ABSTRACT
Buddhism first entered Japan in the sixth century ce, initially from the Korean peninsula and later from China. Japan’s first formal contacts with Buddhism were gifts to the court from the King of Paekche: a gold and copper statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, banners and canopies, and several volumes of sutras and treatises (Bowring 2005: 15). After the consolidation of Buddhism as a state religion in the Korean kingdoms of Paekche and Silla, there followed a steady flow to Japan of monks and artisans from the Peninsula, who contributed to the construction of temple buildings and statues, the training and ordination of priests, and to ritual practice. From the time of Prince Shōtoku (574–622), China became Japan’s main source of knowledge, and Japanese priests had contact with Korean priests there. 1
