A pint or a prayer? Monks put Buddhism on the menu

The hum of conversation and the clinking of spoons and coffee cups fills the wood-paneled cafe in a fashionable Tokyo neighborhood as more than a dozen customers sip drinks and nibble desserts.

At first glance, the cafe, which also serves alcohol, looks like any other except for an altar next to the countertop bar with a Buddha statue set against a gold backdrop.

Its name, Tera Cafe, is a another hint: Tera is Japanese for temple.