Includes bibliographical references (pages 187-189) and index.

1 Development of Japanese religions -- Primitive religion and legends -- Introduction of Buddhism and the Nara period -- Heian period or Ryobu Shinto -- Kamakura period and the great spiritual awakening -- Ashikaga period and the "dark ages" -- Unification of Japan and the introduction of Christianity -- Tokugawa period and the Meiji restoration -- 2 Role of government in religious life -- Attempts to establish a theocratic state -- Creation and the development of the shrine board -- Control of religion -- Religious organizations and the government -- Militarism and religion, 1931-1941 -- Militarism and religion, 1941-1945 -- Postwar adjustments -- 3 Buddhism: origin and nature -- 4 Buddhism: institutional aspects -- Sect organization -- The priesthood -- Temples -- Scriptures, sacred utensils, and services -- 5 Buddhism: description of sects -- The Nara sects -- Tendai Buddhism -- Shingon Buddhism -- Amida Buddhism -- Zen Buddhism -- Nichiren Buddhism -- Shinto: nature and types -- Primitive Shinto -- Early mythology -- Foreign influences -- Types of Shinto -- Tennoism -- Imperial family Shinto -- Popular beliefs -- 7 Shinto: shrine -- The priesthood -- Shrine buildings -- Worship -- Types of shrines -- Shinto: sectarian -- Pure Shinto sects -- Confucian sects -- Mountain sects -- Purification sects -- Sects of peasant origin -- 9 Christianity -- Early Christianity in Japan -- Christianity in modern Japan -- Christian welfare work -- Christian education -- 10 New sects -- Monotheistic group -- Henotheistic group -- Shinto polytheistic group -- Messianic group -- Group subject to Chinese influence -- 11 Impact of occupation on Japanese religions -- Appendix: statistics of religious sects and denominations.