日本7.5万间寺庙正在逐渐失去市场,世袭僧人也在逐渐失去他们在社区内的业务,这些业务是他们的主要经济来源.这时,僧人配送服务随之而生.这对很多郊区的寺庙造成了威胁.事实上,一些专家预测,在接下来的几十年,大部分无法从旅游业或其他产业中获得经济来源的日本寺庙会关闭.
Minrevi spokesman Jumpei Masano says the service seems to attract those who want to have Buddhist funerals but are uneasy about pricing system, and want to keep their distance from temples.
敏雷维公司发言人正野顺平（Jumpei Masano）称,这项服务可能会吸引那些想办佛教葬礼却又担心价格太贵的人,或者是那些想要与寺庙保持一定距离的人.
"Many people don't have ties with temples and they have no idea where and how to arrange Buddhist rituals, while monks are increasingly concerned about their declining temple membership," Masano said. "We can cater to the needs on both sides and hopefully we can bring them together."
"很多人与寺庙并没有联系,并且他们也不知道要在哪、如何举办佛教葬礼,而僧人们则是因其不断减少的信徒而忧心不止," 正野顺平说道,"我们可以同时满足两边的需求,并且希望能将他们联系在一起."
Some monks acknowledge that the growing business highlight the Buddhist temples' complacency and their failure to reach out and adapt to the people's needs.
一些僧人承认,这项业务的市场需求不断增长反映出佛教寺庙的自满,他们无法适应民众的需求.
"We do understand there are criticisms of us as well and we take them seriously. And we must ask ourselves if and how we can change," said Hanyu Kakubo, public relations secretary for the Japan Buddhist Association.
日本佛教协会公关秘书鹿洼赤生（Hanyu Kakubo）说："我们理解也十分重视外界对我们的批判,同时,我们也必须扪心自问,是否可以做出改变,又将如何改变."
When Yutaka Uematsu's 17-year-old son Kakeru died just over a month ago after battling cancer, he searched on the Internet for a funeral service provider.
一个月前,由隆上松裕（Yutaka Uematsu）17岁的儿子Kakeru因癌症去世,他在网上订了葬礼服务.
Uematsu didn't consider asking his father's family temple as he had heard the prices charged for a family member's funeral were "outrageous."
