I n the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a buddhist monk by the name of Eisai travelled from Japan to China to study Tendai doctrine. Eisai was so taken by this new form that he studied for 3 years at Wen-chou and assumed the lineage of it's master. As the dharma successor, he was ordained with a formal seal of transmission, transmission lineage, robes and various ritual articles. He returned to Japan in 1191 and promptly set about the establishment of Rinzai Zen schools that have continued to flourish to this very day. This is how Rinzai got it's starting in Japan.
T here are two main schools of thought on how to reach enlightenment in Japan.
The first of these is the reliance on self-sufficiency. Through the use of one's own power and focusing on oneself, enlightenment can be achieved. The other school of thought puts emphasis on the power provided through the Buddha. By concentrating own's thoughts on the Buddha, enlightenment is achieved. Of the two, Rinzai Zen believes the first method of the two will bring about the desired state of nothingness.