Shin Buddhism breaks with its past war cooperation

One of Japan's most influential denominations of Buddhism has publicly reaffirmed its confession of and remorse for its cooperation with the government in WWII.

On May 24, the headquarters of the Hongwanji Denomination of Shin Buddhism (Nishi-Hongwanji) in Kyoto declared its wartime (from the so-called "Manchurian Incident" in 1931 until the end of WWII) directive calling for cooperation null and void. It states, "This is to bring home to this and other denominations that Nishi-Hongwanji as a Buddhist denomination that holds all living things in high esteem should never depend on such a false canon." The sect order was sent to 10,400 Buddhist temples throughout the country.

This announcement follows the April 1995 statement by Otani Koshin, the Monshu of the Nishi-Hongwanji (mentor principal): "I cannot help feeling ashamed of ourselves before the Buddha about the fact that we had misused Buddhism for war cooperation against the teaching of Shinran Shonin (Shin Buddhism founder)."

The Nishi-Hongwanji since 1981 has conducted a Buddhist memorial service for the war dead every year on September 18 at Chidorigafuchi Cemetery in Tokyo.

Many other Buddhist denominations in Japan have also expressed their self-criticism for having cooperated in the past war. (end)