Venerable Koji Matsubara

Monks and nuns hit the catwalk in Tokyo on Dec. 15 in a bid to spread Buddhism among younger people in this rapidly aging society. According to an Associated Press story, the fashion show opened with a Buddhist prayer set to a hip-hop beat at the centuries-old Tsukiji Honganji temple. Buddhist monks here traditionally wear simple black robes, but to appeal to more fashion-conscious youth, the monks wore green and yellow clothes, some with gold embroidery.

Others wore elaborate, multilayered robes. Venerable Koji Matsubara explained, "We wanted to show the young people that Buddhism is cool, and temples are not a place just for funerals."

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