Photo/Illutration The main hall of Nanba Betsuin temple is seen through a cavernous space in the lower floors of the high-rise that houses Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu in Osaka's Chuo Ward. (Toyokazu Kosugi)

OSAKA--Temples around Japan are finding innovative ways to generate revenue in the face of a dwindling number of devotees who splurge on funerals and other Buddhist services.

Some temples are trying to get around the problem by allowing hotels to be erected on their premises. Others are setting up “minpaku” private lodging services.

In November, Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu opened in a 17-story high-rise on the grounds of Nanba Betsuin temple, also known as Minami-Mido, in Osaka’s Chuo Ward. The temple belongs to the Otani branch of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect.

The center of the building from the first through fourth floors is hollowed out to represent the shape of a “gate,” which effectively serves as the temple’s main entrance.

A Starbucks Coffee outlet, a Japanese restaurant and other shops are located on the lower levels.

The hotel has 364 guest rooms on the fifth through 17th floors. There is also a banquet room and other facilities.

Guests rooms and the bar look down upon the roof of Nanba Betsuin’s main hall.

Nearly half of those who stayed overnight in the first month after the hotel opened were foreign tourists.

Reservation numbers increased by about 20 percent after the hotel promoted a “temple view” from its guest rooms on an overseas booking website.

“Many people find it difficult to enter temples,” said Takuma Oe, 36, who is in charge of the temple's financial well-being.

“The flow of people increased after the cafe and hotel opened, so we hope they feel closer to Buddhism.”

According to Takashi Waguri, president of Waqoo Co., which operates a booking site for “shukubo” temple lodging services, there are about 500 temples that offer accommodation services in Japan, an increase of 40 or so over the past three years.

While a growing number of temples are struggling financially due to a drop in “danka” parishioners whose contributions make up the majority of their revenue, lodging at temples offers an attractive experience for foreign visitors eager to touch base with Japanese culture.

The Japan Tourism Agency promotes what is known as “terahaku,” or overnight stays at temples.

It stated in its white paper on tourism in 2019 that it will bolster efforts to that end.

Many famous temples across the nation are making efforts to provide lodging services. These include Miidera, the head temple of the Tendaijimon Buddhist sect, in Shiga Prefecture, Fugenin in Aomori Prefecture and Seizanji in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Jokyoji temple in Kyoto, in tandem with leading real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co., is moving on a project to dismantle its facilities and construct multipurpose building incorporating the temple and a hotel. The facility is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2020.

“Temples are particularly suitable for lodging services because they are often located in central areas and also have the function of accommodating out-of-towners,” Waguri said.

In Osaka, Nyoganji temple built a two-story wooden accommodation facility in its grounds. The three rooms, which can accommodate up to 12 people, are due to open in spring 2020.

Anticipating a drop in danka numbers, Naoko Yamamoto, 36, the chief priest’s eldest daughter, and her Russian husband Dmitrii Volkogonov, 30, who serves as vice chief priest, purchased an empty house nearby in 2017 and ran a minpaku business until summer 2019.

Limited to one group of guests per night, it was reasonably priced at 7,500 yen ($68.40) for two people. In addition, the couple hosted morning sutra recitation sessions and trial classes for tea ceremony, calligraphy and other traditional arts.

The lodging facility had been popular among tourists from Asia, Europe and the United States.

“Temples often wait for people to visit, but increasingly they are promoting themselves,” Yamamoto said. “I hope Japanese people (in addition to foreign tourists) come to stay so that temples become places people feel they can casually drop by without any purpose.”