Kansho Tagai, a Buddhist monk known as MC Happiness, believes in keeping the appeal of his religion fresh.
He regularly holds music sessions at a 400-year old temple in central Tokyo to teach Buddhist principles and rituals through hip hop.
Tagai's status as Japan's premier rapper monk has turned him into a local icon with a loyal fan base of followers and performance artists.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Awad reports.
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