clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk

Kansho Tagai, Japan's famed hip-hop loving monk, better known as MC Happiness

A Japanese monk in Tokyo is using rap, hip hop and chanting to bring Buddhism to a younger audience.

The hip-hop loving monk, who goes by the stage name of MC Happiness, plans to add tap dancing to his repertoire as he takes to the stage in the name of Buddhism.

Kansho Tagai is the head of the 400-year-old Kyoouji Temple in central Tokyo.

But once in a while, he raises the volume, and the tempo, of these prayers, going before an audience to rap Buddhist sutra, or teachings, to hip hop beats and in modern Japanese.

"When I listened to rap music for the first time, it was in English so I couldn't understand a word," Tagai said.

"I realised that the same can be said for Buddhist sutras because most people can't understand a word. And the thing is, listening to rap music makes you feel good even though it may be incomprehensible."