The Most Famous

RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Japan

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This page contains a list of the greatest Japanese Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 29 of which were born in Japan. This makes Japan the birth place of the 17th most number of Religious Figures behind Iraq, and Iran.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Japanese Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Japanese Religious Figures 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 Religious Figures.

Photo of Kane Tanaka

1. Kane Tanaka (1903 - 2022)

With an HPI of 67.14, Kane Tanaka is the most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 38 different languages on wikipedia.

Kane Tanaka (田中 カ子, Tanaka Kane, née Ōta (太田); 2 January 1903 – 19 April 2022) was a Japanese supercentenarian who, until her death at the age of 119 years, 107 days, was the world's oldest verified living person, following the death of Chiyo Miyako on 22 July 2018. She is the oldest verified Japanese person and the second-oldest verified person ever, after Jeanne Calment.

Photo of Dōgen

2. Dōgen (1200 - 1253)

With an HPI of 66.24, Dōgen is the 2nd most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253), was a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, writer, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. He is also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), and Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師). Originally ordained as a monk in the Tendai School in Kyoto, he was ultimately dissatisfied with its teaching and traveled to China to seek out what he believed to be a more authentic Buddhism. He remained there for four years, finally training under Tiāntóng Rújìng, an eminent teacher of the Cáodòng lineage of Chinese Chan. Upon his return to Japan, he began promoting the practice of zazen (sitting meditation) through literary works such as Fukanzazengi and Bendōwa. He eventually broke relations completely with the powerful Tendai School, and, after several years of likely friction between himself and the establishment, left Kyoto for the mountainous countryside where he founded the monastery Eihei-ji, which remains the head temple of the Sōtō school today. Dōgen is known for his extensive writings like the Shōbōgenzō (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, considered his magnum opus), the Eihei Kōroku (Extensive Record, a collection of his talks), the Eihei Shingi (the first Japanese Zen monastic code), along with his Japanese poetry, and commentaries. Dōgen's writings are one of the most important sources studied in the contemporary Sōtō Zen tradition.

Photo of Nichiren

3. Nichiren (1222 - 1282)

With an HPI of 65.96, Nichiren is the 3rd most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. His teachings form the basis of Nichiren Buddhism, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. Nichiren: 77 : 1  declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of Buddhism, insisting that the sovereign of Japan and its people should support only this form of Buddhism and eradicate all others. He advocated the repeated recitation of its title, Nam(u)-myoho-renge-kyo, as the only path to Buddhahood and held that Shakyamuni Buddha and all other Buddhist deities were extraordinary manifestations of a particular Buddha-nature termed Myoho-Renge that is equally accessible to all. He declared that believers of the Sutra must propagate it even under persecution. Nichiren was a prolific writer and his biography, temperament, and the evolution of his beliefs has been gleaned primarily from his writings.: 99 : 442  He claimed the reincarnation of Jōgyō bodhisattva in a past life, and designated six senior disciples, of which the claims to successorship are contested. After his death, he was bestowed the title Nichiren Dai-Bosatsu (日蓮大菩薩, Great Bodhisattva Nichiren) by the Emperor Go-Kōgon in 1358 and the title Risshō Daishi (立正大師, Great Teacher of Correction) was conferred posthumously through imperial edict by the Emperor Taisho in 1922. Nichiren Buddhism today includes traditional temple schools such as Nichiren-shu sects and Nichiren Shōshū, as well as lay movements such as Soka Gakkai, Risshō Kōsei Kai, Reiyūkai, Kenshōkai, Honmon Butsuryū-shū, Kempon Hokke, and Shōshinkai among many others. Each group has varying views of Nichiren's teachings with claims and interpretations of Nichiren's identity ranging from the rebirth of Bodhisattva Visistacaritra to the Primordial or "True Buddha" (本仏, Honbutsu) of the Third Age of Buddhism.

Photo of Benkei

4. Benkei (1155 - 1189)

With an HPI of 64.84, Benkei is the 4th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Saitō Musashibō Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶, 1155–1189), popularly known by the mononym Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185). Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue warrior. He later came to respect and serve the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. He is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore showcased in many ancient and modern literature and productions. The earliest records of Benkei are in the Azuma Kagami, The Tale of the Heike, and the Genpei Jōsuiki—all sources from around a century or more after Benkei's life. These sources generally only indicate Benkei was one of Yoshitsune's retainers and was a thin monk, although they do indicate Yoshitsune was aided and protected by a band of rogueish sōhei (warrior-monks) near Mount Hiei after he fled the capital—perhaps the historical core of the Benkei legend. Many of the detailed anecdotes and stories of Benkei are from the Gikeiki, an even later 14th-century work. As no contemporary records of Benkei are extant, it is difficult to know which elements of the stories are historical and which are embellished.

