Philosophers from Japan

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Japanese Philosophers of all time. This list of famous Japanese Philosophers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Japanese Philosophers.

1. #1

   

   Fukuzawa Yukichi

   1835 - 1901

   HPI 69.2038 langs

   Fukuzawa Yukichi is most famous for his book "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization," in which he argued that Japan's cultural identity is...Read moreShow less

   Fukuzawa Yukichi is most famous for his book "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization," in which he argued that Japan's cultural identity is based on the "three pillars" of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shinto.

2. #2

   

   Masanobu Fukuoka

   1913 - 2008

   HPI 67.7839 langs

   Masanobu Fukuoka is most famous for his book "The One-Straw Revolution" in which he explains his philosophy of natural farming. He believes...Read moreShow less

   Masanobu Fukuoka is most famous for his book "The One-Straw Revolution" in which he explains his philosophy of natural farming. He believes that the most effective way to farm is to create a system that mimics nature.

3. #3

   

   Hakuin Ekaku

   1686 - 1769

   HPI 63.2621 langs

   Japanese Zen Buddhist master

4. #4

   

   Daisaku Ikeda

   1928 - 2023

   HPI 62.3425 langs

   Japanese Buddhist philosopher, nuclear disarmament advocate, and President of Soka Gakkai International (born 1928)

5. #5

   

   Kitaro Nishida

   1870 - 1945

   HPI 62.3227 langs

   Japanese philosopher

6. #6

   

   Motoori Norinaga

   1730 - 1801

   HPI 62.0324 langs

   Japanese scholar and philosopher (1730–1801)

7. #7

   

   Hayashi Razan

   1583 - 1657

   HPI 61.8621 langs

   Japanese philosopher (1583–1657)

8. #8

   

   Arai Hakuseki

   1657 - 1725

   HPI 60.4523 langs

   Japanese scholar and official (1657–1725)

9. #9

   

   Ogyū Sorai

   1666 - 1728

   HPI 59.6418 langs

   Japanese philosopher (1666–1728)

10. #10

    

    Kohei Saito

    b. 1987

    HPI 43.4714 langs

    Kohei Saito is a Japanese philosopher and historian of economic thought, best known for his work on the relationship between Marx's theories...Read moreShow less

    Kohei Saito is a Japanese philosopher and historian of economic thought, best known for his work on the relationship between Marx's theories and ecological issues. He emphasizes the relevance of Marxist thought in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.