WI less politicized buddhism in Japan ?

raharris1973

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what if Buddhist movements renaissance Japan never got so powerful, political and militant? Could that have a knock on effect of making Japanese rulers less fearful of Christianity and routine interaction with Europeans?
 
Wasn't the issue with Japan and Christianity less existing Japanese religion, more the fear that the Spanish would use Christianity as a fifth column to subvert the country?
 
Wasn't the issue with Japan and Christianity less existing Japanese religion, more the fear that the Spanish would use Christianity as a fifth column to subvert the country?
Did also upset the social order a bit. Popular among both lords and peasents. Much easier to keep power when you kept the Mikado as a high priest and forced them to abdicate as soon as they were old enough to not have a regency.
 
Did also upset the social order a bit. Popular among both lords and peasents. Much easier to keep power when you kept the Mikado as a high priest and forced them to abdicate as soon as they were old enough to not have a regency.

Point.

Mind you, we don't have to have both the OP points. The Japanese could remain closed to Christianity but be more open to trade with the West. Maybe wider trade with powers like the Dutch, who favoured money over proselytising...
 
Point.

Mind you, we don't have to have both the OP points. The Japanese could remain closed to Christianity but be more open to trade with the West. Maybe wider trade with powers like the Dutch, who favoured money over proselytising...
Still, Christinaity was more popular in the South I think, so the Shogun would need to make sure the money went to him and not those actually doing the trading, so that they don't get the advantage. Considering the To,Uganda immediately back stabbed and took the land of their own allies after gaining power, I can only see them not doing that here out of thoughts they would lose.
 

raharris1973

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Reasons could emerge based on 5th column fears, but the OP was inspired by the idea that the Japanese likened the Christians to the militant Buddhist orders they had so much trouble with in the generation before.

Note that I am not treating Buddhism in opposition to Christianity, my thinking was that a less militant Buddhism in the 1400s and 1500s maybe means Japanese leaders are less prone to think charismatic religion = danger.
 
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