Photo of Paulo Miki

5. Paulo Miki (1564 - 1597)

With an HPI of 64.76, Paulo Miki is the 5th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Paul Miki, SJ (Japanese: パウロ三木; (‘Paulo Miki’) c. 1562 – 5 February 1597) was a Japanese Catholic evangelist and Jesuit, known for his martyrdom during a 16th-century anti-Catholic uprising. Canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1862, Miki is recognized as one of the Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan.

Photo of Empress Meishō

6. Empress Meishō (1624 - 1696)

With an HPI of 64.74, Empress Meishō is the 6th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages.

Okiko (Japanese: 興子), posthumously honored as Empress Meishō (明正天皇, Meishō-tennō, January 9, 1624 – December 4, 1696), was the 109th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Her reign lasted from 1629 to 1643. In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six who reigned before her were Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei, Jitō, Genmei, Genshō, and Kōken/Shōtoku. Her sole female successor was Go-Sakuramachi.

Photo of Abe no Seimei

7. Abe no Seimei (921 - 1005)

With an HPI of 64.18, Abe no Seimei is the 7th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Abe no Seimei (安倍 晴明, February 21, 921 AD – October 31, 1005) was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of Onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore. He has been portrayed in several stories and films. Seimei worked as an onmyōji for emperors and the Heian government, advising on the spiritually correct way to deal with issues. He prayed for the well-being of emperors and the government and advised on various issues. He was also an astrologer and predicted astrological events. He enjoyed an extremely long life, free from any major illness, contributing to the popular belief that he had mystical powers. The Seimei Shrine, located in Kyoto, is dedicated to him. The Abeno train station and district in Osaka are named after him, as it is one of the locations where legends place his birth.

Photo of Sen no Rikyū

8. Sen no Rikyū (1522 - 1591)

With an HPI of 61.91, Sen no Rikyū is the 8th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Sen no Rikyū (Japanese: 千利休, 1522 – April 21, 1591), also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese Buddhist monk and tea master considered the most important influence on the chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspects of the ceremony, including rustic simplicity, directness of approach and honesty of self. Originating from the Sengoku and Azuchi–Momoyama periods, these aspects of the tea ceremony persist. Rikyū is known by many names; for consistency, he will be referred to as Rikyū in this article. There are three iemoto (sōke), or 'head houses' of the Japanese Way of Tea, that are directly descended from Rikyū: the Omotesenke, Urasenke, and Mushakōjisenke, all three of which are dedicated to passing forward the teachings of their mutual family founder, Rikyū. They are collectively called san senke.

Photo of Yamamoto Tsunetomo

9. Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659 - 1719)

With an HPI of 61.45, Yamamoto Tsunetomo is the 9th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本 常朝), Buddhist monastic name Yamamoto Jōchō (June 11, 1659 – November 30, 1719), was a samurai of the Saga Domain in Hizen Province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. He became a Zen Buddhist priest and relayed his experiences, memories, lessons, ideas, and aphorisms to the samurai Tashiro Tsuramoto, who compiled them under the title Hagakure.

Photo of Mikao Usui

10. Mikao Usui (1865 - 1926)

With an HPI of 61.10, Mikao Usui is the 10th most famous Japanese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Mikao Usui (臼井甕男, 15 August 1865 – 9 March 1926, commonly Usui Mikao in Japanese) was the father of a form of energy medicine and spiritual practice known as Reiki,: 108–10  used as an alternative therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught Reiki to over 2,000 people during his lifetime. Eleven of these students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, a level equivalent to the Western third degree, or Master level.: 16 

People

Pantheon has 36 people classified as Japanese religious figures born between 551 and 1998. Of these 36, 6 (16.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Japanese religious figures include Moriteru Ueshiba, Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, and Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi. The most famous deceased Japanese religious figures include Kane Tanaka, Dōgen, and Nichiren. As of April 2024, 7 new Japanese religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Senhime, Magdalene of Nagasaki, and Peter Takeo Okada.

Living Japanese Religious Figures

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Deceased Japanese Religious Figures

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Newly Added Japanese Religious Figures (2024)

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Overlapping Lives

Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 10 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.