Synopsis Buddhism in Japan has undergone many ups and downs ever since its introduction in the country. There are more than 95 million lay followers of Buddhist priests and nuns with 8600 institutions. But they regard religion as a means of attaining and ever-renewing a higher state of being. Japanese seem to be indifferent to religious matters, except on festival or funeral services. Aim of this book is to trace the history of Buddhism in Japan through the ages and to see how far and in what way it influenced the life and culture of the people in Japan. Effort has been made to select for our readers best material available on the subject.