Japan Buddhist monk bar has heaven- and hell-inspired drinks, offers beating service

A Tokyo bar run by Buddhist monks has become an online sensation for its unusual blend of cocktails, chanting and death-themed rituals.At the Vowz Bar in the city’s Shinjuku district, patrons can sip drinks inspired by heaven and hell, seek life advice from the monk staff and listen to sutras performed in a modern musical style.According to a Chinese visitor @kaolababyy, the menu features cocktails such as “Nirvana in the Pure Land”, “Never Ending Suffering in Hell” and “Love and Hate leading to Hell”, each priced at 1,000 yen (US$6).The drinks combine fruits and spirits to create sweet, sour and spicy flavours, and are served with incense stick-shaped snacks.The interior of the Buddhist-themed bar in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. Photo: averylivesGuests can also try brush calligraphy while waiting for their orders, with handwritten characters by past visitors covering the ceiling and adding to the bar’s offbeat atmosphere.At 9pm, guests are invited to join a chanting session and read sutras under the guidance of the head monk.The tourist @kaolababyy said in a video that the ritual had a calming effect: “As we chanted, my mind truly became calm, and by the end, I felt purified.”Another visitor noted that reservations are needed because of the bar’s limited space.The rather austere entrance to the bar which attracts both locals and tourists. Photo: averylivesThe bar also offers more unusual experiences, including a free beating on the shoulder with a keisaku, a flat wooden stick traditionally used in Zen practice to keep monks alert during meditation.For 1,000 yen, visitors can also try a coffin experience, wearing a white robe and lying inside a flower-filled coffin as a monk chants and strikes a wooden fish.According to the Japanese food culture portal onaji.me, the bar owner Yoshinobu Fujioka is a former part-time bartender and a monk of Japan’s Jodo Shinshu (Buddhism" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="137924" data-entity-type="organization">Shin Buddhism) sect, which allows monks to marry and eat meat.A member of staff at the bar performs a ritual. Just one of the outlet’s unusual offerings. Photo: averylives“For me, Buddhism is a way to guide people in how to live,” Fujioka said, adding that a bar can make Buddhist teachings feel more accessible to those struggling with life’s difficulties.Further ReadingReportedly, many of the bar’s Buddhist ornaments were brought in by customers.Some visitors also come specifically to seek advice from Fujioka and other monks regarding concerns ranging from grave matters to relationships and broader life problems.In one case, Fujioka said he helped a woman fleeing domestic violence by contacting local authorities and finding information on victim support services.He added that more overseas visitors have recently been coming to the bar out of genuine interest in Buddhist culture.A monk prepares a “coffin” for one of the bar’s most unusual services. Photo: averylivesOne social media user said: “Drinking while listening to calming sutras is truly wild.”Another netizen wrote that the coffin ritual felt like “experiencing death in advance,” adding: “When I left the bar, I felt like a new person, cherishing every day of life.”Japan is home to a range of unconventional themed bars.In Kyoto, Macho Bar offers a muscleman concept, with some customers carried into the venue in a princess-style carry by male staff.Visitors can also pay 900 to 1,400 yen (US$5 to US$9) for experiences such as posing for photographs with the muscular servers or watching them tear off their shirts.