[Machine Translation] Buddhism in Japan is divided into various sects with widely different doctrines and practices. Despite this, many people, especially those who have moved from the countryside to the city and lost touch with their family temples, are not interested in them. However, when it comes time to hold a funeral service for a parent or relative, they immediately start to pay attention to the sect. This is because they have to call a priest who is a member of their family's religious sect as an officiant. It was only then that I learned that my family belongs to a certain religious sect. What is a religious sect? How did they originate in history? This book takes up the major Buddhist sects in Japan and explains their characteristics, the philosophy of their founder, the history of the sect, their relationship with other sects, and their influence on society in an easy-to-understand manner.