INTRODUCTION:  JAPANESE HERITAGE GROUPS

Although members of "Japanese Heritage" groups are by no means limited to persons of Japanese descent, the origins of these religions in the United States can generally be traced to the arrival of the first Japanese emigrants. In general, this immigration began in 1868, when 148 contact laborers arrived in Hawaii, the first of thousands of Japanese who were to work on the Hawaiian plantations. Within a few years, Japanese immigrants began to arrive on the West Coast, particularly in California. Japanese Americans now number more than 500,000, 85 percent of whom still reside in Hawaii and on the West Coast.

The immigrants brought their religions----Shinto and Buddhism with them. In 1889 Sawer Kagahi of the Honpa Hongwanji, the largest of the Buddhist groups, arrived in Honolulu and began work among the plantation workers. In April of that year a temple was constructed in Hilo. In the remaining years of the century, priests of other groups began their efforts.

Buddhism entered Japan in the sixth century A. D. from Korea. in 710, at the time of the building of the new capitol at Nara, the emperor became Buddhist and made Buddhism the state religion. Several varieties of Buddhism were introduced, but the next centuries saw the emergence of the more popular forms. The popularity of Buddhism in the country depended directly upon the favor of the various emperors.

The twelfth century saw the arrival of Honen and Shinran from China. They introduced what became the most popular form of Buddhism, the Pure Land. Pure Land Buddhism teaches devotion to Amida Buddha. Sincere invocation of this bodhisattva (saint) gives entrance into the Pure Land (heaven).

The following century saw the appearance of Nichiren, a Buddhist reformer whose efforts led to the founding of the Nichiren-shu. Nichiren was attached to the Lotus Sutra, a collection of Buddha's teaching, which he believed contained the primitive true Buddhism that could unite the various groups.

The last major Buddhist group to enter Japan was the Zen school which came from China. Combining the strong meditative practices of Chinese Taoism with Buddhist tradition, Tao-sheng (360-434) the founder, added an emphasis on the possibility of instantaneous enlightenment.

The modern history of Japanese religion began with the revival of "pure" Shinto whose exponents wished to stop the assimilation of Shinto into Buddhism. Their efforts led to the establishment of the National Learning School to spread the nationalist-oriented traditions. A major outcome of the revived Shinto was the restoration of Imperial authority under Emperor Meiji. Shinto grew in power steadily until World War II.

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the greatest divergence develop in Japanese religion. Christianity entered and established a strong mission. The older forms of Buddhism and Shinto became divided. New religions drawing on a variety of sources, including private revelations, were begun. Collectively, these new indigenous groups have been termed the "New Religions." Many of these groups were suppressed during the Shinto revival.

The declaration of religious freedom under the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II freed the "New Religions" to expand. Some such as Rissho Kosei Kai, Tenrikyo, and Konko Kyo--have become international faiths, with strong followings in the United States.

There are no less than fifty groups of Japanese origin functioning in the United States. Most are Buddhist, but Shinto and the New Religions are well represented. The Buddhist groups share allegiance to Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha, the Enlightened One. In 529 B.C., he abandoned his princely life and family to wander in search of the meaning of life. His search ended in 523 B.C.; while in meditation and contemplation, he found enlightenment. At that point, he became the Buddha.

Buddhist teachings were collected into the Tripitaka, the Three Baskets, which includes the Vinaya, the Sutras, and the Abhidharma. The Vinaya contains the story of Buddha's life and the rules for the monks. The Sutras contain Buddha's teachings along with those of his close disciples. The Abhidharma contains Buddha's discourses. As the Buddhist community spread internationally, the number of Buddhist sutras, holy books, also grew. The different segment of Buddhism emphasize and use different sutras.

The Buddhist Churches of America, the largest Buddhist group in America, is the American form of the Honpa Hongwanji Pure Land Buddhism. Other Pure Land groups in the United States are the Higashi Hongwanji Buddhist Church and the Jodo Mission.

The Nichiren Shoshu or Soka Gakkai is the largest of several Nichiren groups in America. Other bodies include the older Nichiren Mission and the Rissho Kosei Kai.

The Church of Perfect Liberty is one of the largest of the New Religions and shows some of their diverse and eclectic nature.