to change laws related to religion. They do not want to limit religious freedom, which Japan's constitution protects.

Osaka-based property dealer⁸ Takao Yamamoto said interest is rising quickly. He said a religious corporation license⁹ can sell for $210,000. Some religious properties, especially those where burials take place, are advertised for millions of dollars.

"Anyone can buy independent sites as long as you have money...even foreigners can buy them. Recently, a lot of Chinese people are trying to buy them," Yamamoto said.

For his part, Suzuki says he does not plan to sell Mikaboyama temple and is working on ideas to raise money to keep it up. "Temples are places for local people to gather and forge¹⁰ connections. We just can't get rid of them," he said.

Words in This Story

temple - n. a building for worship, in Japan, belonging to the Buddhist religion

ornate -n. including many fine details and made in an effort to impress those who see it

status -n. how a person or property is treated under the law

shrine - n. in Japan, a place connected with a holy person or event where people go to worship in the Shinto religious tradition

license -n. usually a document that permits the holder¹¹ to carry on an activity, use or own something that is subject to government rules

forge - v. to form or create (something, such as an agreement or relationship) through great effort

get rid of - phrasal verb. to do something so that you no longer have or are affected or bothered by (something or someone that is unwanted)

1 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

2 shrines   

圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All three structures dated to the third century and were tentatively identified as shrines. 这3座建筑都建于3 世纪，并且初步鉴定为神庙。
• Their palaces and their shrines are tombs. 它们的宫殿和神殿成了墓穴。

3 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

6 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

7 salons   

n.（营业性质的）店( salon的名词复数 )；厅；沙龙（旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所）；（大宅中的）客厅

参考例句：

• He used to attend to his literary salons. 他过去常常去参加他的文学沙龙。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Conspiracy theories about Jewish financiers were the talk of Paris salons. 犹太金融家阴谋论成为巴黎沙龙的话题。 来自互联网

8 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

9 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

10 forge   

v.使形成，与...建立密切联系，伪造，假冒

参考例句：

• Everything new comes from the forge of hard and bitter struggle.一切新东西都是从艰苦斗争中锻炼出来的。
• Difficulties help to forge people into able folk.困难有助于把人们锻炼成能干的人。

11 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。