Buddhism in Japan today, or Bukkyō, is said to be practiced by 90 million people across the country in the form of Mahayana Buddhism. Although not having a direct influence in the lives of the Japanese, Buddhism is evident in the rituals and buildings of Japan, with many Buddhist temples erected throughout the lands giving the characteristic aesthetic of the culture.
Buddhism had been imported to Japan via its neighboring countries of China and Korea in the 6th century. As a present of the Korean people, Buddhism began to fill the minds of the Japanese with the Mahayana “Greater Vehicle” form of Buddhism. With the Buddha’s complex theories and meditative practices it was welcomed by the class of ruling nobles and instated as the new religion, awakening the minds/spirits of both the aristocracy and lowly fisherman alike.
Buddhism went along well with Japan’s native religion of Shinto, “the way of the gods”, and soon the two religions were able to complement each other and coexist strifelessly. Buddhists began to interpret Shinto spiritually as proper manifestations of Buddhism, and many practitioners of Shinto rituals also enact Buddhist worship.
The overall history of Buddhism in Japan is critically analyzed into three distinct periods: the Nara period (710-794), the Heian period (794-1185) and the post-Heian period (1185-present). New doctrines changed the existing schools of thought, and characterize each period with their teachings.
Surprisingly during World War 2 most Buddhist schools strongly supported the remilitarization of Japan. After the war, in tandem with this political ideological persuasion, Buddhist priests that were favored where those who praised the fallen soldiers of the war, momentarily conflating Buddhism with the lust of war.
Buddhism and religion in general during the 21st century has decline in its presence, mostly due to materialism and secularization. Japan’s Buddhist practice is waning, with something like 100 temples closing every year. 70% of the population however, does practice Buddhism in some form, and 90% of the funerals in Japan are in conducted in accord with Buddhist rites.
Citations:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2055.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Japan
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/religion/jbuddhis.html
http://www.japanese-buddhism.com/buddhism-in-japan.html