Buddhism reaches Japan from Korea by 538,…

Buddhism reaches Japan from Korea by 538, and will coexist harmoniously (as it continues to do today) with the ancient Shinto religion.

The reign of Emperor Kimmei, said to have spanned the years from 539 through 571, is the first for which contemporary historiography are able to assign verifiable dates.

His contemporary title would not have been tennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō.

Rather, it was presumably Sumeramikoto or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi, meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven."

Alternatively, Kimmei might have been referred to as the "Great King of Yamato."

Although Japan’s imperial court will not be moved to the Asuka region until 592, Emperor Kimmei's reign is considered by some to be the beginning of the Asuka period of Yamato Japan, particularly by those who associate the Asuka period primarily with the introduction of Buddhism.

With the introduction of a new religion to the court, a deep rift will develop between the Mononobe clan, who support the worship of Japan's traditional deities, and the Soga clan, who support the adoption of Buddhism.