For any Gundam fan, the iconic "LAST SHOOTING" scene from the original anime, "Mobile Suit Gundam," is an absolute classic. It's the moment Amuro's RX-78-2 Gundam fires its final beam rifle shot, hitting Char's Zeong, marking the series' dramatic conclusion.
Recently, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Eimeiji Temple in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, pulled off an unexpected tribute, creating a poster for their "Buddha Bathing Ceremony" that directly references the "LAST SHOOTING" scene! This playful design has garnered widespread praise from netizens, who were surprised to see such an element in a temple's religious announcement.
April 8th marks the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha, and temples across Japan celebrate with "Hanamatsuri" (Flower Festival) events, including the "Buddha Bathing Ceremony" where sweet tea is poured. Eimeiji Temple, however, is kicking off their festivities early on April 6th with the lively "Eimeiji Shakyamuni Fes"! Of course, there will be a Buddha bathing experience too. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and enjoy the celebration!
Turns out, the poster was drawn by none other than Eimeiji Temple's Chief Priest Matsuzaki Chikai himself! He jokingly mentioned that he actually drew the illustration six years ago, never imagining it would be used for this year's Buddha Bathing event.
Many netizens applauded the fun design, noting how perfectly it fit and how they never expected a temple to pay homage to Gundam.
One netizen even quipped, "As expected of Jodo Shinshu, so free! XD"
In fact, Chief Priest Matsuzaki Chikai is a huge fan of anime and manga, and almost all of the temple's promotional artwork for events is drawn by him. For him, combining his hobbies with his religious duties is a rare and wonderful thing.
Even the temple's bulletin board is his personal hand-drawn canvas! XD
As the Chief Priest himself stated, being able to combine his passions with his faith to share with everyone is the greatest joy of being a Jodo Shinshu temple priest. Perhaps we'll see even more unique creations from him in the future! LOL.