Saimyouji Temple has made a name for itself for being a LGBTQ+ friendly temple. Moreover, it is known and admired for being the second temple in all of Japan to openly promote and conduct same sex weddings. However, recently, it is attracting attention for its 'Demon Slayer' Kimetsu no Yaiba floral water font and display.
Demon Slayer movie
The Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - movie Mugen Train was released in Japanese cinemas on October 16th. It fast became the highest-grossing film in 2020 and the second highest grossing movie of all time in Japan. The movie is the sequel to the anime television series that aired in Japan last year. The tale of the Demon Slayer is based on the manga series by Koyoharu Gotoge. The manga have been translated into 14 different languages and enjoy great popularity abroad. The new movie Mugen Train will be released outside of Japan in early 2021.
Demon Slayer at Saimyouji
The floral water fonts at Saimyouji have been the frequent subject of Instagram posts for most of 2020. But when they launched the Demon Slayer floral water font and displays on November 28th the interest in the temple skyrocketed. People are coming from further afield to admire the unique displays that change weekly. The news of the Demon Slayer features have even made news abroad. Furthermore, the temple is hosting special events in conjunction with the Demon Slayer purification fonts and displays at the temple. Just today, December 12th 2020, one of the Demon Slayer characters 'Inosuke Hashibira' visited the temple. Hundreds of fans lined up for the welcome chance to get a photo with the popular character.
** Note: As of September 1, 2021, Demon slayer events and floral fonts at Saimyouji have already ended.
But it is fun to see how this (in itself pretty interesting) temple incorporates elements of the series in a creative way. And about that Inosuke dude, seems like a rather chilly outfit for the time of the year :-)
I too am surprised by the success of Kimetsu no Yaiba. The hype had just started to ease off from the series last year when this film hit and now the hype is higher than ever!
Saimyouji's cool factor, considering their respect for LBGTQ community and embracing this manga/animation, is through the roof. Nice.