No, they didn’t oppose Buddhism, they adapted it to their fascistic ideology. Zen Buddhism helped them be more willing to give up their lives for the nation in battle and when kamikazeing through the idea of no-self. They replaced centering of love, compassion, and avoiding harm with a focus on the glory of fighting for greater Japan and general violence.
Japanese buddhism tended to be overally more warlike than in most other places, as you mentioned zen got adapted for the bushido and since at least XIII century there were a lot of militancy there, monks joined wars, monasteries and temples mustered entire armies which were used to wage war on feudal lords and other monasteries (in XVI century i think they had such an intense monachomachia that half of Kyoto was razed during the fighting), played very significant role in ikko-ikki leagues, and temples were at some point major weapons manufacturing centers, especially firearms (Osaka temple had more arquebusiers in army than any feudal lord including even Oda Nobunaga who was famous for mass using firearms).
Buddhism was generally the samurais religion in japanese history. Generally, because they also did practice shinto to some extent. However, Shinto was the religion of the masses and the imperial court, with the emperor also being the high priest of shintoism.
Generally both are linked, next to every Buddhist temple is a shinto shrine and vice versa.
Yes the origin of buddhism in Japan is linked to the first known historical conflict between great clans in VI century, when clan Soga rivalled clans Mononobe and Nakatomi over the influence on the weakening imperial clan. Nakatomi were priestly clan that held a lot of positions and influence over the shinto temples and so Soga invited buddhist monks, which was at first unsuccessful but then they gained upper hand and buddhism too stayed for good*. But as you wrote it was rather aristocratic religion because it was back then rather esoteric and not very appealing to people who lived door to door with their gods and spirits, only much later the Pure Land sects gained a lot of popularity among the people, but shinto never waned.
*btw Nakatomi ultimately won, they purged Sogas, accepted and promoted buddhism themselves when they noticed it can be used and ultimately dominated the japanese politcs for centuries since powerful clan Fujiwara originated from them.
Jup, and Buddhism and Shintoism are interlinked in Japan, he was both.
Wasn’t buddhism sidetracked by the hardcore nationalists though as weak and foreign?
No, they didn’t oppose Buddhism, they adapted it to their fascistic ideology. Zen Buddhism helped them be more willing to give up their lives for the nation in battle and when kamikazeing through the idea of no-self. They replaced centering of love, compassion, and avoiding harm with a focus on the glory of fighting for greater Japan and general violence.
Japanese buddhism tended to be overally more warlike than in most other places, as you mentioned zen got adapted for the bushido and since at least XIII century there were a lot of militancy there, monks joined wars, monasteries and temples mustered entire armies which were used to wage war on feudal lords and other monasteries (in XVI century i think they had such an intense monachomachia that half of Kyoto was razed during the fighting), played very significant role in ikko-ikki leagues, and temples were at some point major weapons manufacturing centers, especially firearms (Osaka temple had more arquebusiers in army than any feudal lord including even Oda Nobunaga who was famous for mass using firearms).
Buddhism was generally the samurais religion in japanese history. Generally, because they also did practice shinto to some extent. However, Shinto was the religion of the masses and the imperial court, with the emperor also being the high priest of shintoism.
Generally both are linked, next to every Buddhist temple is a shinto shrine and vice versa.
Yes the origin of buddhism in Japan is linked to the first known historical conflict between great clans in VI century, when clan Soga rivalled clans Mononobe and Nakatomi over the influence on the weakening imperial clan. Nakatomi were priestly clan that held a lot of positions and influence over the shinto temples and so Soga invited buddhist monks, which was at first unsuccessful but then they gained upper hand and buddhism too stayed for good*. But as you wrote it was rather aristocratic religion because it was back then rather esoteric and not very appealing to people who lived door to door with their gods and spirits, only much later the Pure Land sects gained a lot of popularity among the people, but shinto never waned.
*btw Nakatomi ultimately won, they purged Sogas, accepted and promoted buddhism themselves when they noticed it can be used and ultimately dominated the japanese politcs for centuries since powerful clan Fujiwara originated from them.