Meet the Gay Buddhist Monk Who Does Makeup For Beauty Queens
By Ryan General
Kodo Nishimura is by no means your typical Buddhist monk.
Aside from committing himself to a lifetime of studying the Buddhist doctrine, the practice of meditation and a strict observance of good moral character, the 26-year-old Japanese monk has also devoted some of his time and effort to the discipline of cosmetology.
Yes, he does make up for clients and he’s actually doing well. In fact, he caters to top clients such as the Miss USA Pageant and international models.
As his faith has taught him to veer away from lavishness, the one-of-a-kind monk admitted to Buzzfeed that he initially had some doubts about his second “calling.”
He recalled how his supportive mentor highlighted the good of his work, saying, “It isn’t wrong if it helps you deliver your message to people.”
“As a Buddhist monk, I want everyone to live happily in harmony. I believe makeup is one of the tools to make yourself happy, and if you’re happy, it becomes easier to be kind to others. In that sense, I think it’s a good link,” Nishimura was quoted as saying.
Nishimura, who recently came out publicly as gay at the Out in Japan photoshoot, said his passion for doing makeup was ignited when he made a friend very happy after he helped her with her makeup.
After the event, Nishimura noticed a need to pass on his skills so he began conducting free makeup seminars for Japan’s LGBT community.
“When I participated in the ‘Out in Japan’ photo shoot, I met a lot of transgender people. Many of them weren’t familiar with makeup, so I wished I could give them advice,” he said.
Currently based both in NY and Tokyo, Nishimura continues to teach makeup at seminars and do beauty and fashion makeup for various events.
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