Namuhla abantu abangaba yizigidi ezingama-90 bayazicabangela ama-buddhists eJapane. UbuBuddha bangeniswa eJapan ngeChina naseKorea ngesimo sesipho esivela embusweni waseKorea wobungane uKudara (Paikche) ngekhulu lesi-6. Yize ubuBuddha bemukelwa kahle yizikhulu ezibusayo njengenkolo entsha yaseJapan, bekungekho, ekuqaleni okwasakazeka kubantu abavamile, ngenxa yemibono yabo eyinkimbinkimbi.
Kwakukhona nezingxabano ezithile zokuqala nobuShinto, inkolo yomdabu yaseJapane. Lezi zinkolo ezimbili ezakwazi ukuhlala ndawonye, zaze zalekelelana. Ngesikhathi seNara, izindlu zezindela ezinkulu zamaBuddha enhlokodolobha yaseNara, njengeTodaiji, zathola ithonya elinamandla kwezepolitiki futhi zaba esinye sezizathu zokuthi uhulumeni ahambise inhlokodolobha aye eNagaoka ngo-784 bese eya eKyoto ngo-794.
Kodwa-ke, inkinga yezindela zezombusazwe ezithanda ukuvelela nezombusazwe iseyinkinga enkulu kohulumeni kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka omlando waseJapan. Ngesikhathi sokuqala kukaHeian, kwethulwa amahlelo amabili amaBuddha avela eChina: the Ihlelo likaTendai ngonyaka ka-805 nguSaicho kanye ne- ihlelo UShingon ngo-806 nguKukai. Amahlelo amaningi kamuva ahlukana nehlelo likaTendai. Phakathi kwalokhu, okubaluleke kakhulu kushiwo ngezansi:
In the 1175 Ihlelo leJodo (Pure Land sect) yasungulwa nguHonen. Uthole abalandeli phakathi kwezigaba ezahlukahlukene zenhlalo njengoba imibono yakhe ibilula futhi isuselwa esimisweni sokuthi wonke umuntu angazuza insindiso ngamandla okukholelwa ku-Amida Buddha.
Futhi ngo-1191, i- Ihlelo leZen Kwethulwa kusuka eChina. Imibono yakhe eyinkimbinkimbi yayithandwa kakhulu amalungu esigaba samasosha. Ngokwezimfundiso zeZen, umuntu angakuthola ukuzikhanyisela ngokuzindla nokuziphatha. Namuhla, iZen ibonakala ithanda ukuthandwa kakhulu phesheya kunaseJapan.
Kukhona futhi i- Ihlelo likaNichiren, elasungulwa uNichiren ngo-1253. Leli hlelo lalihlukile ngenxa yesimo salo sokungabekezelelani namanye amahlelo obuBuddha. INichiren Buddhism isenezigidi eziningi zabalandeli namuhla, futhi "izinkolo ezintsha" eziningana zisuselwa ezimfundisweni zikaNichiren.