第2446期:Buyers Want Japanese Temples for Tax Breaks

Benmou Suzuki is a religious worker at a 420-year-old temple that is not in very good condition. 

铃木本谋 (Benmou Suzuki) 是一座拥有 420 年历史、状况不佳的寺庙的宗教工作者。 

It is deep in the forest near a small Japanese mountain village. It does not look like a valuable property. 

它位于日本小山村附近的森林深处。它看起来不像是有价值的财产。 

Yet two men recently asked Suzuki if he was interested in selling. He said he thinks they did not want the old, ornate building next to a mountain that is considered holy. Instead, they wanted the special tax status that comes with running a religious property. 

然而最近有两名男子询问铃木是否有兴趣出售。他说，他认为他们不想要这座位于被视为圣山旁边的古老、华丽的建筑。相反，他们想要经营宗教财产所带来的特殊税收地位。 

"There are people out there who want a temple, even a mountain temple like this," said 52-year-old Suzuki. 

“有人想要一座寺庙，甚至是像这样的山寺，”52 岁的铃木说。 

Japan's population is decreasing and interest in religion is less intense. There are fewer people to support the country's many temples and shrines. 

日本的人口正在减少，人们对宗教的兴趣也逐渐减弱。供养该国众多寺庙和神社的人越来越少。

Suzuki's Mikaboyama temple, for example, is in a small town, which also has three other Buddhist temples, one Shinto shrine and a Christian church. 

例如，铃木的御香房山寺位于一个小镇上，该镇还有另外三座佛教寺庙、一座神社和一座基督教教堂。 

Japanese officials say they are seeing more sales of religious properties to buyers who do not continue to run them as religious centers. Officials fear many are buying them to avoid paying taxes or possibly even to hide criminal activity. 

日本官员表示，他们看到越来越多的宗教财产出售给不再继续将其作为宗教中心经营的买家。官员们担心许多人购买它们是为了逃税，甚至可能是为了隐藏犯罪活动。 

Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs oversees religious places. An official from the agency said, "It's already a sense of crisis for us and the religious community." 

日本文化厅负责监管宗教场所。该机构的一位官员表示：“这对我们和宗教界来说已经是一种危机感。” 

The public is unhappy about the sales, too. In Osaka, a temple sold in 2020 was later torn down for a property development. In Kyoto, news reports said a temple was destroyed to make a parking lot. 

公众对销售也不满意。在大阪，一座于 2020 年出售的寺庙后来被拆除用于房地产开发。在京都，新闻报道称，一座寺庙被毁坏，改建为停车场。 

The owner of an active religious center in Japan is a corporation that pays no taxes. Even non-religious businesses on the property enjoy lower tax rates. The law permits many different activities like restaurants, hair salons and hotels. 

日本活跃的宗教中心的所有者是一家不纳税的公司。即使是该地产上的非宗教企业也享受较低的税率。法律允许许多不同的活动，如餐馆、发廊和酒店。 

The cultural affairs agency said it has increased its efforts to end the legal status of inactive religious corporations to stop sales to non-religious owners. Where there has been damage to a religious place, agency officials visit, warning the religious leaders about selling to such buyers. 

文化局表示，已加大力度终止不活跃的宗教企业的法律地位，以停止向非宗教所有者销售产品。在宗教场所遭到破坏的地方，机构官员会前往警告宗教领袖不要向此类买家出售商品。 

It might seem easier for Japan to change its laws for purchasing religious properties. But the agency said the government does not like to change laws related to religion. They do not want to limit religious freedom, which Japan's constitution protects. 

对于日本来说，改变购买宗教财产的法律似乎更容易。但该机构表示，政府不喜欢改变与宗教有关的法律。他们不想限制日本宪法保护的宗教自由。 

Osaka-based property dealer Takao Yamamoto said interest is rising quickly. He said a religious corporation license can sell for $210,000. Some religious properties, especially those where burials take place, are advertised for millions of dollars. 

大阪房地产经销商 Takao Yamamoto 表示，兴趣正在迅速上升。他说宗教公司执照可以卖到 21 万美元。一些宗教财产，尤其是那些埋葬的宗教财产，在广告上标价数百万美元。 

"Anyone can buy independent sites as long as you have money...even foreigners can buy them. Recently, a lot of Chinese people are trying to buy them," Yamamoto said. 

“只要有钱，任何人都可以购买独立网站……甚至外国人也可以购买。最近，很多中国人都在尝试购买它们，”山本说。 

For his part, Suzuki says he does not plan to sell Mikaboyama temple and is working on ideas to raise money to keep it up. "Temples are places for local people to gather and forge connections. We just can't get rid of them," he said. 

铃木则表示，他不打算出售御花园山寺，并且正在想办法筹集资金以维持其维持。“寺庙是当地人聚集和建立联系的地方。我们就是无法摆脱它们，”他说。