Annotated Resource Set (ARS)
Title / Content Area:
Buddhism in Japan
Developed by:
LaTonya Amboree, Secondary Social Studies Helping Teacher, Fort Bend
Independent School District (TX)
Grade Level:
9th grade World Geography
Essential Question:
How would you describe the worship practices, rituals, and leadership within
Buddhism?
Contextual Paragraph:
The arrival of Buddhism in Japan is ultimately a consequence of the first contacts
between China and Central Asia, whereby Buddhism was introduced into China.
These contacts occurred with the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BCE.
Buddhism has been practiced in Japan since at least 552 CE. It has had a major
influence on the culture and development Japan over the centuries, and remains an
important part of the culture. Japan has seen a minor decline in Buddhist practice in
the 21st century, with roughly 100 temples a year closing. However 70% of Japanese
people still follow Buddhism in some form, and 90% of Japanese funerals are
conducted according to Buddhist rites. Due to syncretism in Japan, many Buddhists
also profess adherence to Shinto—these are not exclusive, and there is substantial
overlap.
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Resource Set
Lamas praying as they
walk down the
mountain to perform
religious sacrifice
Images of Buddhism and
Hinduism
Lama turning prayer
wheel activating prayer
Lamas and Prayer
Monastery
Objects, not people,
were sacrificed.
Engravings that includes
images of Vishnu,
Buddha, and Hindu
ascetics.
Photograph shows a
Shinglay Lama seated on
ground, turning a large
prayer wheel.
Wind blows past the
prayers and blesses the
land as the wind passes.
Rumtek Monastery seen
from across courtyard,
Sikkim.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/resource/ppmsca.3
0209/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
resource/cph.3c15361/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011648823/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646973/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/resource/ppmsca.3
0145/
Teaching with Primary Sources - Annotated Resource Set
Drum inside royal
palace temple
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/resource/ppmsca.3
0864/
2
Traditional religious
offering to High Lama
Musician Lama during
ceremonial dances using
cymbals
Buddhist monks inside
temple
Karmapa Lama’s
successor studying
penmenship
Class learning to read
and write
Photograph shows a
monk carrying offering,
possibly a butter
sculpture.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/resource/ppmsca.3
0866/
A Buddhist deity
Photograph shows a
painting of the
Mahākāla, a Buddhist
deity.
http://www.loc.gov/pict http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/resource/ppmsca.3 ures/resource/ppmsca.3
0873/
0922/
Teaching with Primary Sources - Annotated Resource Set
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646301/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646302/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011648818/
3
Reincarnation of a holy
lama
A girl praying in front of
a Buddhist statue
Photograph shows
young boy holding a
wooden prayer book,
looking out from behind
a curtain. The young
boy is believed to be the
reincarnation of a holy
lama taking a break
from his reading.
A young girl, Kimu,
praying in front of a
giant Buddha statue at
the Lachung Monastery
in northern Sikkim.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646971/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646270/
Monk fixing a clock
Monk Chanting
Head Black Hat Lama
chanting during New
Year's ceremony,
Gangtok, Sikkim.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646299/
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2011646353/
Foundations Annotations
Curriculum Standards
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for World Geography
(17) Culture. The student understands the distribution, patterns, and characteristics of different cultures. The student is expected to: (A) describe and compare
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patterns of culture such as language, religion, land use, education, and customs that make specific regions of the world distinctive; (B) describe major world
religions, including animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism, and their spatial distribution.
Content & Thinking Objectives
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for World Geography
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic
technology. The student is expected to: (A) analyze and evaluate the validity and utility of multiple sources of geographic information such as primary and
secondary sources, aerial photographs, and maps.
(22) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: (A) design and draw appropriate graphics
such as maps, diagrams, tables, and graphs to communicate geographic features, distributions, and relationships; (B) generate summaries, generalizations, and
thesis statements supported by evidence; (C) use geographic terminology correctly; (D) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;
and (E) create original work using proper citations and understanding and avoiding plagiarism.
Inquiry Activities & Strategies
Have students use their knowledge of Buddhism, and the information gathered from the images to write 5 generalizations about Buddhism. Then, using those
5 generalizations, the students must write a fictitious story about a Buddhist boy or girl (depending upon their gender), and include those five generalizations.
Students will use a story board to plan their story. Teachers may choose to use the sample storyboard below, or have students create their own story board.
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Assessment Strategies
Whole Class Discussion Questions: Display questions one at a time, and have students discuss with a shoulder partner or in small groups, and then share out to
the class.
1.
Based on the images, what impact does Buddhism have on worship practices, rituals, and leadership for its followers? Provide evidence from the
pictures.
2. How does Buddhism compare with your religion? How is it different?
3. Based on what you have learned about the religion, is the type of Buddhism portrayed Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism? How do you know?
4. Why do you think that less and less people are practicing Buddhism in Japan?
Other Resources
Web Resources
Contemporary Japan: A Teaching Workbook | © Columbia University, East Asian Curriculum Project:
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/religion/jbuddhis.html
Asia Society: http://asiasociety.org/countries/religions-philosophies/buddhism-japan
NY Times Article: In Japan, Buddhism Might Be Dying Out: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html?pagewanted=all
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