Folllowing the furore over Buddha bikinis (see Ryan’s Lair) come complaints about a sweet (“candy” for US readers) sold in Nara near the huge bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha statue) in the Todai-ji Temple:
Priests at one of Japan’s most famous temples have taken steps to block the sale of a sweet marketed as the “Snot from the nose of the Great Buddha”.
They have prevented the name being registered as a trademark at the patent office, but have been unable to stop vendors selling the sweets to hordes of tourists…Local media have suggested that the sweet is popular because the people of western Japan have an earthy sense of humour, which other Japanese often find coarse. Another famous Nara sweet is called “Deer Droppings”.
As it happens, I currently live in Japan and I was there just recently, and I must say that the temple’s case is slightly undermined by its brisk trade in Buddha keyrings and such. The shops nearby also sell these furry glove puppet Buddhas:
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