This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Japanese new religions arenew religious movements established in Japan. In Japanese, they are calledshinshūkyō (新宗教) orshinkō shūkyō (新興宗教). Japanese scholars classify all religious organizations founded since the middle of the 19th century as "new religions"; thus, the term refers to a great diversity and number of organizations. Most came into being in the mid-to-late twentieth century and are influenced by much older traditional religions includingBuddhism andShinto. Foreign influences includeChristianity, theBible, and the writings ofNostradamus.^[1][2][3]

In the 1860s, Japan began to experience great social turmoil and rapid modernization. As social conflicts emerged in this last decade of theEdo period, known as theBakumatsu period, some new religious movements appeared. Among them wereTenrikyo,Kurozumikyo, andOomoto, sometimes calledNihon Sandai Shinkōshūkyō ('Japan's three large new religions') or "old new religions", which were directly influenced byShinto (thestate religion) andshamanism.^[1]

The social tension continued to grow during theMeiji period, affecting religious practices and institutions. Conversion from traditional faith was no longer legally forbidden, officials lifted the 250-year ban on Christianity, and missionaries of established Christian churches reentered Japan. The traditionalsyncreticism between Shinto and Buddhism ended and Shinto became thenational religion. Losing the protection of the Japanese government which Buddhism had enjoyed for centuries, Buddhist monks faced radical difficulties in sustaining their institutions, but their activities also became less restrained by governmental policies and restrictions.

The Japanese government was very suspicious towards these religious movements and periodically made attempts to suppress them. Government suppression was especially severe during the early 20th century, particularly from the 1930s until the early 1940s, when the growth ofJapanese nationalism andState Shinto were closely linked. Under the Meiji regimelèse-majesté prohibited insults against the Emperor and his Imperial House, and also against some major Shinto shrines which were believed to be tied strongly to the Emperor. The government strengthened its control over religious institutions that were considered to undermine State Shinto or nationalism, arresting some members and leaders ofShinshūkyō, includingOnisaburo Deguchi of Oomoto andTsunesaburō Makiguchi of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (nowSoka Gakkai), who typically were charged with violation oflèse-majesté and thePeace Preservation Law.

After Japan was defeated in World War II, its government and policy changed radically duringoccupation by Allied troops. The official status ofState Shinto was abolished, and Shinto shrines became religious organizations, losing government protection and financial support. Although theOccupation Army (GHQ) practiced censorship of all types of organizations, specific suppression ofShinshūkyō ended.

GHQ invited many Christian missionaries from the United States to Japan, throughDouglas MacArthur's famous call for 1,000 missionaries. Missionaries arrived not only from traditional churches, but also from some modern denominations, such asJehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah's Witnesses missionaries were so successful that they have become the second largest Christian denomination in Japan, with over 210,000 members (the largest isCatholicism with about 500,000 members). In Japan, Jehovah's Witnesses tend to be considered a Christianity-basedShinshūkyō, not only because they were founded in the 19th century (as were other majorShinshūkyō), but also because of their missionary practices, which involve door-to-door visiting and frequent meetings.

Despite the influx of Christian missionaries, the majority ofShinshūkyō are Buddhist- or Shinto-related sects. Major sects includeRisshō Kōsei Kai andShinnyo-en. Major goals ofShinshūkyō include spiritual healing, individual prosperity, and social harmony. Many also hold a belief inApocalypticism, that is in the imminentend of the world or at least its radical transformation.^[2] Most of those who joinedShinshūkyō in this period were women from lower-middle-class backgrounds.^[3]

A few Shinto-basedShinshūkyō, such asTenrikyo andKonkokyo, refer to themselves in English as churches rather than as temples or shrines. In both Tenrikyo and Konkokyo, some branches abroad are known as missions.

