Japanese ‘Immigrant Buddhism’ in Brazil

Framed within the classic analytical differentiation of Western Buddhism into 'ethnic Buddhism' and 'convert Buddhism', a relatively unusual predominance of Asian immigrants can be seen in Brazilian Buddhism. This chapter discusses the Asian Buddhism in Brazil opens with a historical overview that divides Buddhism's presence in this country into four distinct periods. The first phase of Buddhism in Brazil includes the decades of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. The second phase of Brazilian Buddhism coincides with the post-war period of 1945 onwards. The third phase of Buddhism in Brazil was marked by growing academic interest in Japanese Buddhism, particularly Soto Zen. The fourth phase of the history of Buddhism in Brazil is marked by a growing diversity. The chapter explains the historical overview by sociologically evaluating the current state of Japanese immigrant Buddhism in Brazil.