A Messenger from the Buddha to Modern Japan : Matsudaira Toshiko’s Social Activism, Writings, and Faith in the 1920s and 1930s

Abstract

Until recently, the history of Nichiren Buddhism, and modern Japanese Buddhism in general, has focused chiefly on male clerics and intellectuals. This article restores to that history the neglected figure of Matsudaira Toshiko (1890–1985), a prominent female figure within the Nichiren Buddhist tradition. Although famous as a darling of the mass media in the 1920s and 1930s and respected beyond Nichirenist circles as an emerging Buddhist leader and female role model, she is little known today. Matsudaira Toshiko sought to improve the status of women in Japan through a vast array of social activities, especially after the Great Kantō Earthquake. These efforts were deeply rooted in her religious beliefs. This article analyzes Matsudaira’s activism, writings, and faith to explore how women in modern Japan approached, accepted, and practiced Nichiren Buddhism. It contributes to the literature on women and Nichiren Buddhism from the Meiji period through the early Shōwa era by shedding light on what meaning Buddhism had for female believers in modern Japan, and reinterpreting the history of Buddhism in modern Japan as the practice of faith, rather than as a story of Buddhist doctrines, institutions, and reform movements.Early Access Publishing date: 2025/07/31journal articl