Karin Maruyama is an M.A. student in Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. She earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Her research focuses on contemporary Japanese Buddhism, exploring how new spaces such as temple cafés and community events reshape the ways younger generations experience and connect with Buddhist practice. She is working under the supervision of Professor Jessica Main and co-supervision of Professor Ayaka Yoshimizu.