Nhasi vanhu vanosvika mamirioni makumi mapfumbamwe vanozvifunga ivo pachavo buddhists muJapan. Buddhism yakaunzwa kuJapan kuburikidza neChina neKorea muchimiro chechipo kubva kuKorea humambo hwehukama Kudara (Paikche) muzana ramakore rechitanhatu. Kunyangwe hazvo Buddhism yakagamuchirwa zvakanaka nevakuru vaitonga sechitendero chitsva cheJapan, yakanga isati yatanga, yapararira pakati pevanhuwo zvavo, nekuda kwedzidziso dzayo dzakaomarara.
Paive zvakare nekumwe kupokana kwekutanga nechiShinto, chinamato chekuJapan. Zvitendero zviviri izvo zvakakurumidza kugona kugara pamwe chete, uye zvichitobatsirana. Munguva yeNara Period, dzimba huru dzechiBuddhist mumusha weNara, senge Todaiji, vakawana simba rakasimba mune zvematongerwo enyika uye chaive chimwe chezvikonzero zvekuti hurumende ifambise guta guru kuNagaoka muna 784 uyezve kuKyoto muna 794.
Nekudaro, iro dambudziko rematongerwo enyika ane chinzvimbo uye emamongi emamonari rinoramba riri nyaya hombe kuhurumende mukati memazana emakore emakore enhoroondo yeJapan. Munguva yekutanga Heian nguva, mapoka maviri matsva eBuddhist akaunzwa kubva kuChina: iyo Tendai sekete mugore ra805 naSaicho ne sekete shingon muna 806 naKukai. Mamwe masekete akazoparadzana nenzira yeboka raTendai. Pakati peizvi, zvakakosha zvakanyanya zvataurwa pazasi:
Muna 1175, the Jodo sekete (Yakachena Land sect) yakavambwa naHonen. Akawana vateveri pakati pemakosi akasiyana enzanga sezvo dzidziso dzake dzaive dzakareruka uye dzakavakirwa pachisungo chekuti munhu wese anokwanisa kuwana ruponeso nechisimba chekutenda muna Amida Buddha.
Uye muna 1191, iyo Zen sekete Yakaunzwa kubva kuChina. Dzidziso dzake dzakaomarara dzainyanya kufarirwa nenhengo dzeboka remauto. Zvinoenderana nedzidziso dzeZen, munhu anogona kuwana kuzvivhenekera kuburikidza nekufungisisa uye nekuraira. Nhasi, Zen inoita kunge inonakidzwa nemukurumbira mukuru kunze kwenyika kupfuura mukati meJapan.
Kune zvakare iyo Sangano reNichiren, yakavambwa naNichiren muna 1253. Boka iri raive rakatanhamara nekuda kwechimiro charo chekusashivirira kune mamwe masekete echiBuddha. Nichiren Buddhism ichine mamirioni mazhinji evateveri nhasi, uye akati wandei "zvitendero zvitsva" zvakavakirwa padzidziso dzaNichiren.