ABSTRACT

First Published in 1930, History of Japanese Religion shows the interaction of various forces which manifested their vitality more in combination than in opposition. A saying ascribed to Prince Shotoku, the founder of Japanese civilization, compares the three religious and moral systems found in Japan to the root, the stem and branches, and the flowers and fruits of a tree. Shinto is the root embedded in the soil of the people's character and national traditions; Confucianism is seen in the stem and branches of legal institutions, ethical codes, and educational systems; Buddhism made the flowers of religious sentiment bloom and gave the fruits of spiritual life.

These sentences outlines the scheme of the work and achievement that has long maintained a high reputation among students and scholars. This important and frequently cited book has been out of print for many decades and thus increasingly difficult to access. It is therefore a privilege as well as a pleasure to make it available once again in a complete and unabridged reprint of the original. This is a must read for students of religion, Japanese culture and Japanese history.

chapter |15 pages

Introductory

The People and the Phases of their Civilization

part Book 1|31 pages

The Shinto Religion and the Communal System Early Stages and Survival

chapter |5 pages

General Features of Shinto

chapter |8 pages

Shinto Mythology

chapter |16 pages

Religion and Social Life

part Book II|56 pages

Introduction of Buddhism and its Establishment

part Book III|59 pages

The Period of Heian an Age of Peace

chapter |4 pages

The New Departure and General Features

chapter |12 pages

Saichō and his Work

chapter |11 pages

Shingon Buddhism and Kūkai's Work

chapter |30 pages

Religion and Social Life

part Book IV|92 pages

The Age of Feudal Strife and Religious Struggle

part Book V|69 pages

The Tokugawa Régime of Peace and Order (1600-1868)

chapter |11 pages

The Establishment of a Firm Rule

chapter |14 pages

Confucianism and its Schools 1

chapter |5 pages

Peace, Refinement, And Degeneration

chapter |8 pages

Popular Teachers in Religion and Ethics

chapter |10 pages

Revival of Shinto

chapter |9 pages

The Last Stage of the Tokugawa Régime

part Book VI|83 pages

The Era of Meiji and the Present an Age of Progress and Problems (1868-1929)