The traditional date for Buddhism's official arrival in Japan, when the king of Baekje sends a Buddha image and sutras to the Yamato court; the new teaching divides the court, and its victory under Prince Shotoku sets Buddhism inside Japanese state and culture from the start.
The Event
- Date
- 552 (traditional)
- Also called
- Transmission of Buddhism to Japan
- Era
- Classical; Standard periodization of Buddhist history
- Location
- Yamato; today Nara, Japan
- Traditions
- Buddhism
- Streams
- Mahayana
- Key figures
- King Seong of Baekje, Prince Shotoku
Primary Sources
- Nihon Shoki
Secondary Sources
- Snelling, The Buddhist Handbook (Inner Traditions, 1998)
- Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge, 2nd ed. 2013)
Provenance: HIST-0413; confidence 0.8; accessed 2026-10-27.
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