Seeking Sakyamuni: Travel and the Reconstruction of Japanese Buddhism
Abstract
The reconstruction of Japanese Buddhism in Meiji, Taisho, and Showa Japan involved not only interchanges with Europe and the United States. A central but overlooked catalyst for change was increased travel to and exchange with other Buddhists in Asia. An examination of travel accounts and other writings of three Meiji-era Japanese Buddhist travelers to South and Southeast Asia—Kitabatake Doryu, Shaku Kozen, and Shaku Soen—reveals how contact with Buddhists in those regions stimulated Japanese Buddhists to rethink the role of the historical Buddha in their tradition and demonstrates the importance of these contacts for Buddhism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
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The diverse modern constructions of Buddhism involved a wide variety of Indians, Thais, Sri Lankans, Japanese, Koreans, Tibetans, and Chinese who listened and responded not only to what Europeans and Americans said about Buddhism, but who also talked among themselves.
“involved a wide variety of Indians, Thais, Sri Lankans, Japanese, Koreans, Tibetans, and Chinese who listened and responded not only to what Europeans and Americans said about Buddhism, but who also talked among themselves . . . .”
From A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860–1960 (2013) · cites this paper as Jaffe 2004, 67
Consideration of these exchanges in Asia reveals the emergence of a tightly linked global Buddhist culture in the late nineteenth century and illuminates the diverse 'complex global loops' through which ideas were transmitted.
“Consideration of these exchanges in Asia reveals the emergence of a tightly linked global Buddhist culture in the late nineteenth century and illuminates the diverse 'complex global loops' through which ideas were transmitted. (Jaffe 2004, 67)”
From A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860–1960 (2013) · cites this paper as Jaffe 2004, 67
Modern Buddhism was made and remade through a dizzying array of interactions and connections across Asia.
“As Richard Jaffe has encouraged us to understand, modern Buddhism was made and remade through a dizzying array of interactions and connections across Asia.”
From A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860–1960 (2013) · cites this paper as Jaffe 2004
By the end of the nineteenth century, India was being re-discovered and reimagined as the birthplace of Buddhism and a necessary nexus for international Buddhist connections.
“by the end of the nineteenth century, India was being re-discovered and reimagined as the birthplace of Buddhism and a necessary nexus for international Buddhist connections (Frasch 2013; Jaffe 2004).”
From A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860–1960 (2013) · cites this paper as Jaffe 2004
Cites
Buddhism Transformed: Religious Change in Sri Lanka
(1989) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.26-5618 · Cited by 471 · see citing works
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Forgotten Futures: Indian Muslims in the Trans-Islamic Turn to Japan
Green, N. (2013) · The Journal of Asian Studies · doi:10.1017/s0021911813000582 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860–1960
Turner, A., Cox, L., & Bocking, B. (2013) · Contemporary Buddhism · doi:10.1080/14639947.2013.785244 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Deeg, M. (2012) · China Report · doi:10.1177/000944551104800205 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Bivins, J. C. (2007) · Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation · doi:10.1525/rac.2007.17.1.57 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Japanese Explorers in the Footsteps of Xuanzang
GALAMBOS, I. (2024) · Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies · doi:10.15239/hijbs.07.01.02
Licha, S. K. (2026) · History of Religions · doi:10.1086/740532
- Authors
- Jaffe, R. M.
- Corresponding author
- Jaffe, Richard M.
- Venue
- The Journal of Japanese Studies
- Publisher
- Project MUSE
- Published
- 2004-12
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 65-96
- ISSN
- 0095-6848 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-4721
- OpenAlex
- W2054330676
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 5.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Japanese Studies (publishedVersion)
- Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Travel Writing and Literature
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Japanese History and Culture
- Keywords
- Japanese Buddhism, Sakyamuni, historical Buddha, Buddhist travel, South and Southeast Asia, travel accounts
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