The purpose of this study is to re-examine modern history of Japanese Buddhism and find a new methodology for studying it. The biggest obstacle facing the study of modern Japanese Buddhist history is that study on modern Buddhism is still not receiving attention that it deserves in the academia. In order to resolve the issue, the study of modern Japanese Buddhist history should start by raising the question of the concept of modern Buddhism. In this regard, this study conducted review of previous studies on this field, assuming that the modern Japanese Buddhist history should start from the basics. The findings from the preliminary study show that modern Buddhism has a characteristic of logos and a strong religious concept influenced by the West. Based on this finding, this study analyzed the research methodologies and the issue of research methodology of modern Buddhism from the perspectives of historical science, social history, history of Buddhism, history of the Buddhist movement and systems, cultural studies, and a structural approach. This study finally concluded that the task and possibility of modern Japanese Buddhism studies need to be examined with an interdisciplinary approach considering modernization of Japan and the views of Buddhism and history. It also presented the need to carry out comparative study of Japanese Buddhism with Asian modern Buddhism and to try to diversify research methods by suggesting multiple methods of researches. This study suggested that such research methodology presented here needs to be advanced and developed through exchanges among researchers in many regions in East Asia as well as in Japan.

The purpose of this study is to re-examine modern history of Japanese Buddhism and find a new methodology for studying it. The biggest obstacle facing the study of modern Japanese Buddhist history is that study on modern Buddhism is still not receiving attention that it deserves in the academia. In order to resolve the issue, the study of modern Japanese Buddhist history should start by raising the question of the concept of modern Buddhism. In this regard, this study conducted review of previous studies on this field, assuming that the modern Japanese Buddhist history should start from the basics. The findings from the preliminary study show that modern Buddhism has a characteristic of logos and a strong religious concept influenced by the West. Based on this finding, this study analyzed the research methodologies and the issue of research methodology of modern Buddhism from the perspectives of historical science, social history, history of Buddhism, history of the Buddhist movement and systems, cultural studies, and a structural approach. This study finally concluded that the task and possibility of modern Japanese Buddhism studies need to be examined with an interdisciplinary approach considering modernization of Japan and the views of Buddhism and history. It also presented the need to carry out comparative study of Japanese Buddhism with Asian modern Buddhism and to try to diversify research methods by suggesting multiple methods of researches. This study suggested that such research methodology presented here needs to be advanced and developed through exchanges among researchers in many regions in East Asia as well as in Japan.