At a dimly lit ceremony hall in Osaka this week, a Buddhist monk sat at the front of a large room chanting, surrounded by 300 lanterns. The chants, however, were not Buddhist scriptures. They were the regrets and remorse of individuals who had been unable to take their paid time off.

This may sound a strange phenomenon but it's not uncommon across Japan for people to lose their paid leave because of disuse. Head over to Spoon & Tamago to learn more about this uncustomary custom as well as Takuro Sayama, the Jodoshu Buddhist monk that conducted the ceremony.