'Kanho Yakushiji' hits 100 million views with electronic 'Heart Sutra,' boundary-pushing hip-hop-rock sound

Boundary-breaking Buddhist music draped in electronics

Buddhist scripture has taken on the language of modern music, including electronic, hip-hop and rock. Japanese monk and musician 'Kanho Yakushiji', whose work has surpassed '100 million views' and sparked a global sensation, will finally take the stage in South Korea.

Jazz Bridge Company officially announced Thursday that Kanho Yakushiji's first South Korea concert, 'Circle of Harmony', will be held on 'Oct. 30' at YES24 Wonderrock Hall in Seoul.

The 16th vice abbot of Gaizenji Temple in Imabari, Japan, and a Zen monk, Yakushiji intricately weaves vocals, guitar, string instruments and ambient sounds into traditional Buddhist chanting. This original sound, which connects ancient prayers with modern life, is viewed as an artistic achievement that breaks free from religious solemnity. In particular, his 'Heart Sutra music' has generated an explosive response on YouTube and other global digital platforms, becoming a cross-border phenomenon.

Jazz Bridge Company said, "As a monk and musician representing Japanese Buddhist music, he has received overwhelming support across Asia and in places including Australia." The company added, "This performance will offer 'a special emotional experience' that transcends religious boundaries and cuts across feelings of healing, meditation and contemplation."

The 'Circle of Harmony' performance is a culmination of his 10-year musical journey. Using the circle as a metaphor, it aurally embodies the wholeness of spiritual practice and the Buddhist concept of perfect interpenetration, in which all principles merge into one and lose their distinctions. Audiences are expected to experience a philosophical moment of reconnecting with themselves through music.

A special setlist created exclusively for South Korean audiences will also be unveiled. Newly arranged pieces centered on the 'Heart Sutra', 'Great Compassion Dharani' and 'Verse of the World-Honored One' will receive their premieres, while 'Namu Amida Butsu Rebirth Prayer' and the 'Usnisa Vijaya Dharani', among other highlights of contemporary Buddhist music, will fill the stage.

The production company said it expects the performance to become more than a simple concert: 'an exchange of hearts' that breaks down barriers of language, culture and religion.