著者

辻村 志のぶ

出版者

東京大学文学部宗教学研究室

雑誌

東京大学宗教学年報 (ISSN:2896400)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.19, pp.93-109, 2002-03-31

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Until 1945, missionaries from traditional Japanese Buddhist sects were sent to proselytize in China, other East Asian countries, Europe and the United States. This article is concerned with the activities of Fujii Sosen (1896―1971), a Shinshu priest of the Otani sect, who pursued missionary work in China during the Sino-Japanese War. Though he was a religious missionary, he was not personally concerned with gaining converts to his faith. Rather, his declared mission was to "modernize" Chinese Buddhism. To accomplish this task, Fujii undertook varied and seemingly contradictory activities. He persuaded Japanese Buddhist organizations to aid their Chinese counterparts, openly criticized Japan, was publicly opposed to the war, and yet at times cooperated with the invading Japanese military forces. He was finally arrested by the Japanese army for spreading "propaganda." How can his faith and mission be explained? His distinctive ideas about missionary work derived from his conviction that both Japanese and Chinese Buddhism were to be modernized in the same way. According to Fujii, both Buddhist traditions shared a single future and destiny, which was to be led by Japanese example. Both traditions were to undergo reform in the spheres of Buddhist studies, Buddhist education, economic activities, and social welfare, all of which were considered by Fujii to be important to modern institutions. This paper traces his way of thinking, and is an attempt to illuminate one aspect of the history of Japanese missionary work.