Meet Akasaka, the beatboxing monk in Japan

Beatboxing is called the fifth element of hip-hop. It originated and gained traction as part of the hip-hop movement of the 1970s in the United States with its peppy rhythms and catchy compositions as it appealed to the young.

However, a Buddhist monk now figures in it. 37-year-old Akasaka, a monk from Japan is breaking new ground. He has combined beatboxing with spiritual hymns and his videos are now going viral.

Akasaka is a trained musician. He donned the formal robes of a monk when he turned 30. He beatboxed for his seven-minute long "heart sutra remix" and to his surprise his rendition of the holy Buddhist hymns went viral.

Akasaka feels beatboxing is a good way of attracting the young towards spirituality. Akasaka's father was a priest. When he was younger, it was music which appealed to him. He had no intention of donning the Buddhist robes but through a curious twist of fate, it was his music which brought him closer to spirituality.

He underwent two years of training to be a monk, however, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, all religious congregations were halted. In order to get around the problem, Akasaka decided to connect with his followers online. Akasaka's decision to go online brought him fame and a huge fan following although becoming famous was never his intention.

Akasaka feels it is about getting closer to divinity and there is no better way of doing it than through music.