Japanese Esoteric Buddhism

Introduction

Japanese Esoteric Buddhism is present in Latin America as a result of immigration and is currently restricted to Brazil and more especially the city of São Paulo and nearby regions. With the exception of Brazil, we have no record of groups belonging to Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. In Brazil, although Japanese Esoteric Buddhism numerically has few adherents, several streams are present, including Shingon, Tendai, and new religions such as Agonshû and Shinnyo-En. Some of these groups have a high degree of combination with local religions such as Catholicism, Spiritualism, and Umbanda.

Japanese Esoteric Buddhism

The term Esoteric Buddhism (jap. mikkyô) has been utilized to describe the Tantric Buddhist stream that arrived in Japan during the ninth century and that since then has developed itself in contact with the local influences of other subsequently established Shinto and Buddhist sects. Tibetan Buddhism is normally described as a result of the syncretism between the...