Japan Priest Wants to Help People in Hospitals, Disaster Areas

   Annaka, Gunma Pref., Feb. 18 (Jiji Press)--Buddhist priest Kodai Furutani, known for online videos explaining the teachings of Buddhism in an easy-to-understand manner, hopes to become a "clinical" chaplain providing mental and spiritual support in hospitals and disaster-hit areas.
   In Japan, training for such chaplains began at Tohoku University and elsewhere after the March 2011 devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the Tohoku northeastern region. The Society for Interfaith Chaplaincy in Japan began certifying clinical chaplains in 2018.
   In principle, clinical chaplains, who have various religious backgrounds, do not engage in work to propagate the religions they practice. They focus on helping people experiencing grief.
   Furutani, 30, deputy chief priest at Unmonji Temple in the city of Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, eastern Japan, joined Sophia University's Institute of Grief Care in April last year. He studies in Tokyo on weekdays to become qualified as a clinical chaplain and spends the weekends in his hometown in Gunma.
   Despite being born as the first son of a chief priest, Furutani did not intend to follow in his father's footsteps. He joined a large company after graduating from university and worked as a sales official for medical equipment.

(2025/02/18-18:11)

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