Soka Gakkai has a particular influence on politics since 1964, due to their affiliated party Komeito, laterNew Komeito. In 1999, it was estimated that 10 to 20 per cent of the Japanese population were members of aShinshūkyō.^[3]

After World War II, the structure of the state was changed radically. Prior to WWII, theNational Diet was restricted and the real power lay with the executive branch, in which the prime minister was appointed by the emperor. Under the newConstitution of Japan, the Diet had the supreme authority for decision making in state affairs and all its members were elected by the people. Especially in theHouse of Councillors, one third of whose members were elected through nationwide vote, nationwide organizations found they could influence national policy by supporting certain candidates. MajorShinshūkyō became one of the so-called "vote-gathering machines" in Japan, especially for the conservative parties which merged into theLiberal Democratic Party in 1955.

In the 1950s, Japanese wives of American servicemen introduced the Soka Gakkai to the United States, which in the 1970s developed intoSoka Gakkai International (SGI). Well-known American SGI converts include musicianHerbie Hancock and singerTina Turner.^[4]

In BrazilShinshūkyō, likeHonmon Butsuryū-shū, were first introduced in the 1920s among the Japanese immigrant population. In the 1950s and 1960s some started to become popular among the non-Japanese population as well.Seicho-No-Ie now has the largest membership in the country. In the 1960s, it adopted Portuguese, rather than Japanese, as its language of instruction and communication. It also began to advertise itself as philosophy rather than religion in order to avoid conflict with theRoman Catholic Church and other socially conservative elements in society. By 1988 it had more than 2.4 million members in Brazil, 85% of them not of Japanese ethnicity.^[2]

Today, the largest Japanese new religions in Brazil and the United States includeSeicho-No-Ie,PL Kyodan, theChurch of World Messianity,Sukyo Mahikari,Soka Gakkai,Reiyukai,Tenrikyo, andKonkokyo.

Edifices and emblems of various Japanese new religions

Emblem of Tenri-kyō

Head office of Oomoto at Kameoka, Japan

Headquarters of Reiyū-kai

Emblem of Konko-kyō

Rissho Kosei-kai’s Great Sacred Hall

Emblem ofChurch of World Messianity (Sekai Kyūsei Kyō)

Data for 2012 is from theAgency for Cultural Affairs.^[8]

Below is alist of scriptures in various Japanese new religions, most of which are considered to be direct divine revelations in their respective religions.

• Konkokyo:Konkōkyō Kyōten (金光教教典)
• Tenrikyo:Mikagura-uta (御神楽歌),Ofudesaki (御筆先),Osashizu (御指図)
• Honmichi:Kyōgi Ichiban (教義一斑)
• Honbushin:Tenkei Mikyōsho (天啓御教書)
• Oomoto:Oomoto Shin'yu (大本神諭),Reikai Monogatari (霊界物語),Michi no Shiori (道の栞),Michi no Hikari (道の光)
• Seicho-No-Ie: 4 sutras (Kanro no Hōu甘露の法雨,Tenshi no Kotoba 天使の言葉,Zoku-zoku Kanro no Hōu 続々甘露の法雨,Seishimei Bosatsu Sange 聖使命菩薩讃偈) andSeimei no jissō (生命の實相, 40 volumes)
• Ananaikyo:Reikai-de Mita Uchū (霊界で観た宇宙, about 12 volumes)
• Tenshō Kōtai Jingūkyō:Seisho (生書, 4 volumes)
• Shintō Tenkōkyo:Tomokiyo Yoshisane zenshū (友清歓真全集, 6 volumes)
• Ōyamanezunomikoto Shinji Kyōkai:Shinjitsu no hikari: shinji (真実の光・神示)
• Makoto no Michi:Makoto no Michi shinji (真の道神示, 2 volumes)
• Ennokyo:Ennōkyō Kyōten (円応教教典)
• Tensokokyo:Voice of the Sphinx (スフィンクスの声)

Sacred mountains in Japanese new religions include the following.

