Shinbutsu-Shūgō
/ɕiɴbɯtsɯː ɕɯːɡoː/noun
The historical syncretic blending of Japanese kami worship with Buddhism.
Did you know?For much of Japanese history, kami were interpreted as local manifestations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, until the Meiji government’s 19th-century separation policies forcibly distinguished Shinto from Buddhism.
Etymological Timeline
5th–4th Century BCE
Sanskrit
buddha
“Awakened or enlightened one; literally, one who has awakened.”
1st–6th Century CE
Classical Chinese
佛
“Buddha; a Chinese transcription and abbreviation associated with Buddhist terminology.”
6th Century CE
Japanese
butsu
“Buddha or Buddhist sacred figure, adopted through Sino-Japanese vocabulary.”
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
集合
“Gathering, collecting, or bringing things together.”
Medieval Japanese–Modern Japanese
Japanese
神仏習合（しんぶつしゅうごう）
“The combining or syncretic integration of kami worship and Buddhism.”
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