Due to the decline in Buddhist worshippers and the population in general, the number of empty or abandoned temples has been growing in recent years.

Seeing this as an opportunity for a new business model, Goto Shrines-and-temples Construction Co., based in Ginan, Gifu Prefecture, is offering to move old shrines and rebuild them in new locations.

Not only is this cheaper than building a new temple from scratch, but it also might become a new recycling trend as temples built before the war were made with high-quality materials that are often difficult to acquire these days.