Tiếc thương chiếc kim gẫy

đền Ongakuji (đền Âm nhạc) ở Nhật Bản làm dịch vụ tang lễ cho đồ âm nhạc bị hỏng...

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A unique aspect of Japanese culture is that most people practice both Buddhist and Shinto customs. The idea of having two religions might seem odd, but there’s some division of divine labor between the two. For example, Shinto shrines are where weddings take place, and funerals are held at Buddhist temples.

So it makes a certain kind of sense that Ongakuji, a temple whose name translates as “Music Temple,” offers funeral services for broken record player needles.

Located in the town of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, and founded in 824, Ongakuji owes its name to the captivating sound of the wind as it rushes through nearby pine trees, drawing comparisons to the music played by Bodhisattvas. Since 2020, the temple has been holding a once-a-year Record Player Needle Memorial Service, in which a priest blesses the no-longer usable equipment, giving it a more dignified sendoff than simply chucking it into a trash can.

Of course, if you’re enough of an audiophile to be considering a funeral for your record player needle, you’re no doubt already aware that the needle, properly called a stylus, is located inside a housing called the cartridge or pickup.