Turning Point of Buddhism Taking Root in Japan
Two Factors and the Belief in Tatari
In the mid-6th century, Buddhism, which had been Sinicized through the Korean kingdom of Baekje, is said to have been officially introduced to Japan. At the time, this new development triggered a significant debate within the imperial court regarding the acceptance of Buddhism, eventually leading to events that radically altered the historical landscape. Central to this debate were two powerful clans: the Soga, who advocated accepting this new religion, and the Mononobe, who opposed it vehemently, favoring traditional indigenous beliefs.
However, the conflict between the Soga and Mononobe clans extended beyond mere differences in religious views. Viewed from another perspective, this struggle represented a critical turning point in Japanese history—a political power contest in the Yamato region (present-day southern Nara Prefecture)—marked by a shift in dominance from the traditional Mononobe clan to the rising Soga clan, who adeptly leveraged continental (mainly Chinese) cultural influence.
Tracing the origins of this conflict, around the year 552, during the reign of the 29th emperor, Kinmei (欽明天皇, 539–571 CE), King Seong of Baekje presented the emperor with Buddhist scriptures, teachings, and a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. The emperor consulted his senior advisors on whether to accept this new faith. At this juncture, a prominent noble, Soga no Iname (蘇我稲目, 506–570), argued fervently in favor of venerating the Buddha statue. Conversely, Mononobe no Okoshi (物部尾輿), head of the venerable Mononobe clan, and Nakatomi no Kamako (中臣鎌子) strongly opposed, claiming that worshiping foreign kami would anger Japan’s native deities. This division sharply split the imperial court. Given the strong influence of the Shinto faction at this point, the emperor refrained from making a decisive judgment. Instead, he entrusted the Buddha statue to Soga no Iname, who showed initial openness toward Buddhism, permitting the Soga clan to practice the new faith experimentally. For the emperor, this was partly to evaluate the impact of Buddhist worship on traditional Shinto beliefs.