• InHonbushin:Mount Kami orKami-yama (神山) inOkayama
• InKurozumikyō: Mount Shintō orShintō-zan (神道山) inOkayama
• InOomoto:Mount Takakuma orTakakuma-yama (高熊山) inKameoka andMount Hongū (本宮山) inAyabe. Mount Hongū is considered to be ashintaizan (神体山;shintai mountain).
• InShintō Tenkōkyo: Mount Iwaki orIwaki-yama (石城山) inYamaguchi Prefecture^[9]
• InSukyo Mahikari:Mount Kurai. The Inner Shrine (Okumiya) of the World Shrine (世界総本山奥宮) is located on its summit. A memorial complex dedicated to the religion's founders is located near the mountain's base.^[10][11]
• InSeicho-No-Ie: Sōhonzan (生長の家総本山), the hill where Seicho-No-Ie's spiritual headquarters is located inSaikai, Nagasaki

• Chinese new religions
• Buddhism in Japan
• Buddhist modernism
• New religious movement
• Religion in Japan
• Shinto sects and schools (only some in the list count asShinshūkyō)
• Shūkyō nisei

• Clarke, Peter B. (1999)A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations. Richmond, Vi: Curzon.ISBN 9781873410806.OCLC 246578574.
• Clarke, Peter B. (2000).Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective. Richmond, Vi: Curzon.ISBN 9780700711857.OCLC 442441364.
• Clarke, Peter B., Somers, Jeffrey, editors (1994). Japanese New Religions in the West, Japan Library/Curzon Press, Kent, UK.ISBN 1-873410-24-7.
• Dormann, Benjamin (2012). Celebrity Gods: New Religions, Media, and Authority in Occupied Japan, University of Hawaiʻi Press.ISBN 0824836219.
• Dormann, Benjamin (2005). “New Religions through the Eyes of Ōya Sōichi, 'Emperor' of the Mass Media”, in:Bulletin of the Nanzan Institute for Religion & Culture, 29, pp. 54–67.
• Dormann, Benjamin (2004). “SCAP's Scapegoat? The Authorities, New Religions, and a Postwar Taboo”, in:Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 31/1: pp. 105–140.
• Ellwood, Robert S., Jr. (1974).The Eagle and the Rising Sun: Americans and the New Religions of Japan. Philadelphia: Westminster Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Ellwood, Robert S. (2008).Introducing Japanese Religion. World Religions Series. London; New York: Routledge.ISBN 978-0-4157-7425-3.
• Ellwood, Robert S.; Shimazono, Susumu (2005) [1987]."New Religious Movements: New Religious Movements in Japan". In Lindsay Jones (ed.).Encyclopedia of Religion: 15-volume Set. Vol. 10 (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, Mi: Macmillan Reference USA – viaEncyclopedia.com.
• Hardacre, Helen. (1988).Kurozumikyo and the New Religions of Japan. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.ISBN 0-691-02048-5.
• Hardacre, Helen (1993)."The New Religions, Family, and Society in Japan". InMarty, Martin E.;Appleby, R. Scott (eds.).Fundamentalisms and Siciety: Reclaming the Sciences, the Family, and Education.The Fundamentalism Project, 2. Chicago, Il; London: University of Chicago Press. pp. 294–310.ISBN 0-226-50880-3.
• Kisala, Robert (2001). “Images of God in Japanese New Religions”, in:Bulletin of the Nanzan Institute for Religion & Culture, 25, pp. 19–32.
• Shimazono, Susumu (2004).From Salvation to Spirituality: Popular Religious Movements in Modern Japan. Japanese Society Series. Melbourne, Vic.: Trans Pacific Press.ISBN 978-1-8768-4312-0.
• Staemmler, Birgit & Ulrich Dehn, eds.Establishing the Revolutionary: An Introduction to New Religions in Japan. Munster: LIT, 2011.ISBN 978-3-643-90152-1.
• Thomson, Harry.The New Religions of Japan. Tokyo and Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle, 1963.
• Wilson, Bryan R. and Karel Dobbelaere. (1994).A Time to Chant. Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-827915-9.

• Japanese new religions
• Japanese secret societies
• Japanese folk religion
• Religion in Japan
• East Asian religions

• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014
• CS1 maint: archived copy as title
• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles lacking in-text citations from July 2025
• All articles lacking in-text citations
• Articles containing Japanese-language text
• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list