WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Confucianism, which originated in China, is believed to have reached Japan in the 5th century ce, and by the 7th century it had spread among the people, together with Daoism and yinyang (harmony of two basic forces of nature) philosophy. All of these stimulated the development of Shintō ethical teachings.

Detailed explanation-2: -Shinbutsu-shūgō (, “syncretism of kami and buddhas"), also called Shinbutsu shū (, “god buddha school") Shinbutsu-konkō (, “jumbling up” or “contamination of kami and buddhas"), is the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism that was Japan’s only organized religion up until the Meiji period.

Detailed explanation-3: -Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th and 7th century CE from Korea and China mostly for political and cultural reasons.

Detailed explanation-4: -Shinto and Buddhism are Japan’s two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree.

Detailed explanation-5: -Buddhism indeed first arrived in China via the Silk Road and was based on the Sarvastivada school, which provided a foundation for Mahayana Buddhism in turn adopted by Japan and Korea. Buddhist monks accompanied merchant caravans along the Silk Road, preaching their religion along the way.