<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.2d1 20170631//EN" "JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd"> <ArticleSet> <Article> <Journal> <PublisherName>ejsss</PublisherName> <JournalTitle>ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES</JournalTitle> <PISSN/> <EISSN/> <Volume-Issue>Volume 6 Issue 1</Volume-Issue> <PartNumber/> <IssueTopic>Multidisciplinary</IssueTopic> <IssueLanguage>English</IssueLanguage> <Season>Apr-May 2025</Season> <SpecialIssue>N</SpecialIssue> <SupplementaryIssue>N</SupplementaryIssue> <IssueOA>Y</IssueOA> <PubDate> <Year>2025</Year> <Month>05</Month> <Day>31</Day> </PubDate> <ArticleType/> <ArticleTitle>Buddhas, Deities, and Scripts: Tracing India’s Legacy in Japan</ArticleTitle> <SubTitle/> <ArticleLanguage>English</ArticleLanguage> <ArticleOA>Y</ArticleOA> <FirstPage>73</FirstPage> <LastPage>89</LastPage> <AuthorList> <Author> <FirstName>Khushi</FirstName> <AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage> <Affiliation/> <CorrespondingAuthor>N</CorrespondingAuthor> <ORCID/> </Author> </AuthorList> <DOI>10.47362/EJSSS.2025.6104 </DOI> <Abstract>The cultural connections between India and Japan span centuries, deeply influencing Japanese spirituality, language, and artistic traditions. Central to this exchange was the transmission of Buddhism, which reached Japan in the 6th century A.D. through China and Korea, reshaping its religious and philosophical landscape. The influence of Sanskrit, the assimilation of Hindu deities like Saraswati (Benzaiten) and Vishnu (Bishamonten), and the integration of Indian scriptures such as the Suvarnabh?sottama-s?tra and Mah?vairocana-s?tra further exemplify India’s imprint on Japan. Concepts like the honji suijaku doctrine enabled the synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist traditions within the Japanese religious framework. Additionally, artistic and literary adaptations of the Ramayana in Japan highlight the cultural continuity between the two regions. This paper explores the depth of Indian influence on Japanese culture, tracing its impact on religion, language, and iconography while highlighting enduring cultural exchanges.</Abstract> <AbstractLanguage>English</AbstractLanguage> <Keywords>Indian influence, Japan, Buddhism, Sanskrit, Prince Shotoku, Hindu deities, cultural exchange, honji suijaku, Mah?vairocana-sutra, Suvarnabh?sottama-s?tra, Bodhisena, Buddhist temples, Shingon Buddhism, Tendai Buddhism, Benzaiten, Kichijoten, Bichnuten, Mandala, Ramayana in Japan</Keywords> <URLs> <Abstract>https://ejsss.net.in/ubijournal-v1copy/journals/abstract.php?article_id=15742&title=Buddhas, Deities, and Scripts: Tracing India’s Legacy in Japan</Abstract> </URLs> <References> <ReferencesarticleTitle>References</ReferencesarticleTitle> <ReferencesfirstPage>16</ReferencesfirstPage> <ReferenceslastPage>19</ReferenceslastPage> <References>Aband;eacute;, R. (1999). The weaving of mantra: K?kai and the construction of esoteric Buddhist discourse. Columbia University Press. Aston, W. G. (2005). Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the earliest times to A.D. 697. Tuttle Publishing. Bechert, H., and; Gombrich, R. (1984). The world of Buddhism. Thames and; Hudson. Davidson, R. M. (2002). Indian esoteric Buddhism: A social history of the Tantric movement. Columbia University Press. Eliot, C. (1962). Japanese Buddhism. Routledge. Faure, B. (1996). Visions of power: Imagining medieval Japanese Buddhism. Princeton University Press. Grapard, A. G. (1992). The protocol of the gods: A study of the Kasuga cult in Japanese history. University of California Press. Kanno, H. (2004). Essentials of the Lotus Sutra: A general explanation of the Threefold Lotus Sutra. Kosei Publishing. Nakamura, H. (1964). Ways of thinking of Eastern peoples: India, China, Tibet, Japan. University of Hawaii Press. Orzech, C. (1998). Politics and transcendent wisdom: The Scripture for Humane Kings in the creation of Chinese Buddhism. Penn State Press. Sansom, G. (1958). A history of Japan to 1334. Stanford University Press. Snodgrass, A. (1985). The symbolism of the stupa. Motilal Banarsidass. Swanson, P. L. (1989). Foundations of T’ien-T’ai philosophy: The flowering of the Two Truths Theory in Chinese Buddhism. Jain Publishing Company. Tamura, Y. (2000). Japanese Buddhism: A cultural history. Kosei Publishing.</References> </References> </Journal> </Article> </ArticleSet>