Did the Silk Road(s) Extend from Dunhuang, Mount Wutai, and Chang’an to Kyoto, Japan? A Reassessment Based on Material Culture from the Temple Gate Tendai Tradition of Miidera

A new analysis reveals that the Silk Road(s) extended to early medieval Japan (9th–11th centuries) through the Temple Gate Tendai tradition of Mii Temple, connecting Buddhist practices from Dunhuang, Mount Wutai, and Chang’an to Kyoto. The study identifies cosmopolitan ritual elements in Enchin’s imported materials—including an early indigenous kami statue—and traces their influence on Japanese ceremonies performed for Song Emperor Shenzong, which persisted at Kyoto shrines (e.g., Matsuno’o, Kamigamo) and Nagoya’s Atsuta into the 16th century. By cross-referencing pilgrim diaries, catalogues, and material culture, the research demonstrates how Central Asian and Indic rituals were adapted in Japan while maintaining a narrative of Silk Road transmission.

Keyworth, G. (2022). Did the Silk Road(s) Extend from Dunhuang, Mount Wutai, and Chang’an to Kyoto, Japan? A Reassessment Based on Material Culture from the Temple Gate Tendai Tradition of Miidera. Buddhism in Central Asia II, 17–67. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004508446_003