Hinduism in Japan#Temples

File:Krishna-in-Kyoto.jpg deity Krishna playing the flute in a temple constructed in 752{{nbsp}}CE on the order of Emperor Shomu, Todai-ji Temple, Great Buddha Hall in Nara, Japan]]

Hinduism diffused throughout East Asia via trade routes, and also through the expansion of Buddhism in the sixth century.{{Cite web |last=Acharya |first=Amitav |title=Journey to the East: The Hindu-Buddhist Making of Southeast Asia |url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/journey-to-the-east-the-hindu-buddhist-making-of-southeast-asia/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}} There has also been significant transfer of Hindu-derived material native to China and South East Asia into Japan.{{Cite news |last=Pant |first=Don McLain Gill & Harsh V. |date=2023-11-21 |title=India and Japan Converge in Southeast Asia |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/india-and-japan-converge-in-southeast-asia/article67557706.ece |access-date=2024-03-17 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite web |title=Southeast Asia: History and Culture – Japan society for Southeast Asian Studies |url=https://www.jsseas.org/en/southeast-asia-history-and-culture/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Southeast Asia and Japan: Linked by Ties of Cultural Exchange |url=https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2023/11/ties_of_cultural_exchange.html |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=The Government of Japan - JapanGov - |language=en}}

Hindu deities have been integrated into Japanese religious culture and several deities are worshiped for good luck.{{Cite web |title=Japan's Hindu Linkages Still Alive |url=https://hwpi.harvard.edu/pluralismarchive/news/japans-hindu-linkages-still-alive-1 |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=hwpi.harvard.edu |language=en}} In fact there are many deities that are still worshiped in Japan which have long been forgotten in India.{{Cite web |date=2015-09-16 |title=Hindu deities in Japan |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/hindu-deities-in-japan/article23593238.ece |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Frontline |language=en}}

Saraswati (Benzaiten) is arguably the most revered deity in Japan after the Buddha.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-11 |title='Saraswati is the most revered deity in Japan, after the Buddha': Filmmaker Benoy Behl |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/saraswati-is-the-most-revered-deity-in-japan-after-the-buddha-filmmaker-benoy-behl/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} She forms as a part of the "Seven Gods of Fortune", of which four originated as Hindu deities: Benzaitensama (Sarasvati), Bishamon (Vaiśravaṇa or Kubera), Daikokuten (Mahākāla or Shiva), and Kichijōten (Lakshmi). The last, along with Benzaitennyo (Saraswati) and the female version of Daikokuten completes the nipponized Tridevi of Great Goddesses.{{cite web |date=1796 |title=Butsuzōzui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) |url=http://www.lib.ehime-u.ac.jp/SUZUKA/316/index.html |page=(059.jpg) |language=Japanese |format=digital photos |location=Ehime University Library |access-date=2016-04-28 |archive-date=2018-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010061804/http://www.lib.ehime-u.ac.jp/SUZUKA/316/index.html |url-status=dead }}

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The Hindu god of death, Yama, is known in his Buddhist form as Enma. Garuda, the mount (vahana) of Vishnu, is known as the Karura (迦楼羅), an enormous, fire-breathing creature in Japan. It has the body of a human and the face or beak of an eagle. Tennin originated from the apsaras.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Ganesha (or Kangiten) is prayed to for health, success and good fortune. Many Japanese Buddhist deities (or Tenbu) have their roots in Hinduism and are still revered by many Japanese particularly in Shingon Buddhism.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Hinduism is practiced mainly by the Nepali, Indian and Sri Lankan migrants, although there are others. As of 2025, there are 63472 Sri Lankans, 53,975 Indians and 233,043 Nepalis in Japan.[https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/statistics/toukei_ichiran_touroku.html Ministry of Justice Statistics]{{cite news |title=データセット一覧 |url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&cycle=1&year=20220&month=12040606&tclass1=000001060399&tclass2val=0 |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=e-stat |language=ja}}

The few Hindu temples in Japan are as follows:

• Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Tokyo
• ISKCON New Gaya, Tokyo
• ISKCON Osaka Center, Osaka
• Vedanta Society of Japan, Kanagawa
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Tokyo
• Shiva Shakti Mandir, Tokyo

The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated that 24,182 Hindus in Japan as of 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/np-sort?var=ADH_471|title=Japan, Religion And Social Profile|access-date=2023-06-04|website=thearda.com}}

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{{Portal|Japan|Hinduism}}

• [https://www.iskconjapan.com/ Hare Krishna temple in Japan]

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Category:Religion in Japan

Japan